Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-04
John WaupOOse, the Keshena Indian,
Condemned to Die is Allowed
to Live.
President Harrison Concludes Not to
Carry Out Capital Punishment
in Wisconsin.
WaupoOse Receives the News with
the StOlidity Characteristic of
an Indian.

WAsHINGToN, Sept. 1.-President Har-
rison today committed the death sem
tence of John Waupoose, convicted in
Wisconsin of criminal outrage, to life i'm
prisonm1nt at hard labor. The president
recognized the fact that the death penalty
for crime has been abolished in Wiscon-
sin and that while the United States
statutes prescribe death as the penalty
for the crime of which Waupoose was con-
victed, it would hardly be just to have
such a sentence carried out within the linn
its of the state of Wisconsin, This was
the argument which was brought to bear
upon the president in behalf of Waupoose,
and it has been clearly apparent from the
first that it would prevail upon him to
commute the sentence.
Waupoose, an Indian residing on the
Keshena reservation, was tried at Oshkosh
at the last term Of court on the charge of
outrage upon the person Of his own daugh-
ter. Judge Bum, who presided at the
trial, had no discretion as regarded the SEN
tence, which is fixed by United States law
but he joined with the jury and dis
trict attorney In petitioning the presi-
dent to commute the sentence to
the term prescribed by the laws of
the state for the offense, ten to thirty
years Imprisonment. Mr.. Gerry W. Ha-
zelton, attorney for WaupooSe, took the
memorial to Washington In person,
where, as an ex-member of congress, he
succeeded in awakening considerable in
fuenca In behalf of MS client
WaupOose is about forty years of age.
He has constantly declared his innocence
Of the charge and that it was brought up
by enemies to get him out of the way. The
Indians on the reservation are divided on
the question, part of them strongly sid
ing with him.
Capital punishment was abolished in
this state about forty years ago, and lis
first direct result was the lynching Of two
persons in jail under charge of atroclous
murders when the proof was very conyiuc-
ing, the Mayberry affair at GAINESVILLE, and
the De Bar lynching at West Bend. Pre-
vious to that, though hanging
wa, the punishment for murder,
executions were extremely rare. TIE
crime OF which Waupoose was convicted
was committed upon the Indian reserva-
tiol which is under the exclusive jurisdic-
ton of the United States, and consequent
ly not part of political Wisconsin,
though within its borders Hence the APP
parent conflict of laws regarding the pun
ishment made to fit the crime
A reporter hurried to the jail as soon as
the telegram was received and carried the
news to JohnW aupoose. He received it with
the stoi lily characteristic of an Indian and
stood silent for moment Then he said
That's good; that's right. | thank the
president for what he has done, and
thank you for coming to tell me-" He
then asked to return to his cell to think
the new over.
John is a good prisoner said the
jailor. He never makes trouble, and
spends most of his time praying in his
cell. He is devaut Catholic, and | can
not believe that he is guilty"
with a good-natured face, and he is a man
who talks but little.