, 1874-03-01
RAFFERTY,.
Ills Mission to Springfield and Its
Result.


1ETn FROM POLICE coANlss1oEKR xHERDA.
TO the Editor qf Tas Chicago ri6uns:
sIR: am tempted, for the first time IN many
years. trespsss upon your valuable space for the
purposo Of coutrsdictiug malicious slandeT which
appeared In the Epsnnq Journal Of Friday, ~ fol-
Lows:
"Eye, since policemaa oa1eara was shot in the dis
charge Of his duty, Mark Sheridan, Police Connls-
sioner, has cndeAvored to aheld Lis murderer from
punishment. He has been to Springfield TO
dragoon tbs Governor into eommutahon OF Haher-
tys sentence. Officers appointed to e1ecuta the 1"s
who volunteer shield those who break them by kill
ing their sworn agents. disgrace themselves N ths
eyes Of al honorable meu."
In relation to the foregoing hxve only to say that
It II most unihgated and malicious falsehood; and
the writer Of knew to be II he not vssdta-
bio how-nothing, At tha timo he wrote It. 10 mueh
for the Journal man, whooTor he is +!
Now Mr. Editor, desire to submit, for your con-
sdcraIou and that Of the people Of the State Of Illinois,
the part took in the rafferty, affair and, n doing
view is simply to stay public Judgment until such
time AZ gentleman havngthe requisite legal leaFn-
Ing yell "a intimate acquhintance Wtn ne 3acle
opportunity to present It in al its bearings for public
| consideration, IS he han heen'requested to do:
Springfield Tor tho purpose Of soliciting the Governor
to commute Christopher Raertys seutencs OF death
moment doubling tho succe sfu issue Of mission
OF mercy, though must say WAS told ~ persons Eo
To- + oaa saa 5 ] Il
mercy. Alas ]! How fal1acious my hope ho" true
their predictions ... --.....
next besought him to grant respite Of twenty days.
| or Of two weeks ut least, that Ranery's counsel
might hare sn opportunity to 70 1ee
| In the case never before presented. ana obtained
oy few days preceding tho date Of our 5stt to the
| Governor So strong was the Gaze We submitted to
the Gover1,r for his consideration, that even those
who mos! dreaded his unmerciful disposition anc1
patcd our SUGGEST And how could IL oe
able evidence Of the fact that witnesses bad oeen t
pered with for purposes Of mafng sne'T esaaenee e
not upuues1onable evidence that some Of the Jurors
had prejudged the case and were pledged to the hang
Wss there not evidence that scanlon aud oMeara
were sent out together with instructions to arrest Aa1
ferty at ali hazards7 Was there not evidence tnat q
Rancrty,s character the very reverse OF what 1t
had been represented to be By tho LOT mo
| prosecution Waa there not much olher testimony
and arrest the swift vengeance Of the law on a
Grand Of death Most certainly there was, and, II
having been presented e Hs y an u y. ne
! "Houer far the gift must be,
That opes the gats OF Heaven for thee. ;"
In vain Was our good Governor besought-in the
eIey. In MI the name Ct tho staeto grant even
respite. 1t last al gave up hope but n'ssem no"
believe ha ns 15 Il e learned
tonaer Rafrerty was dead ?-murdered judcially.
an sorry the Governor would not see tae case o1
| Il ho hsd, be- would nkelr havs granted the
respite asked for; but rafferty, y aeaa. ds;.
!epg7e to predict a eba
PRED thoss who claored louces 1of nis oiooa VIII
to their sorrou, have 1earned that waa theis oe
Eense Of Justice, which prompted them to cry out !:
"Crucify him; cruelty him" ..., m. pxrs,.
1ency did not succeed In their mission Of mercy thas
cur great S3te might be spared the disgrace OF
judi isl mrrder-ihe second in few because
fed fully satisfied TINT the lily Of human being hsa
been ncedlesss and perhaps sacrificed to pro
ote the ambitious designs Of aspiring politicians san
because fear the Judgment Of the civilized world VII
be that those high in authority in our stats wose
for good and er.l is 80 great are Wholly aes''
A. iustiacatioa-a % any were needed-of my course
in the premises, could cite The words Of E1.Go1.
Palmer who openly stated that II though Rafferty, nao
be would consider himself justified in committing the
sentence on the ground that there Vas %
| among the Judges Of the Supreme Bench. The views
sridcc II. g.
| RAr9EaT1's WILL.
The following is COPY Of Raderty'a viii, executed
the day before his death: -.....
wAuuaAx, Feb. e, 1874.
In the name Of God. Amen.
To those whom it may concern, b 1t known that IN
hundred and seyenty-four lls7i !, chr4stophez Rat
farty desirs my body found At death, to be detv
ered: without any post-morte1a examination or dis
section, to my people-.o my father and seladyes,-
subject to whatsoever directions Father T. ". Gsv1r
may make
Whatever real Or personal property may bc IN ny
nossessiou or may belong to me, leave 70 my poor
aorroxs and sadness h1vs uuintentionaIy causee
them and my family hope that ny parents - Is VEL
IS brothers ind sate1s vii not 1osgee ne n ,ne,t u
asg apy p1s! fsnds, return .tneere 1saks for heiE
tirinc chorts and many favoss. Wherefore. & as1nt
forri7eness Of a those whom may have injured ant
| tcrssrinu ali those Who may have injured me,
prsy tie Almighty tat Z # be possible IN hnt
may pass from me- nsvssthsleas nos y r prt
| Thou wilt oAAae - ~ .rTv ~
| ASos~ ~ r.. q. HEmnErKRBxs