Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-10
COMMITTED.
President Cleveland Saves Two Convicts
from Dying on the GaIlows.
Louis Burrows COMMITTED to Ten Years. I'm
prisonment and William Sorder to
Imprisonment for Life
Special to the Gazette.

Special to the Gazette.
FORT SMITH, ARK. Jan. Omitted
States Marshal Carol received dispatch
from Washington this afternoon to the
effect that the president had commuted
the death sentence of Louis Burrows to
ten years Imprisonment, and that OF
William G.. Sorder to life imprisonment
They were to have been hung on the 25th
of the present month.
Burrows was convicted of murder on
the 18th of September last, after having
lain in jail just two years awaiting trial
On the 10th of September, 1885,, at
Oakloged, Choctaw Nation, Burrows
killed his father-in-law, William Nor
gan, the weapon used being an axe. The
two men had quarrelled during the day
Morgan having abused Burrows on ac-
count of a boy who owed the defendant
35 cents. The same evening he went TO
Burrows house and found him near the
premises cutting wood. Burrows
came up with his axe and
a second quarrel ensued, during which
Morgan provoked Burrows into such a
passion that he suddenly dealt him ire
mendous blow with the ak, sinking it
into his victim sufficiently deep to split
his heart, after cutting clear through the
shoulder blade, killing him instantly
The wife of Burrows, daughter of his
victim, was standing beside her husband
when he dealt the fatal blow, but was
not allowed to testify at the trial =,
though if she had her evidence would
have been in favor of her husband as
she has stuck to him in his trouble from
the start and used every effort in her
power to secure his acquittal The father
of the defendant was also present. Bur
rows set up the plea of self-defense
claiming that Morgan was advanc-
ing on him with an open
pocket-knife when he struck the
blow, but he failed to prove this point to
the satisfaction of the jury. Notwith-
standing he had some witnesses who tes-
tilted to the fact, other witnesses testified
that Morgan IS knife was in his pocket
when he was killed. Judging from the
evidence, it is apparent that Burrows did
the deed in fit of passion which for the
moment rendered him incapable Of weigh
ing the consequences or taking
time to consider the enorrnity of
his crime. Morgan was minis
ter and Burrows a deacon in
the church. Since his incarceration here
he has taken great interest III all relig-
1ous exercises conducted at the jail and
by strict adheranee to the rules of the
prison has gained the esteem of those
who have been daily thrown in contact
with him. His Communication was recon-
mended by both the judge and prose-
cutting attorney Of the district.
William q. Sorder was convicted on the
18th of October of numbering q young
man named Albert Lang in June, 1888,
in the Cherokee country. Lang had been
at work for Sorder in coal bank, and
having quit his employ, went to him for
q settlement. Lang demanded Sc 80. A
dispute ensued, when Lang finally told
Sorder that he proposed to have the
amount claimed and that if he attempted
to move any coal from the pit before the
debt was paid he would kill him, where
upon Sorder grabbed his shotgun, which
stood near by and ordered Lang to leave.
Lang replied that he didn't have
to when Sorder shot and killed him.
Sorder claimed that he was under the
impression that he was justiiable in the
act because Lang had threatened to kill
him, but as the young man was wholly
when killed his claims had no
grounds under the law, hence his convic-
lion.
This leaves only one prisoner to be
hanged on the 25th, negro named Smith |
who murdered a white man named Prin- |
gle in the ChoctaW nation, shooting his |
7ictim from ambush