Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-20
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH j


ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.i
HARRISBURG, February 19.-The motor
ious Ben Brill, who, with William Cook
was sentenced in 1SS3to the Western peni.
tertiary for 13 years for a series Of robber.
les has written letter to the Board of Par.
dons. asking for the extension Of executive
clemency to his companion in crime. Brill
saws:
His sentence was outrageous and unjust, and
cannot, in Justice to him, remain passive and
indifferent to the welfare and fate Of him for
whose disgrace and misfortune feel that and
several others are directly responsible. l owe
him debt of gratitude for his behavior and
self-sacrifcing devotion toward myself when
was shot and helpless, when, although he had
the opportunity, and ! bad implored him TO
leave me and save himself by flight, because l
was, as then believed. fatally wounded, he
reSolutely refused to leave me even for his own
safety but instead. done all he could to ease
my pain, and after having gone fol doctor he
returned and STAYED by my side until arrested.
Brill says he first became acquainted with
Cook in 1888, while working in a rolling
mill of Jones & Laughlins. He (Bril) and
several others had committed several rob-
berries in the neighborhood. His friendslelt
and he worked. Cook pictured the life of a
robber, giving it a romantic tinge. Being of
wild and reckless disposition he took ad-
vantage of him. Cooks actions showed he
had done no crooked work. He did not
seem to care for the money, but for the fun
and adventure.
HIS STORY OF THE CRIME.
Brill then relates how the robbery at the
house of John Shultz, the dairyman, was
committed, Brill entering and Cook watch
ing on the outside. Next they entered the
saloon of Peter Burr. In trying to enter
room, Brill Unexpectedly awakened the oe-
cupant, and they had to beat hasty re-
treat. Continuing, Brill says;
We went through a tunnel on the way home
The watchman would not let US pass and
struck us with a stick. threw a stone, which
knocked him down. We were then chased into
the tunnel by the water works employees who
had been watching the fight. When we had
nearly passed through the tunnel we were met
by two men, one of whom pulled out large
revolver, and, without saying word COM
menced to shoot at us. One of the balls
struck me in the side. The charge of aggra-
waited assault and battery or felonious shooting
Uam not sure which way they had it), pre-
ferred by the watchman who done the shoot
ing. is too ridiculous to need much
explanation. We done absolutely nothing
on which an indictment could have been based.
Ny attorney told me he had entered plea of
''nolle contendere" on the other five charges
against us, because His Honor Judge White
had told him that if our trial did not come to
termination that morning he would double the
sentence IN every count of which we were
thereafter convicted. What he meant by
plea of "nolle contendere" have not yet found
out. The first intimation l had of having
plead guilty was when Warden Wright in
formed me So 1 think he told Cook nothing
about it The counsel
WANTED MORE MONEY
than we had to give them, and / honestly be-
lieve they played us that outrageous trick to
rid themselves of the case. This, which was
not so hard for myself, perhaps, was most dis
astrous for my companion, who firmly believed
he would be acquitted on the four or five
charges, because he was innocent of them 1t
was mean and pertldious trick If you would
kindly grant him pardon would feel great
weight of responsibility taken from my |
shoulders, for it would make me feel as though |
my few and feeble words had to a certain |
extent contributed to that end, and that had |
somewhat atoned for the wrong had done |
linn.
William Cook, in his letter to the board |
asking for pardon, says:
acquired fondness for dime-novel liter |
ature which amounted to a passion In fact it |
took such hold upon my Imagination that l 1
scarcely thought Of anything else. At that 1
time very foolishly believed the stories true, |
and they consequently ran away with me. ] |
became restless and longed to initiate the deeds |
of my favoTite heroes. 1 contemplated rob-
berry merely from a romantic standpoint and /
liked the excitement. 1 can conscientiously |
tell you, honorable sirs, that such things have |
all the romance taken out of them. AS far as
myself is concerned, l see nothing but their /
horrible reality now.
Cook describes his feelings when he as
sisted in the first robbery as having caused
him much fear. "The next time" he con-
tinues, 81 had not the moral courage to
refuse. 1t is almost as bad for boy to
brave the sneers and SCOTS of his compan-
ions as death ITSELF Concerning the
charge of the tunnel watchman he says:
A COVER FOR HIS FAULT.
1t was brought by the watchman, at the insti-
cation of the police, merely to cover his own
indiscreet conduct under tho cloak of justih-
cation. consider it an outrage on Justice and
humanity. felt, in spite of my ignorance of
the law, a very great injustice had been done
me, and that by the duplicity of my counsel,
who when they saw there was no money in the |
case. had to get it off their hands as soon as
possible. Ny intention is to become good
citizen of the freest government on earth. AL
though being chastised by law, l respect and
revere it. desire only an opportunity TO prove
that; although have sunk to the slums to the
lowest round of the social ladder, 1 have
yet manhood, courage and ambition sufficient
TO raise myself, step by step, round upon round,
back TO the paths of rectitude integrity and
honor, and with the future endeavor to redeem
the errors and follies of the past And now,
honorable sins, appeal to you in the name of
God, justice and humanity, to give my case the
consideration which is its due, and to show
mercy TO a poor misguided boy who desires
only an opportunity to redeem his follies and
save him from the many years of misery he has
still hanging over his head, under the burden
of which he is fast sinking, and restore him to
the bosom of his family TO start anew in the
highways Of life.
The case of William Cook will be heard
tomorrow. Samuel Ammon will appear
for the prisoner. W. d. Moore will argue an
application for the pardon of Conrad Red
niger, MAYHEM, Allegheny, and the same
attorney will represent Edward Slattery,
murder in the second degree, in an appIica-
ton for a rehearing.