Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-15

Communication 81 the Death Sentence Of
Frederick Barber.
THE PREsIpENr ACTS uPoN THE CASE TO-DAY
HOW THE fRIsoNKk RECEIVED rHE Skws
AND WHAT HE had TO sAY-rBH CRIME FOR
WHICH HE WAS SENTENCED TO BH RAssxp.
The President this morning committed the
death sentence in the case Of Frederick Barber
to Imprisonment. for life. He Endorsed the APP
plication for pardon in this case as follows:
II am not satisfied to let this man suffer
death as the case is presented. The sentence
is committed 10 imprisonment for life at hard
labor in the penitentiary at Albany, NY"
now BARBER RECEIVED THE NEWS.
The news Of the Communication was broken 10
Barber by Jail officials. His attorney, Lawyer
Ferguson, arrived little later with further de-
tails Of the joyful event Barber is reported
to have gone into spasm of delight and TO
have demonstrated his glee BY laughter and the
clapping OF his hands.
When a reporter of The STAR called Fred, i"
which is the way the guards address him.
was summoned to the iron grating Of the cor
| ridor into which his cell opens.
His appearance was in strong contrast to that
| Of the scores Of his follow prisoners who loi-
tered around or chung to and peered longingly
| tuo D0r6
Barber was highly pleased His countenance
was asolfd expanse Of smile. and he shook the re-
porter hand violently. He was loquacious and
poured out q torrent Of words descriptive of the
| wrongfalness of his conviction; the perjury Of
Lee, on whose testimony mainly the verdict Of
| guilty had been rendered.
HE PROTESTED HIS INNOCENCE.
He said he had been sentenced to die for a
crime that had never been committed. The
drowning was either accidental or suicide, and
thai the man who had sworn that
he had seen him BARBER throw the woman
/ into the canal was in bed and asleep at the time
| the drowning occurred.
He did not speak Of these things bitterly. he
was too full of JOY and mental relief to feel any
bitterness. Re said he had been in Jail over
four yearssnd had passed quiet time save for the
anxiety and mental unrest which had been his
lot His praise OF his keepers amounted al
most to eudearing remarks and affectionate ut
! terances. lie said that they had served him
| IN everv way within their power He knew
that but for his Communication he would have
lived but one more day. That Was all passed
| now, and he looked forward to a long life Of
happiness:
He would always think Of the warden and the
guards with thoughts of love. At noon he ate
| one of the biggest dinners of his life and put
| power Of vim and relish into the eating.
PREPARATIONS MADE FOR THE EXECUTION.
Preparations for the execution had been
completed. The scaffold had been inspected
and the iron weight attached to the
| beam Of the drop. The MANILA hemp
rope had been procured from Baltimore,
| stretched by having a l5O-pound sandbag
fastened to it and the moose had been formed.
The long barred windows that admit light to
| that part of the jail in which hanglngs occur
had been curtained with black cambria.
The condemned man had been informed of
these preparations and was apparently re-
! signed
WHAT WARDEN BURKE SAID.
| The warden said that ''still small voice.
had whispered TO him that Fred would not
hang. He was glad the case resulted in this
way. He did not believe that Fred was guilty
Of the crime Of which he was convicted.
He was a patient and docile fellow, had never
given his keepers the slightest cause for COM
plant and was liked by them all. His death
| would have been regretted
BARRIERS Crime.
On Saturday night, June %, 1887, Agnes
Watson was drowned in the canal. and it was
| for her death that Frederick Barber came so
near ending his life on the scafold He had
been living with Agnes, but in the
| course Of human events . his love for
| her transferred TO Celia Mahonev another
girl much better looking than Agnes, Jeal-
| ousy on the part Of Agnes led her to follow the
| man whom she loved and she also made violent
| threats. These threats were not directed
against Frederick Barber, but they contemplated
| self-destruction.
IF he don't marry me-" she had been heard
| to say. "Ili drown myself"
On the night of the alleged homicide she fol-
| lowed him to the house of Celia Mahoney. Barber
and Agnes at that time resided east OF Rock
creeA in what was known ''WhitechapeL."
1 haxr 81
house of Celia Mahoney they engaged in a fight
| Later In the evening splash heard in the
canal, and still later the lifeless body of Agnes
Watson was taken from the water.
| INDICTED FOR MURDER
Barber was arrested and indicted for murder
He had neither money nor friends. and the
| court assigned Messrs. Ferguson and Cahin to
| defend him and Policeman Frank Burrows was
| detailed to assist the defense.
For five years they have labored hard and
| expended considerable money in their efforts
| to save their client from the scaffold
| At the first trial of the case counsel took
the case to the General Term On a de-
fective indictment, the legal document
| charging that Agnes was thrown in the
canal and ''mortally'' drowned. That
was the only reference to death and it was on
| that q ound that new trial was granted. The
| defense labored under the disadvantage Of the
death of their principal witness, a boy named
| La Rue. who had heard the woman's threat and
had said that the man WAS some distance from
her when she went into the canal
| SECOND TRIAL.
A second trial was had, but again the verdict
was against the prisoner, and he was sentenced
to death. During the five years he has spent
in Jail the date of his execution has been fixed
several times.
In the application for pardon the district
attorney would recommend no leniency, neither
would the judge, and i. was only
after an earnest pleading with the Presi-
dent today by Mr.. Ferguson and the
officer that the President came to the couclu-
sion which gladdened the heart of at least one
man and lifted a burden from his counsel