St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-18
FOR A WOMAN,S SAKE,
An Innocent Man Spends Seventeen
Years in Prison,

An Innocent Man Spends Seventeen
Years in Prison,
Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, June 1.-THE iron doors Of
the Joliet penitentiary were thrown open
last Tuesday afternoon and man came
slowly out of the stone Enclosure. He was
80 years old and almost half his life had
been passed in the penitentiary. This man
was Thomas Stewart, who March t6, 1859,
was sent to Joliet for life for murder. Stew
art now. for the first time, AYERS that he
never committed the deed. The story of
the crime as told by him to friend the
night of his release from prison IS most
singular chapter in the narrative
of strange experience. The friend to
whom Stewart laid bare his secret was his
half brother, Capt. P. G. Feeney, an attor-
ney well known in the courts of this city.
The recollection of two men went back
seventeen years. when Stewart was lad Of
IL. He was an industrious young fellow
OF Scotch-Irish parentage, and had the
lively temperament of the one race and the
frugal, steady habits of the other. He was
employed as clerk in grocery store on
South Clark street, and while working
there became infatuated with woman
who used to make her table purchases OF
him. This woman, Eliza Reilly,
was frail creature. rather pretty.
and who lived on Jackson street, near
La Sale. Stewart visited her frequently.
Among other visitors the woman had was
Harry Hurl5ert, alias '.Dice." sailor from
Buffalo. He was burly fellow, harsh in
his treatment of the woman and
THEY HAD MANY QUARRELs.
The second week in January, 1869, Hurl-
bert spent nearly all the time in the
womans room. One evening the noise of
aquarrel was heard. The tumult increased,
loud voices were heard. then a shot was
fired. When the police ran up stairs they
found Hurlbert dead and Stewart and the
woman in the room. The two latter
were arrested and bound over to the
grand jury by Justice Mullgan. Stewards
friends believed he fired the fatal shot, and
his lawyers found themselves with very
lame case. Judge Jameson, since de-
ceased. presided at the trial. 1t lasted
only few days. Stewart listened to all
the evidence without saying a word. At
that time the defendant in criminal ac-
ton conld not testify in his own behalf, so
that Stewart was not put on the stand.
The woman was still under indictment, and
she could not testify. The state entered a
nOlle prOsque in her case, but not until
Stewart was convicted.
HIS SENTENCE WAS FOR LIFE.
1t now turns out. according to Capt.
Feeney, that Stewards boyish devotion to
the woman caused him to voluntarily go to
the penitentiary for life. He is reported as
saying last night that he was not present
when the killing took place. According to
his story the woman and Hurlbert had been
engaged in one of their frequent quarrels.
He was so abusive to her that as means
of self-protection she armed herself with
revolver. Hurlbert, was violent and
swore he would beat her. He
did strike her, and the woman
shot him. She was standing with the
smoking revolver in her hand, too terrified
to move, when Stewart entered. She gave
him the revolver mechanically, and half
frightened at the sight of the dying man,
he held the weapon in nerveless clutch.
while the woman tried to staunch the flow
Of blood from Hurlbert's wound. The
next instant the police entered. They
found Stewart with the revolver in his
hand and Immediately surmised that he was
the murderer. He says that purely on
account of the woman he never opened his
lips to the contrary.