The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-06
VOLUME XXVIn.-NUNBER 1884.
THE EGYPrIAN MURDER.
Sentence OF stephen Miriam Comnuted
by the President.

,
WARRINGTON, August 5.-Minister MAJ
nard is expected to arrive here this weel
and among his last duties as minister (
Turkey will be to designate prison Il
which shall be confined the condemne,
American, Stephen Miriam, convicted ar,
sentenced to death by Maynard for th
murder Of Alexander Dahan Bey, in tb
streets OF Alexandria, Egypt. The stor,
Of Mirzau's crime has already been pub
lished, as have also the points raised as t
the legality Of his trial and sentence
whether he should suffer death by tn
sentence OF a mere consular court-an'
for time the matter had almost beer
forgotten.
Mirzan's friends, however, have beer
actively engaged in his behalf, and hav,
succeeded in obtaining from the President
oil this government Communication OF sen
tence 10 imprisonmentfor life. The com
mutation was not granted upon the points
above referred to, but upon remarkable
recital Of hereditary insanity in the Miriam
family, which, according to letter OF ap'
peal written by Archbishop Simoni at
Smyrna, extends back TO period OF three.
quarters Of century. On this point
Archbishop Simoni. says: "Mary Antoi.
nette Miriam, Stephens grand aunt, com.
mitted suicide by throwing herself in a
well. Zachary Mirzan, his uncle, killed
himself in 1912. Oracle Miriam died mad
in 1874. Marego Miriam died mad at the
hospital in 1875. John Miriam, cousin
OF Stephen, had been placed In 1872 In a
mad mouse, but he has since recovered.
Nine. Guldici, born Miriam, and and niece
OF Stephen. In fit OF insanity threw her
child from the window. This happened
in 1875, and ever since Manual Marian,
an uncle to Stephen, and Francis, his
brother, are insane, the first BELIEVING
himself to be the Holy Ghost and the other
believing that he will discover large
treasure. And lastly, Hyacinthe Miriam
is struck with the monomania OF being the
ruler Of mankind. These cases OF lunacy
in members ofthe family in the paternal
lineage and their essential features, also
the periodical manifestation Of mania,
were not clearly and properly brought to
light in the trial by the experts, and thus
his Excellency, the Minister sitting as su.
preme judge, had not the opportunity to
take in consideration the plea OF periodical
insanity or mania under which the unfor-
tunate Stephen Miriam is laboring, But
your excellenyc's right sense oi duty, will,
am sure, Join these facts with those
interior and concomitant to the rash deed
committed by Stephen, and weighing the
psychological effects OF defective mind,
your excelency will find from the be.
hayior OF Stephen, manifested immediate.
ly after the act, that he in no wise acted
with resolute purpose or premeditation,
and that the foul deed committed was the
result OF long aud protracted moral provo
cation, ungentlemanly talk and assault,
and as such that he was not responsible to
a high degree, and therefore entitled to
the benefit OF extenuating circumstances"
Besides this letter, there were received
also petition signed by nearly 1000 resi-.
dents OF Smyrna, including all classes OF
people, and another letter signed by Jews,
Moslems, Christians and others, setting
forth the better points OF Mirzans oharac-
ter, and presenting further evidence OF in
sanity.