Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-16
COFFEY, NOT C0YLE,,
Believed by Many People to Have
Been the Slayer of Henry Meyer.
A PARDON FOB THE PRISONER
Urged in Well Sustained Application Be-
fore the Board, Yesterday.
FEAR KEPT MANY MOUTHS CLOSED
Case Of COyle and Freyyogel and Mcclure Held
Under Advisement

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPArcH.I
HARRISBURG, January 15.-Several in
teresting cases were heard before the Board
of Pardons to-day, among them that of Ed
ward Coyle, of Pittsburg, convicted of MUIR
der in the second degree and sentenced to
six years in the penitentiary. Edward f..
Hays appeared for the prisoner. With the
ling of Henry Meyer Covle had no con-
nection. Judge Bailey had written let
ter in the interest of the prisoner,
in which he maintained that Slat-
terry had fired the fatal shot, but
his (Hays') opinion was that the real MUIR
derer was Edward Coffey, who seemed to ex-
ercise marvellous influence in the commu-
nifty while he lived, to cover up his crime,
and thus prevented the truth in the case
from being revealed. Since his violent
death a number of facts had come to the sur
face which, to his mind, indicated that Cof-
fey fired the shot which killed Meyer to re-
lease Slattery from the victims grasp.
1t was hard to speak of the dead, but Cof-
fey reveled in blood. 1t was common for
him to enter balls and other places and
shoot at people, and he had the faculty of
having his crimes concealed.
AthAlD III TELL THE TRUTH.
Several persons who had good means of
information had stated since Coffey's suicide
(having been afraid to reveal their secret
until his death) that he had committed the
murder 1t had been hoped that the sworn
testimony of these men would be presented
to the board at this meeting, but fear of
prosecution for connection with the crime
had deferred them from swearing to what
they had said in conversation with detec-
tives and others.
Reference as made to the fact that Off
Ger Rost, of this city, had arrested Coffey
shortly after the murder and found a re-
volver on him, with one chamber empty,
and of the caliber used in killing Meyer.
There was no doubt that the man arrested
by Rost was Coffey, and as the Catholic
priest who received Cofey's confession
shortly before his death had asked for
Coyle's pardon, he believed that Coffey had
confessed to the killing of Meyer, secret
which the priest was not permitted to re-
veal under the rules of the Church.
William Hall, alias William st. Clair,
who was intimate with Coffey, had gone so
charging the murder of Meyer to Coffey,
but when asked to swear to the statement
dictated he declined to do so because the
District Attorney of Allegheny county
wouldn't give him the assurance that he
wouldn't be prosecuted if he made a clean
breast of the matter.
THE PRAYER WELL SUSTAINED.
The application for pardon was we'll sus-
tanned. The testimony of Officer Risch,
eliminating Coyle, was violently assailed
for its inveracity. Detectives Coulson,
O'Mara, Kelley, and Hennessey. clerk of
the Coronpr'S iurv wera anonu tho panpIa
who believed Coyle innocent of the crime
for which he was convicted. Roger O'Mara
entertained similar opinion. Langhurst,
county detective when Coylel was arrested,
also believed him guiltless of the killing.
When on trial in court, he said, cases gal
loped on furiously, as if there was horse
race instead of Jury trial, as though it
were mere trial Of the skill of counsel.
Mrs. Coyle sought to inject remark oc-
casionally for the benefit of her son, but Mr..
Hays counseled her to keep quiet. Numer-
GUS letters from people of prominence,
familiar with the history and trial Of the
case, recommended Coyle's pardon and
stated their belief in his innocence.
The dispositions of Mrs. Rosa Ebel, Miss
Rosa Ebel and Frank Ebel, submitted by
Mr.. Hays, state that James McMahon told
them on the day Coffey committed suicide
that he saw Cofey shoot Meyer. A COM
munication from ex-Chief Biackmore was
also filed, to the effect that information re-
ceived by him convinced him that Coffey
shot Meyer.
HELD UNDER ADJUSTMENT.
The Board of Pardons in executive session
tonight decided to hold the case of Coyle
and Mcclure and Freyvogle under advise
ment. The cases of Peter Angelo Antonio
Cesario, convicted of violating. the Brooks
law by selling cider, and Richard Splane,
of Allegheny county, were unfavorably
Pardons were recommended in the follow
ing cases: William B. Stewart, burglary,
Philadelphia, represented by ex-senator
Hood, of Indiana county; John Kelley, of
Schuylkill county, convicted of arson.