Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-24
A LIVING DEATH HIS TORTURE.
Old Pennsylvania Law Revived In
j. u. Gentry's Cnsc.
New York Journal

taken 10 the county prison, and there
kept I'm close confinement until the hour OF
his execution. He shall only be visited
by his jailers and wardens and prison
officials, by the judges OF the Court or
over and Termner for the county IN
which he was convicted. by the District
Attorney for such county, and by mem
hers Of the Pennsylvania Legislature.
And such condemned murderer shall be
allowed 10 write but one letter each
month from the day Of his conviction 10
the day Of his execution"
II is the operation of this law, passed
in 1915. which is undermining the health
Of James b. Gentry, now under sentence
of death In Philadelphia for the murder
Of his sweetheart, Margaret Drysdale.
The Governor OF the Commonwealth or
PENNSYLVANIA doesn't know whether TO
send James b. Gentry TO the gallows
or TO let him die a natural death. me
Governor of Pennsylvania Is n humane
man, and If he has considered the mat
ter at all he knows that the condemned
actor, now lying I'm Moyamenslng Prison
Philadelphia, has already suffered a tnou-
sand deaths under the workings Of law
more barbarous In its refined cruelty than
was ever conceived by a council OF ten.
James b. Gentry since July last mas
been literally buried alive!
There Is q saving IN Pennsylvania that
If Il condemned man can contract pneu-
monia or some fatal ailment and cneat
the aallows by dying in bed, tine entire
official family Of the Commonwealth eX-
periences profound relief"
That Gentry Is dying IL certain, despite
the denials Of the prison physician, DIT.
+. Butcher He is not dying, however az
quickly as did his sweetheart MadBe
Yorke, whom he slew.
The operation Of this law Will drive
him insane, unless the day for more
shameful death il quickly set His pitia-
HE condition f. due 20 the act passed In
1876 recently resurrected by the Judges
Of Philadeiphia's Court Of oyer and Ter
miner. II came about in this way:
Nudgett alias II. Il. Holmes lay, as
now lies Gentry, in Moyamensng prison.
under sentence Of death. NO one knew,
save he. the number Of his victims. Grim
inoloaists pronounced him a degenerate.
Han Game, the British author, visited him
and studied him. A scientist or the Fede-
raj Government did the same. The wncle
civilized world wondered what manner or
man could be this prisoner OF the county
of Philadelphia. How many people had ne
actually killed. Who were they, anu
when and how did he slay them? Holmes
was silent for weeks But when, finally
the day OF execution was appointed ana
the hour Of his death drew nearer and
nearer. he consented 70 write the story
of his life. and the world became con-
WINGED that he was a degenerate.
HOLINESS CASE LED TO 1T.
All this was inexpressibly shocking TO
the learned Judges of oyer and Terminer
rr- sasa gf
reciting the life story Of this eXtraordi-
nary criminal wounded their sensl0lites.
"This must never occur again. they eA-
claimed IN hushed whispers.
They delved among the musty tones or
the State Library. and at length brougAI
90 uoht a volume containing the legisla-
tive acts Of 1916 There they found eX-
actlv what they sought. The pages were
yellow. but they had little difficulty IN
deciphering the words OF the law quoleu
elsewhere. by which condemned muir
deuers may be sent to a living tomb.
Fearfullv they searched the records or
succeeding legislatures for period cover
ing half a century. but nowhere could
he found an act repeating this inhuman
statute.
So the superintendent Of Moyamehsins
prison was speedily seen.
This law must be enforced, ana rlBlaly
enforced" was the edict.
And so the aged mother of the doomed
man Journeys from her distant home Ia
MARYLAND yainly each week 70 see het
only child. The law is being enforced.
Day after day the prisoner begs that ne
he allowed 20 see his mother
rust once" he pleads with MS Keepers
I'm dying-you know I'm dying
pu4 the keepers are poweriess' Tor the
I,,a hgRn
n was in March, 1885, that James Cen
try killed Margaret Drysdale, known on
the stage as Madge Yorke, in Zeisses NJ
RE theatrical hotel, on Walnut street,
philadelphia, She had promised 10 meet
him at Jersey City. and had journeyed
on there to keep her appointment. IN
some way they missed one another. Gen
try the comedian OF the stage, had al
vavs been the tragedian in private me-
With the Latin blood of Italian ancestors
in his veins, and recalling IN MS jealous
anger and disappointment the stories
which had come to him connecting
Madge Yorke with her roommate, hyu"
CLARK and with a variety performer,
oovornonlv spol<en Of as Red" Magee,
he drank heavily In Jersey City. Tnen
he went on TO Philadelphia. The story
of how he shot down the young girl
whom he loved, and escaped capture, only
10 he apprehended several days later In
n nuhlic park Is too we'll known 10 need
recital here. Wounded, as he was, Tor
rnany days his recovery was despaired or,
but careful nursing healed his hurts. and
in June last before Judge lerkos, ne
was placed on trial for his life. Charles
w. Brooke, OF this city, was his senior
counsel. and he was assisted by DANIEL
O'Reilly. of New York, and George r.
Munce, of Philadelphia.
ALMOST COLLAPSE DURING TRIAL.
District-Attorney Graham was the chief
prosecutor. The trial, which lasted seve-
raj DAYS and ended in verdict OF
guilty OF murder In the first degree, was
fraught with dramatic incidents. The
prisoner seemed about 70 collapse on
various occasions. and wept frequently.
uoticeably so when the death OF his
sweetheart was described by Miss Clark.
The next day the Judge sentenced him
TO be hanged. but did not appoint the
date of execution. That Is the duty OF
the Governor.
He was led from the courtroom when
the words had been spoken, and in
twenty minutes was back I'm his cell at
Moyamensing. From that day. nearly
five months ago, he has been dead so
far as all knowledge OF the outside world
is concerned. He has never left his
small illy-ventilated dungeon. he has
seen no friendly face. he has heard no
friendly voice. His counsel are making
efforts TO save his life. but he does not
know II. When he entered the prison he
weighed 1Sa pounds To-day he weighs
but i0l pounds. When he shot his sweet
heart he was a TALL well-proportioned
man Of "a years. To-day his shoulders