Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-14

commute the sentence to imprisonment for life. Then the rumor was contra dicted.,
 People claimed, apparently with jus tice, that surely imprisonment for life was sufficient punishment for young man, but every one knew in his own heart that the communication was only the beginning of the fight, and that fu- ture governor would have sufficient pressure brought to bear upon him to let the young man go.
 Up to the 2Oth of September the gov ernor made no sign. When Bowen went to his duties on the night of the 2Oth, he met the sheriff.
 "Has any reprieye arrived yet?'' ask ed Bowen. The sheriff shook his head sadly. He had never yet hanged a man and did not wish to begin.
 "No," said the sheriff, land from what heard this afternoon none is like ly to arrive The governor has made up his mind at last that the law must take its course.
 "I'm glad of that" said Bowen.
 "Well, I'm not
 After 9 o'clock messages almost ceas- ed coming ill, and Bowen sat reading the evening paper. Suddenly there came a call for the office, and the operator an- swered. As the message came over the wire Bowen wrote it down mechanical ly from the clicking instrument, not un- derstanding its purpose, but when he read it he jumped to his feet, with an oath. He looked wildly around the room, then realized, with a sigh of re- lief, that he was alone, except for the messenger boy who sat dozing ill cor. her, with his cap over his eyes. He took up the paper again and read it with | set teeth:
 Sheriff of Brentng County, Brentingvlle: I Do not proceed further with execution of | Prior. Sentence commuted. Documents sent | off by tonight's mail registered. Answer that 1 you understand this message. JOHN DAY, Governor.
 Bowen walked up and down the room with knitted brow. He was in no doubt as to what he would do, but he wanted to think over it. The telegraph instru- ment called to him, and he turned to it, giving the answering click. The mes sage was to himself from the operator at the capital, and it told him he was to forward the sheriff's telegram with out delay and report to the office at the I the message concluded. Bowen answer ed that the telegram to the sheriff would be immediately sent
 Taking another telegraph blank, he 1 wrote:
 I Sheriff of Brentng County, Brentingville: | Proceed with execution of Prior. No | prieve will be sent. Reply if you understand | this message. JOHN DAY, Governor l IT. ;, | Bowen felt some compunction at what he was doing. We like to think that when man deliberately commits crime he should hesitate and pay enough defere1ae to the proprieties as to feel at least a temporary regret, even if he goes on with his crime afterward. Bowen's thoughts were upon the dead girl, not on the living man. He reused the doz- | ing telegraph messenger.
 "Herc,' he said, "+.;lc this to the | jail and find the sheriff. If he is not l there, go to his residence. If he is asleep, wake him up. Tell him this wants an answ,i Give hiln blank, and when he has filled it up bring it to me. Giyo the ncssage to no one else, mind''
 The boy said "Yes, sil' and departed 1 into the night. He returned so quickly | that Bowen knew without asking that | he had found the sleepless sheriff at the | jail. The message to the governor, writ | ten ill a trembling hand by the sheriff, was:
 I understand that the execution is to take | place. If you should change your mind, for | Gods sake telegraph possible. I | shall delay execution until last moment al- | lowed by law.
 Bowen did nUt send that message, but ! another. He laughed and then checked himself ill alarm, fo1' his laugh sounded strange. II wonder if am quite sane,' he said to himself II doubt it. " The night wore slowly on. A man representing q press association came in after 12 and sent a long dispatch Bowen telegraphed it, taking the chances that the receiver would not communi- | cate with the sender of the reprieve at the capital. He knew how mechanically news of the greatest importance was taken off the wire by men who have au- tomatically been doing that for years. Anyhow all the copper and zinc in the world could not get a message into Brentingville except through him until the day operator came on, and then it would be too late.
 The newspaper man, lingering, asked if there would be only one telegrapher on hand after the execution. II shall have q lot of stuff to send over, and want it rushed Some of the papers may get our specials. I would have brought an operator with me, but we thought there was going to be re- prieve, although the sheriff didn't seem 10 think so, he added. ''The day operator will be here at 6. I will return as soon as I've had cup of coffee, and we'll handle all you can write." answered Bowen without look ing up from his instrument ''Thanks Grim ioysiness. isn { it?''
 ''It is"
 1T tlseught the -cvor2cr would cave. Didn't you:'
 T didn t know
 He's a shrewd old villain He'd i have lost next election if I'd reprieved this man. People don't want to see lynching introduced, and weak kneed governor is Judge Lynch's friend. We'll, good night. See you ill the morning."
 "Good night, said Bowen. Day1ShG gradually dlm1leu tne IaAups in the telegraph room, and Bowen start ed and caught his breath as the church bell began to toll.
 It was 10 minutes after when Bow ems partner, the day man, came in.
 "Well, they've hanged him, he said.
 Bowen was fumbling among some pa pers on his table. He folded two of them and put them in his inside pocket. Then he spoke:
 "There will be a newspaper man here in few moments with good deal of copy to telegraph. Rush it off as fast as you can, and I'll be back to help before