Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-01
FATE OF BUCHANAN
Wife Murderer Still Hopes to Escape
the Electric Chair.
The Execution Not Likely to
Occur Today.
Warden Sage Wants Further Advice From
Attorney General

SING SING, July 1.-Warden Sage ap-
pears determined not to execute DR.. Blu
chanan until he is certain that no com.
plications will result. and the case Is still
enveloped In tangled web Of legal techni.
calities.
II do not propose TO execute DR.. Blu
chanan until the attorney general gives
me written opinion as to the effect OF
the papers Of appeal now In their hands at
Albany"
Warden Sage was the speaker, and he
was so angry that his voice tremblcd as he
spoke to the group Of reporters. At the
door leading from the drawing room into
the Office the face Of woman, anxious
and troubled appeared and Us the warden
made his emphatic statement she smiled
and withdrew quickly. 1t was Mrs. Blu
chanan, and she had just left her husband
Warden Sage made the statement ac
credited to him after meeting his mes
senger, whom he had sent to Albany, at
the train.
Frank d. Burroughs, the messenger,
who has been in Albany for two days
with copies Of the paper served on the
warden and presented to the United States
courts, returned last night with word that
the attorney generals department at AL
bany declined to give an opinion in the
matter, other than the verbal one that
1T would be oil right to proceed. Mr..
Burroughs had not seen the attorney gen.
eral, but had talked with Deputy Attorney
Hasbrouck, who had declined positively to
write any opinion.
AS soon as the messenger returned to
Sing Sing and made known this fact, fur
ther stating that the attorney general was
out OF the city. Warden Sage sent him
right back to Albany to await q written
decision. Then he dictated telegram to
Attorney General Hancock at Syracuse,
Informing him that he would not execute
Buchanan until h6 received an opinion Of
the effect Of the legal papers served upon
him by counsel for DR.. Buchanan.
sage's Statement.
When this had been dispatched, the
warden made this statement: II have
been served with papers that are said to
act as stay. When similar papers were
served some time ago, Deputy Attorney
General Hasbrouck wrote an opinion, in
which the attorney general concurred,
saying that the papers should act as q
stay. When these papers were served,
sent them ut once to the attorney general
with request for an opinion. So far he
has given none. He is the legal adviser of
the state, and do not propose to act in
his stead"
"Will you execute Buchanan II the at
torney general does not give an opinion?"
was asked.
II don't see why I should assume a legal
responsibility that the law officer of the
state shrinks from"
The warden does not expect any opinion
or answer from his telegram until late to-
day, and it is therefore reasonable to be-
lieve that there will not be an execution
till tomorrow at tho earliest.
DIR. Buchanan grew restless Saturday
night, and it was 3 o'clock when he dozed
off into fitful slumber. At s o'clock he
was awake, and a few minutes latter he
was visited by Mrs. Buchanan She took
a seat just outside the wire screen, and
talked to him in low tone of voice. He
could not keep still and he paced the floor
constantly.
He talked of his trial and his still sur
viving hope of escape from the death
chair.
Hancock's Reply.
SYRACUSE, July 1.--Attorney General T.
r. Hancock was asked last evening re-
garding his movements in the case of DR..
Buchanan. He said that he had been