The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-10
A PLEA FOR CRAEMER.
1t Comes From the Germans of
San Francisco.
mISLED BY THE SLANDERER.
Believing the Murderer an Injured IN
nocent. They send Money and
Petition for Pardon.

The extent 10 which the Gernnan-Arneri-
cans OF the Coast have been deceived IN
| regard 10 the case OF Henry Craemer ny
| the false statements published il the Ger
man papers ali over the United states is
! shown by the following article IN the san
! Francisco Call of October 8;
| German residents of san Francisco ana
| the Pacific coast are much wrought up
over the condemna ton to death OF Heln-
| rich Craemer. a native Of German, resid-
| ing in Seattle II IS claimed that Craemer
was not given fair trial; that on the day
the murder was committed he was not IN
| Seattle and that he was railroaded
| toward the gaIlows. Craemer does not
speak English. and the German residents
| % this city have forwarded 70 Seattle
through the California Demokrat. the
! sun. OF nearly s1.o00 TO aid in obtaining
| pcstponement Of the execution. When
| this is exhausted il is asserted that more
viii be forthcoming"
A Petition To the Governor.
| The Call also prints the following petit
ton sent TO Gov. MeGraw by the board OF
directors OF the German General Benevo-
lent Society:
ITO His Excellency, the Governor Of the
! State OF Washington: The petition OF the
board Of directors of the German General
| Benevolent Society Of San Francisco re-
| spectfully represents:
1T is doubtless officially known to your
excellency that Henry Craemer. having
been convicted OF murder. is sentenced 10
1 be hanged at Seattle on the lst day OF No
! yember next.
at may appear strange to your excel
| leucy that these petitioners, citizens OF
another state. venture 10 address you IN
( relation 10 this matter,
Their justification is the fact that a
number OF the most respectable citizens OF
( Seattle have addressed TO the citizens of
! San Francisco and 10 the association
/ which these petitioners represent the most
/ urgent requests to interest themselves for
/ the sake OF humanity IN behalf Of the said
! Craemer Some OF their statements ex-
| press an unqualified conviction in his in
| nocence. AS TO such statements, these
| petitioners do not assume TO form any
/ opinion or belief
But every one of these informants has
! given these petitioners the most solemn
! assurance that the condemned man has
not had fair trial for his life. This as
surance is borne out by facts which ap-
! pear to be incapable OF contradiction.
/ Within three weeks after the commission
/ OF the murder Craemer was tried and con-
/ denned 10 death.
"A request TO the trial court for con-
! tinuance TO enable the accused to prove
/ that he was not at Seattle at the time of
/ the commission OF the crime was refused.
! Your petitioners submit that such speed
! in trying and convicting a person charged
! with capital crime violates the spirit OF
| our institutions
Undue Haste Is Alleged.
only lately the supreme court of this
| state in the case Of Fredericks VINO COM
/ mitted murder in open daylight, ex-
! pressed its decided disapprobation of the
/ snort time allowed TO the accused for the
| PREPARATION Of his defense The court
! SAID IN view of the enormity of the
/ charge against him; in view of the pub
/ Tic clamor that was pursuing him; in
/ view OF his own poverty and frendless-
/ ness. the state could we'll have afforded
Z to concede him such a continuance in
I order that he might have full opportun-
I ity 10 make his defense. however weak il
/ may have been when made. The state
I would have lost nothing by such a course,
/ and justice would have been done Just the
same While the state should administer
! justice TO law-breakers with no laggard
( hand, yet at the instance of public clam
! or or other causes. IL is beneath its dig
/ nifty to act with unseemly haste
/ Craemer had no means TO employ an
attorney and II appears 10 be admitted
/ on every side that the attorney appoint
( ed for him by the court was entirely in
4 competent to conduct a criminal case of
such importance Your petitioners have
been Informed that the Judge stated as
! reason for the appointment that the at
torney and the accused were both
/ Dutch" while the fact is that the at
] torney is a Swede and the accused n Ger
man, ignorant of the English language
( and that neither understood the language
/ OF the other.
/ Many other circumstances have been
4 brought 10 the attention of the petition
ers, which strengthen the presumption
that the accused has not had such A trial
as IS guar anteed to every accused bv the
spirit OF our laws: but those already set
. forth seem sufficient to justify your pc
/ titioners in presenting their most respect
/ full petition that your excellency grant
/ 70 the condemned a postponement OF the
I day OF execution, so that in the meantime
/ residents OF Seattle well known
10 your excelency for their
honor and sense OF justice. may
/ have the opportunity 70 lay before
/ you the proofs that the circumstances
I surrounding the trial and conviction OF
/ Craemer were not consistent with n wise
( and impartial administration OF Justice.
/ dated at San Francisco oct. :. 1895.
} Signed. German General Benevolent
Society f c. PRIRER. President
William Hermann, Secretary"
Germans Believe Craemer Guilty.
In the face OF all this misplaced SYM
. pathy citizens OF Seattle OF German birth
+ are almost unanimous in their conicnna-
! ton % q. r Wegener's denunciations OF
the courts and the city government. which
. appear - have been the moving cause Of
/ this petition.
Andrew Heinrich. president OF the Seattle
. Rrewn and Mailing COMPANY. and vice
! president ~ The Seattle and Lake Wash
. irr;on Waterway Company. who is one Of
+ the leading Germans in he city. said.
II believe CrAenCr is guilty II the muir
. der 3cd think he should suffer f7- II hlIt
3 an firmly az fhe opinion that Roder had
{ band ~ IT, Nec"Der.S statements touch
: i~E on the honesty OF the courts and OFF,
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