New-York tribune., 1881-12-08
A MURDERER'S LETTERS.
sINDRAM DESTROYS OF BEING HANGED.

ue sad that he would make attempt to prove that
he prisoner was insane The only question ior tue jury
70 decide was whether Sindram was to be hanged or
only TO be imprisoned long term Of years Several
were called behalf Of the defence, but none
of them present at the shooting and their testimony
had little or no relevancy to the On the cross
examination OF Adolph Sndram, brother OF the prs
oner Assistant Distrct-Attorney Lyons produced ana
read ten letters written by Sindram, In which he ac-
res the shooting of Mrs. Crave, The drst letter
Is addressed to Mr. Phelps and is dated October H. at
the Tos The following is the substance OF the letter
Ihave heard with great pleasure that You considered
my to De utterly devoid OF any eAieu TIiid
stances whatever. It would be strange indeed shou
the Jury find guilty OF anything else ulh uiuot ~
the first degrcehat Ia, provided you do mol hegec1 1
ge nil the witnesses you can whose Testimony VIII
snow, beyond q doubt. that committed ptemeullateus
aud cold blooded murder To ac ltate tne ISni %,
vour wish 10 have me hung would call your atehllon
TO my brother Adolph whose testimony may 40 nnqTe
toward convicting me than that OF anyone else ne
Immediately, after my arrest informed tine police that
nt,.d nnu ~ H. shoot Mrs Crave had shown him the pis
toi the day bought it. Don't fail to get my brother
The brothers address then given with great partic
uarty and the line of cars to be taken pointed out Inc
| letter concludes:
II Won fail to obtain from the jury my trial verdict
| i'm must be played out in New-York
In another letter TO Mr.. Phelps sindram says that II
will not be difficult to disprove the plea Of insanity
which his lawyer intends to put forward Tor hn' anu
expresses hope that the prosecution will succeed lie
continues:
u
nothing can he said mans defence, when htre IRE
extenuang CIRCUMSTANCES ~iley, III ms LIs tG nv
Mr. Knitting e. say that am insane Is 10 auiHIt 'u"' 1
| case bad ~ Guiteau's.
He Expresses dissatisfaction with Mr. Kinzings con
duet Of the case and places more reliance on the de-
fence of malpractice than that OF insanity. lie Thought
that Mr. Knitting, not having received rge retainer
| wanted 10 get the case of his hands without much
bother" His letters Mr. Crave would not prove that
ne was insane, only that he "hatei the she-deV
and didn't having killed her. and didn't fear inc
gallows" "I that is proof OF my insanity, ne says
! then OF course | am az mad as March hare" He
alleges this letter llt he did not at first intend to XIII
| Mrs Crave lie fired the first shot In ht
| of anger 1t then occurred to him that he had
committed elonious assault, and he determined 70
drive bullet into her that she would have to suffer
as well as himself He admits that he plnccd the muz-
! ale of the pistol close to her check"
| In another letter 20 Mr. Phelps Sindram expresses
the opinion that Mr. Phelps would be placed in very
painful position were he isudram) to escape from the
hands the eKccutoncr he Ghelps had expressed
80 confidently his belief that the prisoner would be
! hanged" lie saws that ho had been urged to pleN
guilty 10 murder the second degree but was not will
ing to do so as preferred the gaows to imprisonment
| Tor life He goes
What pity that sccordng to law. am not permitted
to plead gully ~ murder In the first degree, ont must
allow myself to be defended just II feared the nun
i-lmrnt thai may be- meti "ll {" me Tor "nt Nthoht
Tor enough that there ~ very little pleasure
| or satisfaction experienced IN hanging man VINO
doesn't fear IT,
| T.
| old has." The letter continues:
HAD bullet killed her Mrs Cravel 90 the spot, then
10 ion Cox and Balbo long ago am sure II wasn't my
faH.i that she lived long with nv bullet iu hcr brain
wa. h", hIt that g,ics won't save Gultrnu from
galIow- A. escape IL viii only hc because lhe jury
fo s.assinac President o the United states. Br.lcs
Garfield 80, al.o q yer, good man In speof the Chi
! him by the Ncw-York truth and other papers.
7iniran wrote letter to Nr Crave, in which he in
dulgcs indecent abuse OF Mrs Crave who was then
lingering the point Of death IN one Of the city hosp
.al, Tho toloaiusi ooly Of another letter to Mr.
Touns Aug 0. ISL
! DNtE sia: You must excuse me for not having writ
ten you ior 20 long tune bur was 80 3y,rrom91 1
have louad b. elno, iupo.. bir ever since do any
thing e-r shed tears. eit very sorry at not being
Crruru.taucrs witch had mo- control prevented
mo from doing either one or 'te other nope you gave
! u rc-o1"od conu vita silver handles, etc. Did
i'a I'm. II"I a panr for, 10 put % nnc m0"nmrHt
ou grave. WAC is your housrkc"pcr aud cook now
1uoii ,,ulins sc,.c 6at know thai lead l. ycry good
TO s4i 49, M 1r va C[Ni , T'tn tn al P The ""
n..- OF her you must take care. howrN"r 20 pnt
ought t thank me Tor ha Wing rid you tough old
Amazon How happy and all the rr-t OF your fam
You stated a Corour- inquest That You h'd heard
abuse aud threaten your vie ana yet you remained
~, trrl,ri ,"ur viic but even IL hld .nu you had
heard mel thihA YOU "Hnin "a,, - I , % 4 .,ni
drink Yourself death, aud she would hay" been greatly
pleased had .not You I au Ial shot her and would
in n asin 10 { had the chance instead of being pun
-hcd und sent 10 sing sing. ought 10 DE rewarded ana
receive only liberty but Also gold medal hut
! TN, "a an uugratciul world.
ava not afraid OF being hung, although have
! iS,T tn rir6ts" No. air: hanging in New-YorA
II. asg sS s gh ,s o" lived or aSs aS my onls i1' @ MA
| my bullet In nrr brain llrd rhe iecoN'i'I,
ihe end of tnai timc would have bought another re-
yOYcr and tried the experiment u driving another 1ul
| now she DIDN'T ike the idcn Of leaving the world
without having the satisfaction OF seeing me hung'
or otherwise punished. Tue bullet killed her with you
might put under glass II VIII hr a NICE ornament
ws you would show tins letter "a the DNtrctAttorney
and lrt ann road court ut my trla guess they
cant hang me. should he hung. Will die an easy
/ death. viii be dend In thirty minutes Mrs. Crave
suffered almost Ave months and died slow and horrible
death. She got what. snc deserved. wouldn't gnind
the hanging much, because know that all mhrdercrs 20
sragnt uto Heaven. No more Tor the present lOuis,
WILLIAM SiNDRAM.
In letter to MrLyons dated "Tombs Nov. Is, 1885,
sndrm says that he Is OF the opinion his COUNSEL
| Mr. Knitting will introduce plea of insanity. lie then
| continues:
| There may be enough e1tenuating circumstances in
| my case me from the gnows but not from long
inpri-onmrnt prefer hanging very long impr,Non.
mcu and have therefore concluded to gyo YOU all the
in ormaton you may need 10 convict me. Tue plea OF
Insanity have heard, gong to b" entered III my de-
fence his II o plea mat Is generally made Use oi m the
defence o nS-ar'nS like Guteau or Instance ih whose
dc.ur, nothing whatever can be sand but that they are
lNr tlt reason WY olOl L" l'i! I'd ~ u'
calls. feel sure thai my lawyer Won't be able 10 prove
| that 1 ever was luuHtic To prove my Insanity,
| my lawyer VIII have 10 rely almost tn'
! ufey upon the letters wrote To Mr.
| crave in which 1 called Mrs. Crave AN old she-leyh,
tnorr that wrote to you and others about my case and
/ those | wrote the press. lie may also tndeaNOr to
prove that I'm insane by means Oi the letter wrote
about my inventions. am aware Ol the TACT that there
are quite number OF Rocalcd "crdnk-' who consider
tucu. elves inventors, Dut VINO are really nothing else
but harmless did not belong 10 tnat class.
Yuu need uuiy apply 90 the following gentlemen, TO
| whom wrote letters ana with whom was personally
| acquainted
lie then gives n number Of names and says that all
these men will testify that they believed him IN
| sane. the letter continues