The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-27
NO SWINGING TOMORROW
Governor Foster Grants Price q Six.
Weeks Reprieve.

Tomorrow was the day set for the hang.
ing Of George Allen Price, the colored man
who killed Willie Black on Decoration Day
last year. Yesterday afternoon the follow
ing was sent to Columbus by Judge
Guthrie:
CINCINNATI, O., May 26. 1880
To Gov. Foster. Columbus, o.:
DR.. Craig has Just sent me this state
ment:
Il will say that have examined George
Price from, time to time, and find him at
times of unsound mind, caused by injury
of his head. and he has epileptio convul-
sions. caused, think, by the injury.
think it better to stay the execution until
thorough examination can be made.
rs. w. CRAIG, M. D.,
physician to Hamilton County Jail"
DR.. Miller is now in New York.
On this evidence l earnestly pray re-
prieve for three months in order that the
case may be fully investigated. Please an
| swer at once. Il. A. GUTHRIE.
To this the following answer was re-
turned last evening:
COLUMBUS, O.. May 26th. 1880.
To Judge A. E Guthrie, Cincinnati, O.;
The Governor received your dispatch
just as he was leaving for the depot He
| determined to grant reprieve for six
weeks for the purpose Of examination.
E. T. HALL.
Price, therefore, for the present. es-
capes hanging on the scatfold. The
scaffold was planned and con-
structed by Mr.. Joseph R. Van, the
Courthouse carpenter, assisted by M.
Is. Price. 1t is heavy piece
of work. 1t is strongly braced with bolts
of iron at every joint Not a nail has
been used on 1t. Its height is Is feet
inches, length u feet and depth 10 feet.
TIE size of the timbers is by 6 inches.
The trsp-door is feet square. The rods
supporting the trap are in the shape of
V, and by pulling the lever in the back
falls.
The respite granted to Price was expected
by some, others even thought that there
would be no hanging at all, but the major
ity we're of the opinion that the hanging
would come off at the appointed hour.
There are few who believe in Price being
insane.
When Sheriff Weber last night told
at first believe it. and when convinced of
| Az, tOOh OHlASo on oeoiiu oAN AiNAASAVhV 90
he has done up to this time
His daughter paid him a visit last even
ing but he did not talk much to her. As
| the girl started to leave she held up her
face to be kissed, and the father kissed it
affectionately. What word do you want
to send to mother2' she asked. "Tell her
no, don't tell her anything now," was
the resi- onse, and the girl retired.
The tobacco merchants held meeting
yesterday afternoon and instructed COM
mittee OF five, consisting Of Messrs. Thomas
H. Wright, F. A. Prague s. J. Garvey s.
M. Bailey and B. F. Power, to draft tele-
gram to the Governor not to grant re-
prieve to Price. The above shows how
they failed.
Mr.. E. H. Griest, of Griest & Co., and
President of the Seed Leaf Tobacco Mer-
chants Association, was asked by STAR
reporter this morning what he thought
about the reprieve of six weeks for Price.
He said he thought as all the other mer.
chants did, that was, to have let the law
take its own course, and if they want six
weeks to prove Prices insanity or sanity,
WHY let them have it, as the tobacco mer-
chants do not thirst after Prices blood as
the general community think. He says
thew are even willing to have his sentence
commuted to imprisonment for life if they
had any assurance that the future Govern
ors would not pardon him, as a man like
Price, he said, ought not 10 be let out of
prison.
When asked about the meeting of yester-
day, he said that it " as principally COM
posed of tobacco merchants from across
the river, as they had heard strong pres
sure in favor of Price was before the Gov
ernor, and that the merchants were afraid
the Governor would commute Prices
sentence, which they did not want him
to do.
Mr.. Georse Harris, tobacco merchant
of West Front street. was next approached
by our reporter.
He stated, in short and decisive way,
that they ought to hang him Immediately
Rumors are afoat that parties are getting
, up a petition to send to the Governor, beg
gipg him rot to commute Prices sentence
Price this morning was taken ont o1
Room No. / in the Female Department
and put back in his old cell, No. 81 HI
did not in the least like t e change. He
will be put on the usual diet, namely, bear
soup and hard tack.
Jailer Birnbaum says that there wa
! some talk that the special diet given t.
t Price cost the county too much. He saw
this is mistake, as the special diet cigar
and tobacco, for nineteen days, did no
cost the county more than $12 80.
: No one was allowed to see Price in hi
= cell to-day, this being the regular visiting
8 day.