The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-01
DEADLY CHAIR AND SPARK.
THE FIGHT TO SAVE THE LIFE OF
THE WIFE POIsONER.

The Witnesses 90 the Execution sum-
mOned and VIII lie Kept in ReadI-
ness, Along With All the Other
Chastity ParaphernaIia of Death.
And Now Buchanan's Life Seems
10 Hang on the Lips of Attorney
General HRncock-The Prisoner
Fairly Frenzied.
Sing Sing. n. Y, June SO.-The case of
Buchanan, the condemned wife murderer.
is still enveloped in a tangled web Of legal
technicalities. and Warden Sage is unable
to obtain the official authority whicn
would make his duty clear The warden
tonight sent a telegram to Attorney Gen
eral Hancock, who is In Syracuse, saying
that he would take no action in the case
until he had the opinion Of his depart
ment to direct him.
The preparations for the execution Of
buchanan are all completed and the per
sons to attend as witnesses are expected
to reach here early tomorrow. They
viii be kept within call until the warden
receives positive directions from the at
torney general as to his duty In the prem
ises. If he is notified that the papers
served by Buchanan's attorneys do not
constitute a stay the execution win take
place with the least possible delay; II
otherwise, of course, It will be delayed
until a further judicial determination OF
the case can be obtained. This is the sit
uation tonight and only the attorney gen.
eral can change It,
The intense mental excitement which he
has undergone In the past few days has
made great change in DR. Buchanan. He
was unable to sleep last night and to-day
he has been in condition bordering on
frenzy. Occasionally he falls into a doze
from sheer exhaustion only TO awake with
a start in a few moments. His wife slept
in the prison last night and visited the
condemned man at o'clock a. m, re-
naming with him until O'Clock tonight.
She said that he smoked necessarily.
talked constantly Of his case and his nerv-
Gus system appeared completely prostra-
ted by the strain he was undergoing But
he still talked hopefully and would not
admit the possibility Of failing to secure
further respite. He Is familiar with every
detail of the legal proceedings in his be-
half and knows that his fate practically
rests in the hands of the attorney general.
In case Of an adverse decision tomorrow
morning, 1t is the present intention Of the
warden to execute the sentence and Buch-
anan will know his fate but an hour or
so before he must meet It. The efforts Of
Mrs. Buchanan to save her husbands life
will not cease so long as the faintest hope
remains. Although the governor has sew
eral times refused to interfere in the case,
the devoted woman left for Rhinecliffe on
the last train tonight 10 make a final ap-
peal for executive clemency tomorrow
morning.
Attorney General Hancock was seen at
his residence at 10 o'clock tonight and
asked If he had advised Warden Sage Of
Sing Sing as to the execution Of Buchanan.
He gave out the following statement:
Last Thursday Buchanan's counsel
made an application as ] am Informed, to
Judge Lacombe for another writ Of habeas
corpus and that Judge Lacombe endorsed
upon the petition a refusal TO entertain
the application. Warden Sage since that
time has sent two messengers and various
other communications to me asking
whether / would advise the execution OF
buchanan. / have answered that l saw
nothing. which, in my opinion, operated as
a stay Of proceedings. / have not advised
his execution, as that is not part of my
duty and ] do not propose to do so as II
seems to me that this is a repetition of the
proceedings which were reported several
weeks ago ana which have been reviewed
by the court Of appeals This case has
been carefully considered twice by that
court and l see no reason why l should
advise the warden not to carry out its
mandate"
At 10 o'clock tonight Attorney General
HANCOCK received this telegram from War
den Sage: II decline to act without d.
rection from you; either write or tele-
graph"
The attorney general replied: 81 do not
think the last proceedings operate as a
stay. l have no further advice TO give"