Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-10-04

Petitions were got up, headed by the
local clergy. Women begged for sigma
lures and got them. Every man and
woman signed them-all except one,
and even he was urged to sign by tear
full lady, who asked him to remember
that vengeance was the Lords.
but the Lord has his instruments, "
said Bowen grimly, "and l swear to
you, madam, that if you succeed in get
ting that murderer reprieved 1 will be
the instrument of the Lords venge-
ance."
"Oh, don't say that, pleaded the la
dy. "Your signature would have such
an effect. You were noble once and saw
ed him from lynching, be noble again
and save him from the gallows.
81 shall certainly not sign. 1t is, if
you will pardon me, an insult to ask
me. If you reprieve him, you will make
a murderer of me, for 1 will kill him
when he comes out, if it is 20 years
from now. You talk of lynching. 1t is
such work as you are doing that makes
lynching possible. The people seem all
with you now, more shame to them,
but the next murder that is committed
will be followed by lynching just be-
cause you are successful today"
The lady left Bowen with sigh, de-
pressed because of the depravity Of hu-
man nature, as indeed she had every
right to be.
The Prior family was rich and in
fuential one. The person who is alive
has many to help; the one in the grave
has few to cry for justice. Petitions
calling for mercy poured in on the gov
erpor from all parts of the state. The
good man, whose eye was entirely on
his own reelection, did not know what
to do. If any one could have shown him
mathematically that this action or the
other would gain or lose him exactly SO
many votes, his course would have been
clear, but his own advisers were uncer-
tain about the matter. A mistake in a
little thing like this might easily lose
him the election. Sometimes it was ru-
mored that the governor was going to
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 goth of September the gov
ernor made no sign. When Bowen went
to his duties on the night of the goth, he
met the sheriff.
"Has any reprieve arrived YETI" 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, "and from
what I 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 o'clock messages almost ceas-
cd coming in, and Bowen sat reading
the evening paper. Suddenly there came
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 sigh of re-
lief, that he was alone, except for the
messenger boy who sat doing in a cor.
ner, with his cap over his eyes. He
took up the paper again and read it with
set teeth:
Sheriff of Brenting County, Brentingville:
Do not proceed further with execution OF
Prior. Sentence commuted. Documents sent
off by tonight's mail registered. Answer that
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
capital-a mans life depended on it,
the message concluded. Bowen answer
ed that the telegram to the sheriff would
be Immediately sent.
Taking another telegraph blank, he
wrote:
Sheriff of Brenting County, Brentingville:
Proceed with execution of Prior. No re.
prieve will be sent. Reply if you understand
this message. JOHN DAY, Governor.
1t is pity it cannot be written that
Bowen felt some compunction at what
he was doing. We like to think that
when man deliberately commits a
crime he should hesitate and pay enough
Difference to the proprieties as to feel at
least 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.
Here" he said, take this to the
Jail and find the sheriff. If he is not
there, go to his residence. If he is
asleep, wake him up. Tell him this
wants an answer. Give him blank,
and when he has filled it up bring it to
me. Give the message to no one else,
mind"
The boy said eyes, sir'' and departed
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 in trembling hand by the sheriff,
was:
understand that the execution is to take
place. If you should change your mind, for
In1f alya fa1a a,,h