Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-25
He Declares himself Innocent Of the
Murder.


Murder.
The following letter was written by
Small on the night of the 23d, and given to
his spiritual adviser and friend, DR.. Done
hoo:
PrrrsBuRGH JAIL, March %, 1882.
Rev. E. r. DonehOO:
My KIND FRIENp:-These few lines are
for YOU and all others who have shown by
their kind acts and sympathetic words that
though circumstances put me IN an lgno-
minious position, there are some IN thls
beautiful world of ours who can yet feel
pity. Kind words are precious; none lose
BY them. God and myself alone know how
they have touched me. Tried, tound
guilty, and doomed to shameful
death for a deed done oy an
other. / being but human, felt
harshly toward all with but few except
ions: vet a few kind words pierced my
heart and caused a far different feeling:
Dear, kind friends in thirty-six hours
will have ceased to exist; not ceased to have
lived. But | have not lived for thirty
eight months. Such being the case, ask
that to past kindnesscS you do one more
kind act, and believe me when l assert
that am guiltlesS OF this crime. Gois
laws and mans have broken, but mans
am not considered a murderer lharsh
word) will give me much pleasure; L mean
not considered so by you; as to others, tney
NAV think likewise, but | doubt IT. Not
wishing to say aught to injure another who
might be and possibly is innocent, abstain
from speaking Except to my
most intimate friends) fully con-
cerning all that passed on
that fatal night. Nor do now wish 10 ac'
g.. I L. ubpn a.
cuse. God and the one who did it alone
know. But in all elrneStness, l say
horrible wrong has been done. man
was shot going home with his wife. Neither
will say who fired the deadly shot. The
officers ask the man, Who shot YOU Be
fore an answer can be given the wife puts
her arms around her husbands neck and
whispers in his ear. The officer repeats
his question, "Who shot you, What is
his answer? Anything my wife says is
right No other answer can be gotten
from him. The wife is asked Who shot
your husband" Il do not know is her
answer. The day following the wife IS
arrested for shooting her husband, brief
incarceration caused the lady to find out
that Frank Small shot her husband
(''self preservation is the first law OF
nature") Such being the case. justice IS
defeated and another murder is added to
the long list in Allegheny county. y
judicial murder, but none the less, mur
der. do not wish you to think that l am
accusing this woman OF anything, but will
full and deliberate perjury in my case;
Yes, | must say further; she has caused
my death, knowing that ! did not shoot her
| husband, she swore my life away. For do
| ing so | fully and freely forgive her, as
| expect God to forgive me. My reason for
| thus introducing Mrs. JaCoby is not to
| iniure her. ! am doing so simply to do
| Justice tomyself and those who have fought
my battle for so long time.
Mr.. DonehoO, you better than any one
| else know how am. You know that am
| not, as the papers express 1t, indifferent as
| to my fate Who could be? 1t seems as
| though,
"As onward 70 the tomb steal,
That still a. death approaches nearer,
| The Joys of life are sweeter, dearcr.'
| And such death. Do, beg Ofyou, assure
| all those whose sympathetic words have so
| cheered me, so refreshed me, also, il you by
! apy chance meet the writer OF the kind and
| pretty Christian letter received by your
| self, as well as Ellie S. Ford and c. NJ. b.,
| the writers of the letter received by myself,
which breathed $50 to speak such pure,
elevated and religious spirit that their
| efforts did do me good, that while ]
|
| faith and trust in Christs power as they,
| vet their letters did las | informed
| you) teach aud fill me with an indescriba-
| bic something, | know not what. l can
| write better or freer. All this sympathy
| is more than can speak of without chOk-
! ing. | am unused to such things and 1t
| unmans me. 1t is the most difficult thing
i | ever had to contend with. Ill treatment
| does not not bother me, for | am accustOm'
| ed to such, but all this kindness is differ
| ent thing | cannot think or speak Of it
unless fill up, and the water comes in my
| ewes. | appreciate it all and regret my
| utter inability To show myself worthy.
| Could |, as it is so plainly put, accept
| Christ what pleasure it would give
| me, Knowing it would make many hearts
| happy, | would above all others rejoice.
| But alas, | cannot. More sorrow me Do
! not forget also to thank Miss Smythe for
| the very great pleasure and real good she
| has done me by her singing. Please ask
| her, for me, TO sing next Sunday my tay-
| orite hymn, No. :. This is an earnest de-
| sire of mine Do not think this request a
| mere wLlm, as you know am full OF curl
| Gus conceits Who knows that | may not
I-hear il? Ifnot, may it not touch the heart
| Of some other poor fellow as 1t has mine?
| | would not have mentioned her name,
! only am positive none but you Will know
it. cannot get out of my head the two
| last lines of No. s:
TOO late, too late, will he the cry,
Jesus Of Nazareth has passed by"
! am, il seems to me, no stranger to all
! the kind people YOU have mentioned to me
| and knowing that on earth can never see
| them, trust may not be 'too late" to see
| them above: should il be so, then, indeed,
| will my fate bemoSt cruel. Hoping against
hope that full ia !, such as the writer of
| these letters and the owners OF kind
| thoughts towards those i'll trouble must
possess, have written these lines. That
my life may be leniently judged, that you
| all believe my assertion that i am not
| guilty of this crime and that you will, in
| your hearts, find room for kind thought
I for one who. while admitting his past life
| To have been an unworthy one, yet dies for
| that which he did not do, is my sincere
| wish.
/ Goodbye. and if l am able, l will add,
| God bless you all before | die.
| EDGAR FRANK SMALL