Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-23
l News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. HOPE FOR MRS. DRUSB. Governor Hill Grants Her A
 Respite.
 PkRNELl TO TAKE THE LEAD In A Vigorous Anti-Rent
 Campaign. ANOTHER LINE TO NEW YORK. l A Terrible Battle With Al
 Dog.
ANOTHER LINE TO NEW YORK.
rrKs. DRUsE RETRIEVED.

MKs. DRUsE RETRIEVED.
 A Horrible Crime for Which Governor
 Hill Will Not Commute the Sem 1 tence.
 | ALBANY, NY, Dec. Ex-Governor Hill | has 1eprieved Mrs. Druse, who has been sen 1 fenced to be hanged December 29 for the l murder of her husband at Warren, Herki
 mer county, until the 29th of February. 1 Points of Governor Hills decision are as fol- lows: The defendant, Raxalana Druse, was convicted of murdering her husband in War
 ren, county of Herkimer. The verdict was murder in the first degree and she has been sentenced to execution by hanging on the 1 29th of this month It is conceded that she has had a fair trial. It is clear case of murder in the first degree. The evidence l shows that the killing most brutal in it's character. A quarrel had occurred on the | morning of the homicide between the de- ceased and the defendant at the breakfast | table. The deceased was still at the table ant went into another room and took load ed revolver which was there and putting it under her apron returned and whispered to the boys to go out of doors, which they did leaving herself, the daughter Mary and the deceased in the room.
 Mary then placed 8 rope around her fathers neck while he was at
 the table and the defendant fired the revol-
 yer once or twice at him, wounding him, and
 he fell over sideways in his chair while the
 defendant, being unable to make the revolver
 ko
 came into the house together with the boy
 George whereupon the prisoner gave the re-
 volver to the nephew and under threat of
 killing him compelled him to fire it off three
 times and the deceased being hit by the shots
 rolled off the chair upon the floor and then
 she seized an and hit him on the head,
 he exclaiming, ''Oh, Roxie,, dontl" and she
 continued hitting him on the neck until she
 chopped his head off. She then caused the head as we'll as the body to be taken into the parlor and during that day and evening the body was cut with an axe and was burned in the stove. She threatened to kill the boys if they told what had occurred, burned all of her husbands clothes and made every possible effort to conceal the crime, causing the ashes in the stove l where the body had been burned to be taken 1 np and thrown in @ swamp and the revolver l and axe to be thrown in a pond, and had | telegrams sent to friends in other places | making false and misleading inquiries to | her husband and compelled the boys to tell | everyone that her husband had gone away from home. During the evening while Mrs. | Druse and Mary were burning the body in | the parlor the two boys were amusing them | selves by playing checkers in the adjoining l room where the murder had been commit l ted, thus showing the unconcern and utter | la;k of feeling of the whole family. Mrs. | Druse had previously made threats against l the deceased and boasted that she would be rid of 1 him. The revolver had been procured and l brought into the house under peculiar and | suspicious circumstances, indicating feloni- l ous purposes. These and other facts almost | too horrible for description mark the, case as a plain one of deliberate and premeditated l murder. There seems to be scarcely single | mitigating circumstance surrounding it. The | daughter Mary was sentenced to the State l prison for life. The defendant, Mrs. Druse, was not sworn in her own behalf at the trial and to this day has never-except by some oral admissions which it is claimed have been made by her-giyen any version of the killing or ventured any sworn justification. She was defended by able counsel. The ap plication cannot be placed upon any legal grounds, nor can it be granted upon any  utive clemency. There are no mitigating | circumstances upon which to base it and | there is no pretense of insanity.
 There does not seem to be any ground for executive clemency unless it is the sole fact l that the defendant is a woman. The law does not make any distinction in the punish ment of murder on account of sex. The exe cutive must accept the law as he finds it and he cannot properly or honestly evade it. If it be said that public opinion is against | the execution of a woman for any crime the answer is that public opinion should express itself by seeking change of the statute. Much would personally be grati6ed if I could SC. my way clear to grant this applica- tion I cannot do so as the law now stands and am compelled to deny it. But because the date fixed for the execution, December 29, is during the holidays, which seems to be regarded by very many worthy people as an unreasonable time for the occurrence of such an event, and out of deference to such opinions and because of the further fact that there seems to exist 8 sentiment among portions of the community against the exe- cution of a woman in any case which it is claimed would be sufficiently strong to induce the legislature to change the law if an opportunity should be afforded, and as the legislature is now about assembling and the sentiments of the people upon this ques- ton can be made manifest through their representatives in such legislature have decided to grant reprieve to the defendant until February 18th next. This respite will enable the legislature to have ample time to consider carefully the subject of capital punishment so far as it affects women and to change the law in it is deemed wise and l desirable to do so. If the legislature, upon l which the responsibility for the enactment of laws mainly rests, refuses to modify the present law it must be enforced as it now exists and unless it shall be change in the meantime the case is closed so far as my off, next the law must be permitted to take it's course. DAVID B. HILL. !