The bee., 1883-04-14
BEDFORD, oUEENAN AND PINN
WERE THEY INNOCENT OF HIRTH S
MURDER ?--soME INTERESTING REM
INISCENCES OF THE TRIAL.

MURDER ?--soME INTERESTING REM
INIscENCES OF THE TRIAL.
A reporter of The Critic endeaYored
last evening to trace the rumors that a
letter had been received in this city
announcing that Ben Johnson had con-
fessed to being the murderer of young
Hifth, for which Babe Bedford and Ed
ward Queenan were hanged about
three years ago; and Sandy Pinn CON-
mitted to the penitehtiary, where he
recently died.
The theory of the defense in the
memorable trial was that Johnson was
the murderer, and one of the most SEN
sational scenes ever enacted in a court
of justice was when johnson was
placed in among a number of yOHng
colored men; and an old deaf and dumb
negress was told to pick out the man
who she slid Had COME I'd het on the
night of the murder and told her in
the language of the fingers that he had
just killed Hirth.
The old woman who had been testi-
flying through DR. Gallaudet paced up
and down the courtroom, scanning
eagerly the faces of the men, until her
eyes fell on johnson; and thefi With an
intense excitement in which she seemed
bursting in her mute effort to speak,
pointed out
JOHNSON AS THE CONFESSED MUIR
DERER,
and made an impression that will never
be forgotten by those who witnessed it,
and left ail unchangabie conviction in
many minds that johnson was the
guilty man.
The story of the trial and the eXecu-
tion is fresh in everybody's memory.
johnson wis compelled to leave the
city, so strong was the feeling against
him among the colored people, and was
last heard of in Boston his mother
still continuing to live in the vicinity
of the Children's Hospital.
When the reporter reached Samson
street. the old home of Sandy Pinn and
Babe Bedford; the narrow thorough
fare Wds alive With eXciteniefit and
gossip about the alleged confession as
it appeared in The critic, and in every
doorway little groups of people were
discussing the publication: The feel
ing against Johnson was almost unani-
nous, and many of the people were
empathic in their statements that the
innocent men were punished.
MRS. PINN, MOTHER OF SANDY PINN,
was found in her little house and imme-
diately guessed the reporters errand.
She was very feeble, and cottld scarcely
speak, having beeh; as SHE slid, an in
valid ever since her sons conviction,
and having been dangerously i'll since
his death. She said that she had
always believed Johnson to be the
murderer, and that it some time would
be known that her boy was innocent,
but that she knew nothing of any con-
fession 10y Johnson, and did not know
where he was. She would not be sur
prised if johnson had confessed, but
did not believe that Mrs. Bedford or
Mrs. Queenan had been notified of the
fat.
A young colored woman who was
seen said that Mrs. Bedford was now
in Brightwood and had received no in
telligence of q confession by johnson.
Mr.. Hayward, one of the counsel for
the defense in the Hirth ial,said that
while he had no proof of JOhnsOn's
confession, he would not be surprised
at it. He had the evidence to prove
that the principal witnesses at the
trial had purjured themselves, and but
for the statute of limitations they
would be prosecuted. AS to the
murder, he had always known that
THE MURDERER HAD ESCAPED JUSTICE
and still believed that in the course of
time he would be tried and convicted.
The only difficulty was that to secure
a conviction certain parties would
have to be induced to admit that they
testified falsely at the trial.
Mr.. William Calvin Chase, who has
published some statements of the re-
ported confusion in the BEE, said he
obtained his information from Jona-
than HameIton, who told him he had
seen the letter which had been sent to
Mrs. Bedford, the mother of one of the
men who was hanged. Mr.. Chase said
that Mrs. Bedford had gone away the
day after the receipt of the letter and
mad not yet returned.
Mr.. Hamilton was seen, who said,
that he did not see the letter himself
but was told by Mr.. Savoy that Mrs
Queenan, mother of the other executed
man, had told him Savoy that she
had received letter from some Wes-
tern Judge in regad to Johnson's con-
fession, and that she had gone away,
but he did not know where.
The rumors are so numerous and so
generally believed that there must be
some foundation for them. and yet no
reliable source can be found.
The police authorities have no in
formation on the matter and do not be-
lieve that johnson has made any con-
fession. They say that Queenan, Bed
ford and Pinn were convicted upon
indisputable evidence, and that all the
material parts of Johnson's testimony
were fully corroberated; that nothing
has occurred since to change the facts
in the case. and that they think the
rumor got into circulation in connnc-
tion with some other case.-C1'itic Tues-
day april 8
There is something wrong in Den
mark. Mr.. Savoy from whom DR..
John w. Hamelton got his informa-
tion says that he saw the letter that