Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-02-13
MUST die ON THE GALLOWS
GOVERNOR STONE REFUSES TO INTER-
fERE IN THE MARTIN CASE.
Tho Condemned Prisoner Receives the News
stoicsiiy. but Before High Heaven
Asserts His Innocence -rrcpa-
ration FOR the Hanging.

Phillip Martin, the convicted slayer OF
ELI Stillweli will he hanged Friday
morning in the county Jail IN this city.
the governor having notified County
Marshal Stewart by telegram yesterday
that he would not Interfere. The gov
ernor's telegram read Application OF
Phillip Martin for stay of execution de-
MED. w. j. stone. Governor" Martin
had already been granted two respites,
having been originally sentenced to hang
on December is.
Shortly after receiving the governors
message Marshal Stewart informed Mar
tln that the death sentence would be
carried out and that he had but little
more than two days to live. lie con-
veyed the stern intelligence as kindly rs
he could. 1t seemed to have little effect
on Martin He simply said; There's no
use sayin' anything, TNe got To hang ana
nothin' | could say or do would do any
good now. But will stll say before
heaven, Mr.. Stewart, that am innocent.
i didn't stab that man. Lyle did II ana
he knows 1t, even II the court did turn
him free"
The news that Martin was to hang
quickly spread in the county jail ana
when Martin was taken from the cell ne
had ornamented with such care to cell
on the fourth floor, where most of the
women prisoners are Kept, general
waillng sound went forth from the long
rows of cells. Some of the women sobbed
and even screamed as the condemned
boy was led by their cells. but he did not
even turn his eyes in their direction.
His stolid face was slightly turned
toward the floor. His eyes We're restless,
but he did not appear to be the least
unnerved. After being locked in his cell,
from which he will not go forth again
until he takes up his march to the gal
lows, he turned to Deputy Marshal Her
son, Journal reporter and little
group of visitors. and, still with his face
inclined and his restless eyes rowing
over the little throng he said;
"I've got to hang and there's no use
talking. but / want to say | am inno-
cent" He lifted his hand as if taking
an oath, and, with all the solemnness
he could have used if those before him
were passing judgment upon him and he
still had chance for his life. he con-
tinued: Before God, and knowing what
Is before me, ! say that | did not XIII
ELI stillwell. / met Lyle on the nignt
together when Stillwell ran into Lyle
and showed him against n wall and
called him hard name Lyle said;
You can't call me that name. ana
struck him. 1 did not even know he had
n knife in his hand at the time. Still
we'll went on toward Harrison street
and we walked on down the street. L
heard afterward that Stillwell fell after
he had walked a short distance. Some
one was with him, but he ran. After
ward Lyle told me he had used knife.
He came to my house the next morning
before we were under arrest and talked
with me some time about the afalr.
Then he left and he left behind the
knife with which he did the stabbing and
which was afterward found in my room
when the officers came to arrest me.
1.yle left my home and went to the po-
lice station, where he gave himself up
and subsequently tried to throw the en-
tire crime upon me. He succeeded and j
will have to hang, but God knows l am
innocent" Martins pet dog, curly
haired little animal, which has re-
mained with him through all his inn
prisonment, played about his feet ana
occasionally Martin paused in his re-
marks to pat him on the head. He dis
PLAYED considerable bitterness toward
Lyle in giving his version of the crime
and asked the deputy marshal II he re-
membered the occasion when Lyle was
given quarters distant from his own be-
cause 1t was feared Lyle would do him
injury Herson said he recalled receiv-
ing a note from Martin TO the effect that
Lyle intended TO do him injury, but had
no evidence of 1t himself.
Some of the minor preparations for the
execution have already been made and
an order has been given for the rope.
The scaffold on which Martin Reed, the
wife murderer, and John Clark, one
of the Madame Wright murderers, We're
hanged, was tested yesterday and found
to be in good condition. 1t is on this
scaffold that Martin is to be hanged
some time Friday morning, the exact
hour having not yet been determined.