The Indianapolis journal., 1896-10-12
SHE STILL LOVES SAGE
BOTH OF THEM HAVE BEEN BEHIND
PRISON WALLS a LONG TINE.
They Killed 1nfant-Shc Tried to
Shield Him and then Convicted
Nim-A Pardon Case.

A the Women's I,eformatoiy is EIiza
Cunningham, who has Dee,. there
thiltcen years for the murder of her ille-
sitimate child in Blackford county. and she
has faint hope that she may be par
doned too, If her former husband, John
w. Sage, succeeds in his efforts to secure
a pardon for himself. A petition for Sage $
pardon is being prepared and may be pre-
sented to the Governor this week He was
sent to the Northern Prison seven years
ago for life for being accessory to the
nun der of this child. At his instance E..Hsi
Cunningham his sweetheart, drowned her
illegitimate child in Lick creek. near Hart
ford City thirteen years ago. Then ne mar
ried her At the trial his wife con-
victed and sentenced to the women's prison
at Indianapolis for life and on her state
ments that Sage was entirely innocent OF
the charges ne escaped trial. Several
years afterwards Sage moved to Marion
and soon forgot the woman in prison at
Indianapolis. He secured q divorce and be-
came engaged to and married Il woman
not of the best reputation. On learning of
this, Eliza that Sage had induced
ner to commit the crime and told her he
would marry her if she put the child out
of the way lie was rearresteG and re-
ceived life sentence. although he strenu-
ously denied his guilt He has served but
seven years of his sentence.
Despite the wrong that Sage has done
her, Eliza Cunningham. wearing her life
ANA behind prison bars 1T Llc keforma-
tory. still loves him with fierce intensity.
She still clings to the hope that some day
she and Sage may both be Dardoned and
reconciled and pass the rest of their lives
in home OF their own. She Is very
naughty in demeanor an. will not talk of
the affair. AT times she appears to be mo-
rose The managers of the prison refused
to permit Journal reporter TO see her
Thirteen years ago. when sne committed Il
the crime for which she is now serving a
life sentence Hartford city much
some time previous Sage had been paying
great deal of attention TO the woman.
marry her but would not do while an
iliegitimate child. which was not his. was
alive. She wanted to bind IL out or send
it TO some orphans home but he said that
would not do: it must be made away with,
or it would eventually turn uo. One day
she put the little girl into sack intending
to throw her into Lick creek, but the little
blue eyes looked into hers questioningly
and the child asked What you don to
failed her and the crime was deferred
Soon after. she claims. Sage one day
exclaimed: IF the child is not disposed of
and 1 can't marry you. III see that no.
body else does Aroused to frenzy, the
woman TOOK her little girl walking along
the bank OF Lick creek and in IL secluded
spot pushed her in. and the child was
drowned.
That night Sage and the inhuman mother
We're married. She had been seen by some
children when she committed the CRIME,
however. and was arrested. convicted and
sentenced for life. Sage was also arrested
but she claimed he had nothing TO do with
the crime and he ESCAPED Some years
passed and Sage got divorce. He then
prepared to marry aeother woman. The
Cunningham woman heard OF il and the
knowledge made her wild 10 thwart the
maLs plans. The itafSf9rl county grand
jury learned that she knew more OF the
crime than she had told on the stand and
she was summoned before that body. She
then told her story completely. implicat ting
Sage. and he was arrested and sentenced
for life. He secured another trial and got
the same sentence. Three months after the
woman was arrested she gave birth to
now living with the woman's mother near
Hartford City.