Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-21
THE PLEA FOR SMITH
Turned Over to Governor Beaver by
the Board of PardonS.
LOUGHREY WILL NOT BE RELEASED.
The Case of the Lancaster Murderer Held
Under Amusement.
ALL THE NEWS FROM NEARBY TOWNS


ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.l
HARRISBURG, May 29.-The Board OF
Pardons was asked to-day to intercede in
securing William II. Smith, the murderer,
further respite of four months In order
that q commission might be appointed 10
make a thorough examination into the
mental condition of this prisoner. William
Reardon. for Attorney McElroy, submitted
number of papers in support OF the ap-
rlicatiou. Among these was letter signed
by Drs. C. C. Wylie and Samuel Ayres, in
which they state that Smiths erratic be-
bayior excited in their mind a suspicion
that he might be In the incipient state of
insanity. They were sure that he was not
assembling, as he was too ignorant to feign
insanity or its early symptoms.
The letter continues: "He avows with
undisruised sincerity that the spirit of his
deceased wife comes at night and holds con-
verse with him; that he knows her voice and
talks to her, etc. This may be but the super
stition of one ignorant person. At the same
time it is closely allied to hallucinations of
sound, indisputable evidence of mental de-
rangement.
PRESUMPT1NE EVIDENCE.
The physicians remind the Board of Par
dous "that a homicide, of which this man
was guilty coupled with the attempt at suicide,
is greater presumptive evidence of insanity,
than II such act had not been accompanied by
an attempt at self-destruction. We have no
desire to defeat the ends of justice nor to OBJ
struct legal process. We merely suggest that
1t may be IN the interest of humanity if this
man be respited for few months in order to
observe whether or not the above symptoms
will develop into pronounced insanity. An affi-
davit was read from Charles Howard, colored
Wheeling, who states that Smith talked to
himself. walked about in daZed condition and
displayed unusual jealousy on account OF his
wife, aud spent all his earnings on her.
n. E, Dorente, of Pittsburg, in a letter.
stated that when the last respite was read to
Smith, it seemed to be incomprehensble to the
prisoner. BY direction OF the Board of Par
dons the following was written on the envelope
containing the papers in the interest of Smith:
This application being only for respite, is
matter exclusively for the Governor TO whom
these papers should be presented instead of
the Board of Pardons."
In the case of William Loughrey of Allie
gheny, sentenced to the workhouse for year,
letter from Judge Slasle was submitted, in
which he says the evidence heard at the trial
justified the sentence that had been imposed,
but dlherent statements had been made since
as TO Doughreys guilt, and that IF the defend
ant has presented facts which justify clemency,
nave no reason TO object"
A NUMBER OF PETITIONERS.
Colonel Frank Eshelman. of Lancaster. pl e.
sented petitions signed by 5000 people of Ian
caster county, asking for the commutation of
the death penalty to Imprisonment for life of
John w. Rudy, under sentence of death for
the murder of his father. The jurors who con-
vicued him also asked Cor the favorable con-
sideration of the application. The District
- NJ Fkn in 1n4f sd
against executive interference, as the prisoner
had fair trial. As to 4 large number of peti-
tioners for executive clemency he said they
were either against the iDfiction of capital
punishment or wanted Rudy put on the same
platform with J. H Jacobs whose death SEN
tence was recently committed. As to the
jurors their sympathy had got the better of
their Judgment
E. A. Montooth asked for the pardon of
William Smink. of Allegheny, who was sem
tenced to the workhoase for ten months for
bigamy and perjury.
William ReaTdOn had a hearing in the case
Of Charles Harmon, of Allegheny, convicted of
murder in the second degree. postponed until
the next meeting of the board. DIR. Birchfield.
of Pittsburg, represented John Shrod, of Ale
gheny, convicted OF larceny and receiving
stolen goods, and sentenced to two years and
half in the Denitentiary.
A MINISTER'S PLEA.
In the case of Abram Buzzard, the notorious
Lancaster county outlaw number of letters
were submitted TO show the innocence of the
prisoner. A Methodist minister charged that
the woman on whose testimony Buzzard was
mainly convicted had sworn falsely to screen
her lover, J. IL. Jacobs, the murderer whose
death sentence was recently commuted. In the
same letter it was alleged that Jacobs had ad-
mitted TO the commission of the crime of which
Buzzard was convicted. In other letters il was
claimed that the prisoner had thoroughly re-
formed his life.
Alta subsequent meeting the board recon-
mended the pardon of John Shrod of
Allegheny, and Franklin d. Richter, of
Franklin county. Pardon recommendations
were refused in the following cases: Abram
Buzzard Lancaster; William Loughrey,
Allegheny, and Edward c. Loveland, sentenced
to two years and four months to the Western
PenItentlary from Clinton county.
Cases were held under advisement as follows:
William Smink, blgamy and perjury, Allie
Eheny; Nicholas Parel, arson, JunIata: John
w Rudy murder Lancaster