Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-28
MAY SAVE BIRCHALL
His Innocence Declared in a
 Letter from His Pal.
WHY BENwELL WAS MURDERED
He Threatened to Divulgs the swindling
 Scheme and Was ooolly Shot.

The Author of the Letter Acknowledges Himself the Murderer-Birchall's Law yer Win Ask for a Reprieve for a Month The Condemned Mans Wife Writes to the Minister of Justice.
 WOODSTOCK, Ont, Oct. 2S-The con- demned murderer, Birchall, has re- ceived letter which, if genuine, will probably go long way toward saving his neck. The missive is postmarked Jackson, Mich, Oct. 24, 4:30 p. m.," :" purports to have been written nineteen days previously, and is signed ''The Colonel" S
 It tells how the writer set out with Benwell to Farmer Hersee's, and while Tn the Princeton swamp told the victim of the plot to swindle him, inviting him, at the same time, to join the conspiracy and take his revenge out of future dupes.
 Benwell indignantly threatened to divulge the nefarious scheme, where upon ''The Colonel, recognizing the necessity of.stopping such revelations, co6lly shot him.
 E4s Death Before Exposure.
 The author of the letter describes his talk with Benwell as follows:
 reasoned with him and did all I could to get him around, but no go. We talked the mat terso for, perhaps half or three-quarters of an hour, sometimes quietly and sometimes otherwise. At last he jumped up, said he would expose the whole damned lot of us and started for the road. I fol- lowed, and knowing what exposing then"
 Sympathy for BirchaIl.
 seThe ColoneP' concludes his letter as follows:
 ''Now you know it all. I am sorry I did it and never thought of getting you into trouble of the kind you are in now. Forgive me, Rex. His watch and revolver no one will see again. He didn't have much money with him. should have thought that any darned fool of a lawyer might see for you to kill him would spoil your chances of getting the poodle. I do hope the Canadian people W ill treat you fairly, and at least give you a reprieve. If so. will write you again and give you my address and will expect to get a letter from you"
 Will Ask for a Reprieve.
 After reading the letter Birchall's face assumed pleased expression, and he sent for his solicitor, s. G. Mckay. MT. Mckay went to London and con suited weth MT. Hellmuth, another of 6irchali's counsel, and it is likely that a reprieve of a month will be asked for at once.
 Birchalls explanation of this letter, and it is to an extent borne out by the facts, is that the "Colouer' between whom and Birchall, it will be remem- bered, certain teiegrams or letters have passed and have been made public, was "pal' of his, and that his friend, the Colonel, was taking Benwell, the mur- dered man up to see William Hersee, a well known and wealthy farmer of Blenheim, who for a consideration was to pretend that Birchall owned the farm which they were going to see.
 Mrs. BirchalI's Petition.
 OTTAWA, Ont, Oct. 2S.-A letter was received at the Department of Jnstice here from Mrs. Birchall asking if the Minister of Justice would receive her in person to present the petition praying for commutation of her husbands sen tence, and asking whether November would be too late to pre- sent it. A reply was telegraphed that the petition would be received and carefully considered, and that Sir John Thompson would be pleased to receive it through the hands of Birch- all's wife in person.