New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-19
cox IN TIE CONDEMNED CELL.


DENCE FALSE, THE DIsrRICT-ATToRNFY BITTER
AND THE JURY MISREPRESENTATION AT
HIS CONVICTION, But READY TO DE-
After Chastine Cox was COM icted and sentenced
TO be hanged for the murder Of Mrs. Hull he was
removed from the cell which he had occupied since
his arrest to cell No. 4, in what Ifs known as the Muir
derers Row, on the ground floor OF the City Prison
The cell is situated on the east side OF the prison,
and has a small barred window through which
view of part of the yard can be obtained. 1t is
little TO the south CT the centre of the building.
The cell is supplied with narrow bed. and the
stone floor is covered with two striDs Of carpet.
The walls are neatly wLtewashed. Edward Stokes
occupied this cell during his imprisonment. The
last prisoner who was in the cell was Francis Cos
grove, who wac sentenced to four years imprison-
meut i'm the State Prison for being accessory TO the
death of Cora Salnmis. The last murderer who oc-
cunied The cell was John Dolan, who was hang
IN the prison-yard on April 81, 1876, for KILN
Noe in GIeonwich-st. No execution has taken place
in the prison since that time. Tweu.y-lour muir
derers have been led from the cell TO the scaioid.
OF this number six or seven were negroes.
Warden Finn said yesterday that his prisoner had
passed quiet night, sleeping soundly until in
the morning. At that hour Father Duranquiet
visited him, a.. ! some time afterward the Rev. Mr.
Belker chaplain of the prison, haG talk with Cox,
oner talked with freedom and discussed the trial and
other questions with ease and considerable earn est
ness. When TRIBUNE reporter saw him yesterday
he was dressed in black trousers and blue flannel
waistcoat. with low shoes and white stockings. he
had no coat on and was lying with half OF his BODY
on his bed and with one foot on the floor. during
the conversation Cox arose from his bed and ap-
preached closely to the barred door where he talked
with animation.
well what do the papers say this morning.
asked Cox, with a faint smile. :" Are they glad OF
it7 l can't read, you know, and so am ignorant OF
what they say" When he was told that they com
meuted severely on his apparently urfeehng con-
duet throughout the trial, Cox was more
earnest than ever. 1.-THE Judge and the
Jury coudn't understand why l could
smile or be at nv ease under such circumstances.
Why always was so, and am not guilty of MUIR
der. have never felt that was during the whole
time since my arrest. Ihave an easy conscience in
regard TO Mrs. HUBS death. for she alive when
l left her. did wrong to comI<t the burglary and
| am sorry for it; but God. think, has forgiven me
for that crime. That is the explanation OF my con-
! duct in court"
"Yes,' said the reporter, "but didn't you admit
70 me in Boston, on the day after your arrest that
when you left Mrs. Hull you thought she was either
| dead or dyingp
! "Well0 said Cox somewhat surprised. so many
people to lxed 10 me then that hardly know what
I said. The trial unfair, for the Jurors were
preiudiced against mo on account Of my color
am a negro and am poor. If / were white AMI rich
aud had moved IN whito oooiety, novor should
have been convicted. There were Irshmen,
Germans and Dutchmcn the Jury, and
they were down on me without regard TO
the evidence. The Observation-Disclosures attempt
to show that the act premeditated was nom
sense. didn't think had killed the woman. or
| never would have come back 70 New-York but
would have fed 10 some other part of the country
The candle that l had in my pocket, and which the
District-Attoney used to prove reconciliation, hap
pened to he in the pocket Of my overals. used 10
sew carpets in the evening, and l got that candle
because couldn't see well enough sometimes and
had to have a light THIS piece Of a candle
carried around from house to house and it CHANGED
to be in my pocket. The key. too, tried was an
old one that was also in my pocket. didn't know
whether it would fit or not, but naturally tried 1t.
"The evidence against me was half lies People 10
whom told the story OF the burglary twisted all
the facts against me. l never told Detective
scbrnittberCer tnat as left the heard Mrs.
Hull slgh-a 81 n that the Distrlct-AttOrney
called her death sigh. l have not felt
badly about the result Of the trial. l ex-
pect 10 be hanged but nothing can chenge
nv feeling. Why last night when | came
back to prison. ard was left IN my cell, felt like
shouting praises 10 God because / was and am con-
scious of INV innocence OF the crime Of MURDER |
should have shouted If l had not thought the
warden would have been displeased. If they are
crrel enough to hang me | shall be just ~ quiet 10
the last minute as I was during the trial"
While Cox was talking in this strange way be
seemed to be perfectly sincere and earnest, and
there was nothing except his opinions that would
have led one to think that his mind was oil
its balance. He talked in especially bitter
strain about District-Attorney Phelps whom he
generally called the " old man"
"Ob" said he, Pm sorry for him. IF "a had as
much the devil in me when was tying Mrs. Hull as
he had yesterday when he was addressing the jury
I should have eaten her, The Distlict-Attorney
walked about, and didn't address the jury with
respect lie had the bitter feeling OF an adversary
in rs heart. I ain better off than he is. wanted
TO talk to the Judge and jury when l was askedi
had ANYTHING to say. but / didn't exactly
know when to begin, and my counsel told me to say
nothing | felt Just in the humor to talk ] didn't
expect q verdict Of guilty. for didn't see how the
Jury could convict me on the evidence"
One of the Keepers passed by and handed Cox
cigar which ne took. Why, l could hang myself
with that bed cord" said he at another time, Il
could tie it to the bars yonder. But that would be
folly, for there excuse for sef-murder. No.
there's no danger of that"
Mr. Howe, Cox's counsel, has drawn M a writ of
error on which he will ask for stay of proceedings
and it will probably be presented to some Judge of
the Supreme Court to-day
-------------
THE ACCOMPLICE or BENJ4MIN HUNTkR.