The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-24
THE PRESIDENT INTERPRETERS.
The Ssntenc, OF IhOS. ]. Taylor CON-
muted 10 Life Confinement.
THE CASE COMPARED TO GUI1EAupS.
Taylor. Mad with Love and Jealousy,
shoots His Wife to Death-Congress
VIII BE Asked to Change the
Law in.isuch Cases.
TIMES BUREAU.
WAsHrxoTox. July -. 1895.


The President has committed the death
| sentence of Thomas j. Taylor to i'm
prisonment for life. This case has Gre
ated a greater interest in the city Of wash
inGton than any capital case tried In this
city since that of Guiteau, the murderer
Of President Garfield. In the Gditeau
case, however. there was no sympathy
for the prisoner. In the Taylor case the
sympathy for him was nearly univ :rsai
As an illustration. Taylor vas without
Influential friends, without money. but
six thousand OF the best people living OH
Capitol Hill, where the homicide took
place at once petitioned lha President
Tor &C mmutatiOn of his sentence All IF
the daily papers have urged Communication
by Wcll-written articles, Nhieh have ap-
peared several times a week.
A large proportion of the bar OF Wash
ileton petitioned for conimutItiOn, as well
AS nine of the Jurors, and II Is believed
that Ju lge Cole. before whom the case
was tried. and the District attorney. Biz
Bes. who prosecuted the case. both recon-
mended Communication. Within the past
month several public meetings in behalf
OF raylcr have been held on Capitol Hill,
and committees appointed to take such
action as they might judge best 10 save
the life Of Taylor.
HISTORY OF THE GASP.
A short history OF the case may be
interesting to your readers About five
years ego he married a lady most beaut-
ful in feature and fOrf. In fact, size was
regarded by many as be most beautiful
woman living on Capitol Hin. Their mar
rage was uneventful for three or Tour
years, when evidence began TO accumulate
sufficient 10 convince Taylor OF his wifes
.lEdclity 10 him. a confession and recon-
citation between them followed, but
shcrt time before the shooting Taylor
again had evidence leaving In MS mind
tffs MIR
same course she did before her confession.
He lover her 10 Distraction; he turned
over TO her all the money he earned or
acquired IN any way. and when this dis
cOVery last aboVe-mc ntiOncd was made he
became insane TO a degree that untitled
him for his business. which was deliver
ing bread for baker on Capitol Hill.
Several of his customers testified that
during the last week of his wife's life
he was actually insane. in their opinion.
on the morning Of the nth of Septem-
Der last he left his house as usual at
the hour Of 2.5D, 10 deliver bread 10 the
customers of his employer. At he re-
turned Unexpectedly. and found that some
other person than himself had been in
his chamber, and only left IL when he
reached the Or. He said nothing at
the time; started again and finished the
most OF his route, and returned between
. ana ., procured from "a store NEARBY
some provisions for breakfast and called
MS wife TO come down and get break
fast. As she came into the Kitchen ne
asked her for an explanation OF what he
had seen and heard at ( o'clock, and
asked her If in the future she was going
TO remain true TO him. Her response
was. mo. / viii see you IN he'll first."
Thereupon, he says that he replied: Then
/ VIII end my miserable exiSfence." and
SEEING pistol lying on the - eboard in
the Kitchen, placed IL 10 his breast and
hred. The shot, instead of entering the
chest struck rib and rebOunded, and
his counsel, Messrs. O.. ID. Barrett and
very ball in thus reboundng was the one
which struck the wife In the abdomen
and caused her death.
ice acuon Of the oall that caused her
death was evidently That OF a spent ball
aso simply passed through the wall OF
the abdomen, the left lobe of the liver
and the pancreas and was then DETECTED
downward and lodged by the right side OF
the backbone. AS the pistol used was "A
Smith x WessOn, calibre 81, his counsel
cOntended that If the shot had been fired
directly at her 1t would have passed en-
trely through the body. inasmuch as the
wall Of the abdomen the liver. and pam
creas could offer bat very slight resist
ance 10 ball.
Their was another bullet wound on the
inside Of Taylor's left arm; that is. on the
side next 10 the body. which evidently
passed directly towards the centre Of The
arm. No explanation could be given as
TO how that wound was received. The
pistol was a five-shOOter, and was found
with two empty chambers and three still
loaded. The evidence clearly proved that
Taylor had been subject to epileptic fits
from the time he was twelve years Old.
These fits had greatly weakened his
mind and made him liable, under excite
meHt. 10 lose all seif-cOntroL
NATIVE on VIRGINIA.
Taylor was born in Fauquier county,
Va, Of highly respectable parents, was
left an orphan by the death Of his
father. at the age Of two. He was then
taken by his cousin, now Mrs. Lucy
Davis, who took care of him until he was
seventeen or eighteen years old. At the
age of twelve he received a Kick from a
horse. which lad open his scalp near the
top Of the head for three inches, render
ing HIM unconscious Tor twenty-lour
hours and semi-unconsc ious for a much
longer time. this was followed by epilcp-
tic hts which continued at intervals up
20 the present time They 50 affected
his mind that his cousin had 10 take
him from school. RE complained of
severe headaches, that the letters OF his
books danced so before him that he
could not read. and that everything that
he looked al seemed 20 be In motion. like
looking at anything through the atmOs-
phere over a hot stove. At the age of
nineteen he came 10 Washington ana was
employed TO drive a dairy wagon. sub
sequently he went into the dairy business
himself. Then he kept a small store in
connection with his dairy business, and
lastly was employed as a driver OF q
bakers wagon as stated above.
THE TREID.NT'S LITTER.
The only communication from Gray Ga
bles that was given out at the White
House to-day was the following. winch
was addressed to the attorneys, Messrs.
o. ID. Barrett and Edward q. Niles.
"Messrs. Barrett q Niles. Az Louisiana
avenue, Washington, II. c.:
"Sirs.-NOu are informed that the pa
pcrs in the above case have been submit
ted TO the President and returned 10 TINS
department with the following endorse
ment. 49,
''The sentence is committed TO imprison-
rnent for life In disp0sng Of this case
| am not able TO rest my action upon the
far too common allegation OF insanity,
nor uDon the theory of accidental or
unintentional homicide. both OF which
pleas have been strongly urged on behalf
of the convict as well as upon his apph-
cation for executive clemcncy.
This communication is granted upon the
ground that, in my opinion. there has not
been presented I'm the case such distinct
and satisfactory eVidence OF -premedlta-
ton as should characterize the crime OF
murder in the first degree, and because
| think II can fairly be assumed from
the facts developed that the discovery by
the convict Just prior 10 the homicide Of
the recent inhdelity Of his wife SO affected
him that ne took her life in an instant
of blind passion and terrible rage This
is another illustration Of the ACCESSIBILITY
of a classification OF murder in degrees
in the District of Columbia, as has been
done with good results in some Of the
States"
(Signed GROVER CLEVELAND"
This important case has already reused
public sentiment 10 such a degree tha-
a meeting will be called on next Monday,
10, foh q "a 4f l4i<fflyf