Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1893-01-12
THEY ESCAPE THE GALLONS.
Governor Brown Commutes the Sen
tence OF
AWARD, HURT. EMERY AND BENSON
THE BoY HURDERERs
To Life imprisonment In the Peni
Tertiary.

To Life imprisonment in the Pcni
Tertiary.
When the news reached here this morn
Ing that Governor Brown had commuted
the sentences OF the four boys-Josbua
Baynard, Henry HURT, Charles Sumner
Emery and Lewis Benson, condemned to
be hung at Chesieriown tomorrow for
the murder of De Hill. there was good
deal of surprise The State iceboat La
trobe was sent to Chesteriown the night
before with posse of police in command
of Captain Cadwallader, of the Western
police district. She arrived at Chestertown
about 3 o'clock in the morning and re-
turned TO Baltimore with the prisoners
In the afternoon of yesterday. Much
excitement and indignation is repor ted
in ChesteTtown and vicinity, and threats
of lynching the other prisoners is freely
expressed. but it is hoped that better
judgemnt will prevail The whole af-
fair was kept profound secret. and but
few knew anything of the actions OF the
Governor The Governor refused to talk
on the subject until the prisoners had
been safely landed in the penitentiary
THE GOVERNORS REASONS
"My reasons for this action as Govern
or of the state are many | have been
troubled more over this case than over
all other things that have come before
me since became Governor
II think it is always safest to err on
the side of mercy If j am In doubt, as
| have been in this case, ii was better, Ia
my opinion, TO follow the old legal max
i'm and give the prisoners the benefit of
every doubt. / was in doubt what o do.
had to act in many respects as Judge
trying the case. | read over carefully all
the evidence in the case not only that
evidence which was submitted TO the
court on the trial. but vast mass of
other evidence, and came to the con-
clusion that the ends of justice, the ends
of right, should in this case be tempered
with mercy, aud the sentence of the boys
named be committed TO imprisonment
for life.
II had also TO protect the fair fame of
Maryland Such wholesale execution
as this would have been has never been
heard of before in the criminal annals of
tic COuHlt y. ne WHOit country WAS
aroused over il, and justice will be am.
ply satisfied. The murdered man Will be
amply avenged, the outraged law of the
State will be carried out by the execution
OF the four whose sentences have not
been committed. and the fair name of
Maryland will be preserved from the
stain that would have been inflicted on
it, by the execution of these ignorant
boys who were, in all probability, the
unwilling witnesses of crime they were
powerless to prevent.
Il am glad that have done what j
have. 1t is relief to me to know now,
as 1t will be relief TO me to know In
the future. that have given the case the
benefit OF every doubt, and have done
what consider my duty, conscientious
ly, in the whole business.
II know | shall be criticised in some
quarters for what / have done. But
where / am convinced in my own heart
that have done my duty, criticism does
not worry me.
II am glad the strain is over. / am
glad the boys a-e safely in Baltimore,
and feel sure that all right thinking
people, when they come to look at the
whole affair calmly, will approve what
have done. At any rate ! shall have the
approval Of my own conscience, and
that, in an affair of this kind. Is of more
importance than anything else"