The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-21
BELDEN VERY HAPPY.
The President Yesterday COMMITTED the Sem
tence 10 Life Imprisonment-How He
Received the News.

The promise held out on the 18th in
slant by Senator Plumb's dispatch, re-
lating to the communication of Belden's
sentence to imprisonment to life, has been
realized.
Yesterday afternoon Senator Bentley re-
ceived the following dispatch from Sena-
tor Plumb:
"WAsHINGToN, d. c., July %, 1891.
1.-THE president has just wired commuta-
ton in Belden's case to imprisonment for
life. P. B. PLUMB"
The news was at once conveyed to Bel
den in the county Jail. A sigh of mex
pressible relief escaped him and smile
overspread his features as he fully realized
that he had escaped the fatal moose In
three days from this time had it not been
for the active, energetic work of iufuen-
tial men in this city, and the careful,
active interest of Senator Plnmb upon the
ground Belden would be a dead man in
the county Jail of Sedgwick county and
the sentence would have been carried out.
Christian men and christian women of
this city pitied the boy who seemed friend
less and alone, and took an interest in him
from the very start.
Senator Plumb has handled the case in
his usual business and forcible way, and
with his usual success. To him above all
others, BelGen is indebted for his life.
His aid in Beldens behalf was fully
enlisted, he went in person to the presi-
dent, and to the attorney general at the
department of justice, and gave to the case
his personal attention and he has won, as
he always does when he takes hold of an
important business matter.
Belden goes up for life. 1t has not been
learned where he will be confined, as this
is left entirely to the president, and he
has probably designated the prison in his
Communication.
Belden is like all other prisoners sent for
life He has and always will have hope of
pardon.
AT the time of this Communication all of
the most minute details had been perfected
by the marshal for the execution. The
scaffold was here and only needed to be
put in place. Even arrangements had
been made with a deputy United States
marshal Of one of the western counties
not 100 miles from this point to touch the
fatal spring which would have launched
Belden into eternity. 1t was a narrow
escape from hanging, and no one realizes
the fact more than Belden.
All the prisoners in the Jail are happy
over the turn of events and congratulated
the boy on his good fortune. Adams, who
is in Jail under a death sentence, ex-
pressed his satisfaction at the news. When
Belden was seen by an EAGLE representa-
tive he was in a high state of excitement
and hardly knew in which way to appro-
priately celebrate the occasion. When it
was suggested to him that imprisonment
for life had its horrors almost as much as
the gibbet he smiled and said that when it
was proven that he was innocent a pardon
could easily be procured but that from the
enclosure of death, no traveller would ever
return, no matter how guilty or how in
nocent he might be.
Belden has made statement which is in
the possession of lawyer in this city who
refuses to give it up, which is in the form
of confession. If the statement is true,
as it probably is, then Belden may hope
for more than he has so far received. Bel
den will write to Senator Plumb most
heartfelt letter expressing his deep graft
tude. He thanked Senator Bentley yes
terday for his kindness and work in the
case. Last nights mail carried to Senator
Plumb many letters from people here, ex-
pressing their thanks for his success and
efforts in the case.