Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-29
ArERRIRLR A momENr.

A TERRIBLE MOMENT. miss Swift Watches she Result of the
 Fasefnatingly Close Ballot That
 Saves Her Brothers Life-Nearly
 Five Hours Debate in the House
 The Verdict Greeted With Cheers
 How They Voted and spOke-Other
 Matters.
 HARTFORD, March 2S. Especial Correspondence of the JOURNAL AND
 CoURIER.l
 "Whole number of votes 219, necessary to a passage no; those voting in favor of the petition of John H. Swift 113, those voting against 1O6," were the momenteus words of Clerk Eddy as he announced the vote of the House at 3:30 pm. today, amidst suppressed excitement never before equaled in the hall of the representatives. So Mur- derer Swift will live to ruminate on his crime in the confines of the State prison instead of ascending the scaffold next week Friday. The vote was taken after a continuous de- bate of four and half hours. It was or- dered by yea and nay, and as the roll call progressed the closeness of the ballot for life was apparent to everyone and added to the intensity of the scene.
 Talk about the scenes in convention halls when people are almost transfxed with sup-
 pressed excitement over the roll call which shall decide the candidate for political office. How can it compare with the terrible fasci- nation of a ballot which takes or saves hu- man life when it is so close that out of 219 responses Ill were for and 108 against the life at stake. When Clerk Eddy finished the roll call the doubtfulness of the result was so l terrible that Representative Brown of Bristol and the representative from Torring- | ton, who had voted against communication, | couldn't stand the strain, and fearing theirs | might have been the vote to hang, jumped | up and changed to "Yes" This made the \ vote 113 to 106. As it was announced by the clerk, one solitary ray of sunshine burst ! through the clouds and forcing its way ! through the stained glass windows filled the \ big hall and seemed to rest for a moment ! upon the face of the brave sister, revealing I the luminous joy of having saved her broth- ! CTS fife, and then all was dark again, for it was Miss Swift who accomplished the rescue.
 She found able advocates of her cause in the
 orators of tl1s the t6egss house, wi. who fought fought
 all that it was the three months \ devoted labor of the modest lady which se- cured the majority. The oft repeated ''no" of those who wanted to hang seemed to | pierce the girl like darts, but she sat there
 until the welcome verdict came, and great \ | the capital. Crowds then poured about her | with congratulations. Never was argument | and debate more effective, for at least a | dozen representatives acknowledged that their determination to vote against commu- ! tation of the sentence was changed after hearing the arguments in favor to-day, and
 only three less votes would have hung Swift.
 | The vote of New Haven county represents.
 tives was as follows:
 For rcommutaticn-Messrs Wolfe of New
 Haven, ,O'Neil of Waterbury, Holden of Derby
 Futile of East Haven, Chapin of Meriden
 Beardsley of Milford, Darlington of Nauga- \ tuck, Cooley of Southbury, Treat and O'Cal- ! laghan of Wallingford, Newton of Wood | bridge, Terrill of Beacon Falls, Doolittle oi Bethany, Chaffee of Derby, Dems of Middle. bury, Gates of North Branford, ,Healey of Sey mour, Osborn of Oxford.
 Opposed-Messrs. Hammer of Branford | Baker and Andrews of Cheshire, Davis and Parmalee of Guilford, Munger of Madison Costelow of Meriden, Eaton of North Haven
 Bryant of Orange, Morse of Prospect, and Garrigus of Wolcott.
 ! Messrs. Durand and Hunie in favor ot Swift's petition were passed with two op-
 posed.
 Hartford county voted 23 to IS against the | commutation, while only six of New London I county's 30 representatives voted to let Swift hang. The big majority in Swift's favor in | ' counties were against him, Litchfield voting | g to IA in this way and Holland 13 to 6. | Many members spoke during the four and 8 | half hours debate, all the members of the | judiciary supporting their favorable report \ on the petition. Space will allow but brief extracts of two or three.
 Frank Hyde of Hartford drew forth the ! first applause. He concisely reviewed the | evidence and reasons which led the judiciary ' committee to report as it did in favor of ! Swift's petition. He thought it doubtful whether the board of pardons could give the matter any more thorough consideration than had the committee. Having been familiar with the case from the day the crime was committed perhaps can give you the details of the affair to the present time. I was at first inclined to believe that the murder was one of the most cold -blooded within the hiss tory of the State. It is said the call for con- mutation comes from the groggeries. This is not so; the greatest number of those who want this mans blood comes from the groggeries in so far as my personal knowledge extends. We have the sworn statement of Charles J. Cole that Judge Sanford made the remark attributed to him as against 8 telegram pur- porting to deny the same. Is there man so simple to believe that hanging John Swift you are going to deter crime! It is absurd. believe to vote to hang the condemned will be another judicial murder. If you send the case to the board of pardons you will hang the man. You are not gong 10 set the man free on the community. Place him where he can have time to repent of his deed and pre- pare to meet his God.
 MT. Hammer, of Branford, offered an | amendment referring the matter to the board \ of pardons, and said it was supernal non ! sense to try such 8 case before the legisla- I ture.
 MT. Hill, of Stamford, proved himself the ! great orator of the House and made an ap- \ peal which thrilled everybody. He said: I | revere the law and respect those men who make it their special study. The purpose of ' the law is to protect men against unjust pun \ ishment. We have drifted away from the ! vital point. Is John Fl. Swift guilty of mur- der in the first degreea There is net a man Y in whose mind there is not 8 doubt. If Swift was not morally responsible he is in ! nocent of the crime charged. The judiciary committee tells us that it had considered the \ case without prejudice, and I believe it. It's \ conclusions are that Swift was not responsi- ' ble at the time of the crime. It is not pos. I sible for me to consider the question without ! emotion I believe it is mans duty when in
 .log doubt to give give his vote ss.,i in fla, ho | mercy to be held out to the innocents Arc we to cry 'sVengence is ours" In the name of justice I ask the members of this House to consider well their vote. If we refer this to another board it is because we have no con- fdence in our committee. What excuse is there save to escape the responsibility? sball vote no, and shall never see on my right hand that red spot which caused Lady Macbeth to cry out "damned spot" It is al- ways safe to Co right. I agree with the gen- tleman from Orange, vote according to your conscience. This case has come to this point and been brought to this legislature, and are there not men who would scorn to shift the responsibility? Iprefer mercy to vengeance, r 6a1f fvi Mv foy