Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-17
eEeRe,s sipe oE InE sroaY,

BeE6s'S SIDE Of tNE SJ00V.
A Letter frea the Condemned Man In
Which He Poaittvely kea0ras Rais In.
nocenee--Brtef Rsvtev 81 the Trlal and
Other Circumst ANGEL Ceanectoa Thsre.
To tie Press and Ddkotaida,
After perusing POUR review Of the pro-
ceedings ana argument for . second trial ,n
my case, l desire to make public . few
statements relative to the proceedings OF
course l. cannot expect to derive any legal
leniencylhS this course, but instead only to
give utterance to my views aud opinions.
which you nue. know are both strange and
numerous. when you realize the fact, that
the sad dilemma is fast closing my existence
upon this earth. l have. since Judge Shan
non refused to Ave me- . new trial, taught
my unfortunate self to kunw and realize
that l must undergo execution as q sacri-
flee for the cunning, scheming, and
treachery Of bal assuc iates. For II I sm
to be thrust from this earth. by a process
only me,ed out I" sa,,sf, the sw- Of man.
kind and Of our land, I will endure such
punishment as an innocent victim. I now
proclaim, and shall TO my last moments
proclaim, my '"noceno . |, my associations
and connections with this case have
brought me in guilty under the law,
l stand ready to be hurled, into an untimely
eternity, knowing that my Maker and Wm
Cammack and Williams, alone; know I de-
part this world by execution, under false
and perjured evidence. With all due kind.
ness towards his honor, Judge Shannon, ]
cannot but think wrong in his sust lining
James Somers' evidence, for I sternly re /.
peat that l never uttered or engaged 10
such a conversation, which I believe Somers
gave in his evidence to satisfy q request Of
Williams. ] can distinctly call to memory
an instance, where " illiams had befriend. d
and aided Somers, when in very distressing
pecupiary circumstances. and believe that
Somers would take this direction to satisfy
and compensate Williams for his previous
assistance. All through my trial | could
detect wrong assertion, brought to bear
against me but it was impossible for me to
bring evidence to prove its falsity because
none was available. Consequently such
were accepted as actual evidence, and which
aided in placing me in a doomed cell.
To answer Judge Shannon, why I did not
make my statement before Commissions
Congleton, as I had before the court, 1 will
state that my reticence was caused BY my
attorney, and if it was a sad mistake, it VS.
my attorney, and not me. who did it.
1t has come to my ears that .umnrs are
In circulation. that at my last moments ]
will yield and confess the crime of this ter.
rible deed. Let me impr S. upon the mind.
of your readers that they cannot anticipate
such. The contents of this communication
cover all the confess; ~ I c.n tuthfully
N K I'D all the explanation I cou'. make
to an eager publ c would only be a rehearea)
Of my statements while on trial.
Before crrs NJ | with to make q few re-
marks in regard to the dinner table CONVEX
satloD, which they claimed occurred at Brule
City. l most positive and sincerely aver
that no such conversation W held there
but that such, or SINH IT ~.rl> were used
before our Par y "ached Crow Creek. and
made by Csmmsck and Wilt, m , after com
hitting the robbery on the road. Had !
been allowed a n - trl, l was prepared tn
hiring evidence thai This 81 nversation was
held before we reached Crow Creek, and
not at Brule City. 1t was impossible fol-
me to procure these parties at the time, or
during the t'a', as At that tim did not
have Knowledge of their names, and
they refused to hunt. or search for
them, unless l would give their This
l consider another great injustice. Probably
if these Witnesses had been brought befo,e
the court, it would have had . great bearing
in my 'av",, tut through the strange cur
rents of Law | was denied this privilege,
which l then, now, and will always believe
they should have allowed me.
My trial from the time of arrest until the
moment of my conviction has presented it.
self to me as only an imaginary transaction.
1t certainly has not appeared that it was de-
signed to get at the true merits of the coe,
for no witness, that occupied the stand, either
for or against me, was permitted to relate
the evidence a. it existed but was so broken
up aud severed to satisfy the deep. intangible
Ian suage and customs of legal proceedings,
that l was totally unable TO get a thorough
understanding.
In conclusion, l can only be submissive,
aud through all these Observation-Disclosures
meet my fate as is only possible for innocent
humanity to do.
1 wish it to be understood that l have bad
implicit confidence 10 my attorneys l feel
perfectly satisfied with every direction they
have taken. They have been kind and I'm.
firing, and 1 believe they have used every
effort for my vindication.
SILAs F. BEEBE.
Spring c~alicoes at Farmers, cor. 3rd and