Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-06
SNATCHE1 FROM Tie CHAIR
Of Death, at Albany, by a Voluntary
Confession Of Guilt.


terday-John McGough, Of Troy,
Saves BAT" Shea Just in the
Nick Of Time.
Albany. y. Y, January 5.-The eli
max of one Of the most dramatic and
sensational criminal incidents Of the
States history was made public to-day,
when. lust forty-eight hours prior 70
the execution OF the death sentence upon
bartholomew Shea, another man con-
,essed to the murder and Shea steps
fran beneath the shadow Of death
thrown by the electric chair. The n
vitations for the electric killing Of Shea
has been issued the State electrician
was already upon the ground at Dame
more prison, the Governor had decided
IS exclusively stated by these dispatches
on Saturday. not 10 Interfere IN the car
rving out Of the sentence, and Shea had
resigned himself to his fate, when an
other prisoner in the institution,
comrade of Shea's and participation IN
Inc election outrages when the tragedy
occurred, confessed 10 the crime
The man who
VOLUNTARILY CONFESSES
to the crime. and who practically steps
from a prison cell to the menacing
shade of the electrical death, IS John Nc
Cough. of Troy. now serving a sentence
of nineteen years and six months lot
shooting and attempting to kill William
Ross. a brother Of Robert Ross, VINO
was supposed 10 be Sheas victim. In
some way known only to convicts' NC
Cough had c0rtrived to keep informed
az 10 the success or failure of the appE-
cations for communication in behalf OF
Shea. When Shea was re-sentenced to
die the 23d Of December, It IS believed
hat McGough was ready TO confess, but
when he learned that q respite had beeT
granted he withheld MS confession.
After the holidays he learned that the
efforts 10 obtain q communication Tor Shea
had not ceased, and so he
MADE NO SIGN.
On Saturday. when Warden Thayer was
made aware that the Governor would not
| interfere and that arrangements were
being made for the execution, McGough
sent for the warden of the prison, Mr..
Walter II. Thayer. and when the warden
had come. told him tina, he wished TO
make a statement concerning the muir
der Of Robert Ross The warden had
AZ ~. 80, Ia IL
/ ing him pen and paper, telling nm 10
put down what ne had 10 say in writing.
McGough wrote a communication Of
about TWO pages and signing Il with his
| full name. handed it to the warden. To
| the surprise of the warden and his dep
uties. the paper contained a decided
statement that he, McGOugh, and not
! Shea had shot and killed Robert Ross.
( The statement contained no details of
/ the shooting. other than the bold con-
! fession of the fact.
Warden Thayer went at once 70 the
| telephone when McGOugh had been call
/ ed TO his cell. and called up the executive
chamber. He asked the Governor TO
please receive a messenger whom he sad
would arrive, and then at once dis
| Edward COughlin, 10 Albany Mr..
| Coughlin arrived in this city THIS morn
ing and
CAUGHT GOVERNOR MORTON
a. the mansion just as he was leaving
| for church. The Governor upon learn
/ ing the nature of the commun eaton,
sent al once for Pardon Clerk Joyce,
] f- u al ID
| After q brief conference the Governor
| decided 10 grant a respite for four week.
| during which time counsel could take
The proper means to bring the matte.
before the courts fer new trial The
respite viii be issued tomorrow. and
viii be IN force until February 4th.
Mr.. Hit VIII go before the Supreme
| Court tomorrow morning and ask for
a trial for Shea and the production in
court Of McG0Ugh.
The confession of McGough VIII bring
TO mind the tragic series of events that
| led up TO the present dramatic results.
The conviction Of Shea and the great
/ public sentiment against his release
were due not entirely 10 the fact that
he shot Ross, but to the aroused public
sentiment against the d.sgraceful v.o-
la,.on Of the purity of the ballot that
had made The city of Troy a by-word.
THE CRIMES
occurred upon the sixth of March. 1S94.
Shea and McGOugh headed a crowd of
repeaters, who had worked almost every
polling place in Troy. They had been
| told no- 10 try their games in the ward
/ in which the Ross br0-hn~e IV;l1sa-, ~ Z
Robert were the head Of The Republican
party. but announced that they would.
In anticipation Of their visit, the Rosses,
John Boland and several other citizens
had armed themselves with clubs and
some with pistols loaded with blank
| cartridges. II was shortly after that
the melee occurred. and while TWO or
more shots were fired. the Two Rn.s