Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-06
RETRIEVED.
David Lemon Under Death Sentence Reprieve
Until January 9Th. 1890.

The two months reprieve granted to
1 David Lemon, who is under death SEN
| tence. by President Harrison revives the
| interest in his case. Lemon was to have
been hanged this morning, and the respite
| coming at the eleventh hour, was a sur
| prise even to the condemned man himself.
| Only the few who had labored so assidu-
ously to avert his terrible punishment had
| any hopes and these hopes were in meas
ure realized when at noon yesterday the
attorney generals Geographic message
was received as follows;
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. 5. 1889.
| R: 1. Walker. U. S. Marshal. care of sheriff of
Wichita Kan.
President has respited the sentence of
David Lemon until Wednesday, January
eigth, next. Acknowledge receipt of this
ingly. Formal papers will be sent by
mail.
[Signed.l w. Fl. H. MILLER,
Atty. General.
1t will be remembered that Lemon was
tried for his life during the last term of
the United States court on the charge of
numbering his superior officer, Sergeant
Porter Webster, in the territory. Before
the case came to actual trial every effort
was made on the part of the defense for a
continuance which was urged on the
grounds that several of their best
being such popular plea
ON the part Of criminals to gain useless de-
lay, 1t may not have received the consider
alton to which it was entitled. The sub
sequent events and the supplementary evil
dence that has been adduced argue that
Lemon WAS forced to trial before he was
ready although there had been sufficient
time had it been improved.
He was born in Leavenworth and on the
first day of January next will be q years
of age. He is light mulatto, of good ap-
pearance, and does not look like a "bad
man." His confinement has told but lit
tie on his general appearance and at pres
ent writing he is In quite comfortable
frame of mind
On November 25, 1884, he enlisted in the
army and was sent to join his regiment in
the territory. At the time of the shooting
he was private in the oath Infantry, y. S.
A, stationed at Fort Reno, l. L.
1t was charged that some time in May,
1883, he was assigned to guard duty and
one Sally Brown. While there he engaged
in petty quarrel and left the house soon
afterwards to return to the guard house.
He next secured his gun and evidently
intended to return to Sally Browns house
His actions were reported to Sergeant
Webster who sent two men to arrest him.
He resisted arrest with his gun and the
men returned for further orders. Sergeant
Webster then joined the two men and
went in pursuit, oyertaking Lemon while
be was still in quest of the woman. Sally
Brown. Lemon was very much excited
and claimed to be laboring under the fear
that Webster would shoot him, and called
upon him to put his gun aside. Webster
asserted that his gun was not loaded but
Lemon, who was covering him with his
own weapon, fired and shot him dead.
After the shooting Webster's gun was ex-
amined and found to be loaded. The fore
going are the main points given in the cyl
dence by the prosecuting witnesses.
The friends of Lemon claim the shooting
was in self defense and aggravated by
feeling of hostility existing between the
two men personally. They further say
that this feeling of hostility alone
was sufficient to make Lemon afraid for
his life under such circumstances The
jury found Lemon guilty as charged in
the indictment and in accordance there
with Judge Foster passed the death SEN
tence on Sept. IS.
Since that time his attorneys, Mr.. Nc
Meachen being most prominent amongst
them, have been ransacking the country
for evidence to clear him aud so far they
have succeeded i'll gaining further time
Mr.. McMeachen with great deal Of work
and trouble was enabled to get several inn
portant affidavits which bear directly on
the case into the hands Of the president in
time, and doubtless these had much to do
with the respite. The ultimate result of
this leniency cannot be prophesied but
Lemons friends feel confident that they
can succeed in putting his case in a very
different light from that in which it was
viewed by the court and hope for a COM
mutation at least.