Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-02

The Governor and Executive Council met
At 10 o'clock A. N. yesterday for the purpose
OF considering the question of reprieving the
Italian murderers Ssntore and Capone, who
were to have been executed next Friday. At
the commencement, several points of Law
we're raised by members of the Council, a. to
the right of the Executive to reprieve. The
following Law was cited:
with the advice and consent Of the Council NAV re.
spite, from time, the execution of q sentence of
oesn. iof stated periods 20 long he may deem II
necessary to afford him opportunity Of exercisinr
nis right Of pardon and Of investigating and consid
erins the facts Of the case for that purpose.
-. see = cnsp; rs OF the T. s.: On all petitions to
written notice thereof shall be given to the County
Attorney for the county where the ease was tried,
sad 70 weeks notice In some newspaper publish.
Sec II. article s, Constitution: He shall have IN.
power with the advise and consent Of the Council,
tlone and limitations may be dsened prop.r sub-
ect 70 such reRuztions - may be made by law, re.
'suve 70 the manner OF applying for psrdoas
The question was raised under the Sec
ton in chap. 1875. Is to the right of the Gov
ernor to reprieve. for the one reason that the
day Of execution fell on Good Friday, where
- the section states that the right Of respite
shall be exercised with q pardon in view.
The Council being unable to decides Judge
Danforth was summoned from Gardiner. On
his arrival, after the matter had been dulv sub.
mitted to him. he gave it a. his opinion that
the right of reprieve was in no wise limited
by the law. The second and third sections
of the Revised Statutes and Constitution, be
held, could hardly be construed a. referring
to the right Of repreive.
Two letters from Bishop James A. Hesly
OF Portland to Governor Robe. requesting
that the day Of execution be postponed, as j,
was to occur on Good Friday, were read.
The Bishop also stated that the Italian Prizes,
OF Boston who was to minister to the suffer
ers on the day If the execution, would
be unable to be present on Friday, as his du
ties required his presence at home. A letter
from Hon. A. Labroke of Foxcroft, was
also read, in which that gentleman plead ear
nestly that Santore might be pardoned, or
his sentence committed to imprison-
"'SHtt 10 hc UtiltNtu tnat the man
was not guilty of murder The Cover
nor stated that Geo. +. B. Jackson, ESQ, of
Portland, had requested him to postpone the
execution. The case where Gov. Nelson
Dingley respited Wagner was referred to.
The Governor and Council after considering
the case and hearing the evidence, went into
executive session. The question of repriev-
ing one week was first voted on; the council
stood three in favor to three opposed
Finally reprieve of two weeks was granted,
thus bringing the day of execution on the 18th
inst. While one reason given for allowing
the repreve is that the day set would fall on
Good Friday, another is that the Italian priest
by conversing with the condemned men may
draw from them confessions which will recon-
cile certain discrepancies in the sto-
ries of the two men, regarding
the commission of the crime.
The notice of the reprieve will be forward
ed this morning by special messenger, Coun-
cillor Fernsld having been selected for that
purpose. Col. A. w. Bradbury appeared as
counsel for the murderers, and in the course
of his remarks said that in his opinion Ca
pone, the younger man, was innocent of the
crime of murder