The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-12-22
SPENCER RELEASED.
His Life Sentence Ended by a
Conditional Pardon.
EXTBNUATINa FACTS IN THE CASE

Touching Story of Life Made Holy
by IdylIic Observation-Disclosures by
Repeated Insults He Committed
the Crime for Which He Suffered.
BALTIMORE, Dec. Ex-Governor Brown
yesterday pardoned Henry Spencer, a
life prisoner in the Maryland peniten-
tiary for murder. The pardon is con
ditional upon Spencer leaving the state
Of Maryland. The case has attracted
wide attention because of the extenu-
ating circumstances of the crime, and
because of the great efforts made to Sc
cure Spencers pardon.
Spencer was an illegitimate child, and
at years of age was left an orphan by
the death OF his mother. AT school he
learned to love Rachel Dawson, a little
maid of plain parentage. In time he
scored work on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. Rachel Dawson lived with
her father at Rawlings Station, whittier
Spencer returned to see her whenever he
could.
Early on Sunday morning, June 90.
| 1879, Rachel Dawson, who was then is
| years old, was returning from an errand
to her uncles, short distance from her
| home, when she WAS waylaid by her
cousin, w. Scott Dawson, burly fellow
of 25. He stopped her and made an i'm
| proper proposal She fought him bit
| terly, until he grew so ineensed at her
resistance that he picked up pointed
| stone and hit her on the head until she
was senseless. Thinking he had killed
| her he picked her up, carried her to a
/ neighboring ravine and threw her body
| into d shallow stream, covering 1t over
with fence rails. She lay here some
time, and after recovering consciousness
dragged herself to the roadside near by,
where she was found in fainting CON
dition and carried home, where for some
days she hung between life and death.
Dawson meanwhile had fled to the
mountains. On July Is he was caught
and taken to jail. He was tried in Cum
berland and escaped with sentence of
six years in the penitentiary.
Though Rachel Dawson's health was
ruined and her name brought into I'M
enviable notoriety Spencer's affection
never wavered, and on Dec. 81, 1882,
they were married. Their married life
was happy, though the effects of Daw-
sons brutal assault were always pres
ent.
On July 30, 1884, Mrs. Spencer died,
and on Nov. / of the same year Scott
Dawson was released from the penitelf-
tiary and returned to his old home ut
Rawlings.
Up to the day of her death Mrs.
Spencer carried visible and painful
wounds from the assault, her nervous
system was complete wreck, and she
was fully convinced that the effects OF
the assault were fastening her death.
Scott Dawson, after his release
Dragged about his assault; often talked
about it in public places, and on one oe,
casion danced upon the grave of Mrs
Spencer. He tauntcd Spencer, and told
him that ii Rachel was living he could
repeat the assault with impunity. On
July 81, 1887, Spencer went to Dawaon's
home and assured him that either one ol
the other must fall After the fatal shot
Spencer gave himself up to the authori
ties. AT his trial he was found guilty oi
murder, and but for a communication OF
his sentence at the last moment would
have been hanged.