The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-08-15
"A Solemn Ante -Mortem Statement In
Which the Prisoner Again Assert, His
Innocence of Murder.

The night before the execution Maxwell sent
the following letter 20 the st. Louis Republic:
ST LOUIS, Mo, Aug Q, 1888.
DEAR SIR: May ask the favor of some OF
your valuable space, that / NAV finally say
n few words? i thoroughly realize my posi-
ton, and l speak as honestly feel and think.
Death is staring me in the face and il is impos-
sible for me TO avoid IL, so that what now say
ought 10 be taken and received with the
same weight as an antemortem statement.
j again most solemnly accuse Mr.. Glover
and his associates with having resorted 10
crime 10 secure my conviction Their crime has
been successful, and presume they will rejoice
with unholy glee at the results thereof But, Mr..
Editor, the fact remains and will forever he
blot on the state OF Missouri, that in my the
circuit attorneys resorted 70 crime TO secure my
conviction, and that this crime was approved by
both the Supreme Court and his Excellency Al
bert L. Morehouse. say approved, for do not
see how one can possibly receive the fruits OF
crime and disapprove Of the crime itself.
The two things are so intimately con
one and not the other. True, the Supreme Court
condemned this matter, but they accepted the
fruits thereof. which il merely dsproval in
theory but approval in practice | know that IL
will not and can not do me any good 10 speak OF
this matter now. But feel strongly upon
the matter that can not do otherwise, and,
further, consider II a moral duty on the part
OF any man who has been unfairly and I'M
Justly dealt with as have to protest to the last
moment against such treatment.
l am satisfied that the great majority OF the
American people are at least lovers Of justice
and fair play, and, while my protest cannot do
mo any good, il may be that the voice Of the
people will condemn the Dengfelder plot" so
strongly that such people as Mr.. Clover and his
assistants will not venture 10 resort TO it again.
IL Is a strange thing that the only people who
had Ice lily any power TO give relief against this
plot should have refused to do so.
There are many other things OF which might
speak and complain but / will content mvseIf
with speaking of one only 1t will be remem-
bered that an affidavit was fled showing that
one of the Observation-Disclosures prejudiced.
The Supreme Court held that the evidence was
insufficient 10 prove the fact, and OF course de-
MED my claim for relief thereon. 1t now appears
that this witness was not the only person 10
whom Couahan had expressed his prejudice
against me, as appears by the at1davits OF j. J.
Travis and George Diepenbroch. Both my at
torneys and / We're entirely unacquanted with
this fact until last week, when my at
torneys were made acquainted Herewith.
IL was then too hts TO bring the matter before
the ourts, and the only thing could do was
TO lay tn matter before the Governor ard ask
relief from him therefor. The honesty and bona
fde OF these two gentlemen is beyo ID dispute
and the reasons they give for not making the
matter public before are such as ought 10 he
satisfactory 70 anyone An Impartial considera-
ton OF this fact will show that Coulahen was
most bitterly preiudiced against me and
went on the jury with the expressed intention of
convicting He perJured himself upon his ex-
animate n touching his qualifications to serve.
for he swore that he was unpreiudiced and that
he had neither formed nor expressed any opinion
upon the matter.
| have not the time to.discuss fully the whole
matter and this has already been done IL
would be useless 10 enter into IL again At this
last solemn moment of my life | again protest
an 1 declare my innocence OF murder. do not
| think, i'm all the annals of criminal juris-
prudence. trial could be found that was
greater parody and travesty on JUS
tice than mine was. l have, however
| one great consolation. that neither Circuit
| Attorney Glover. the Missouri Supreme Court,
nor Gov. Morehouse take away from me,
and that is the fact tina. although l have been
denied justice by them nh, am about TO appear
before n God who IL both Just and merciful and
j pray that he will show himself merciful 10
| those who have not only shown no mercy 70 me
but even denIed me justice. Yours very truly.
HUoH NJ. BRooKs.