St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-06

FROM DEATHS GRIP
SDAT SHEA SAVED FROM THE
ELECTRIC CHAIR ON THE EVE
OF EXECUTION.
MUST DRAMATIC CLIMAX
~ 10 THE POLITICAL CRIMES FOR
WHICH TWO MEN ARE NOW
IN PRISON.
SOHN MGOUGH CONFESsEs
MOST DRAMATIC CLIMAX
SOHN
'EGOUGH CONEEssEs.
Vie Places His Own Life in Peril to
Save an Innocent
Man.

{ ALBANY, N. Y, Jan. 5-The climax
OF one OF the most dramatic and sensa-
tional criminal incidents of the states
history was made public today when.
Just forty-eight hours prior to the ex
ecution Of the death sentence upon
bartholomew Shea, another man con-
Iessed to the murder, and Shea steps
from beneath the shadow of death
thrown by the electric chair. The in
Nitations for the electric killing of
ohea mad been issued, the state cleo
fr1cian was already upon the ground
az Dahhemora prison, the governor
mad decided not to interfere in the car
rylng out of the sentence, and Shea
had resigned himself to his fate when
another prisoner in the institution, a
comrade of Shea's and participation in
the election outrages, when the trag-
edy occurred, confessed to the crime.
The man who voluntarily confesses to
the crime and who practically steps
from prison chair to the menacing
shade or the electrical death is John
NlcGough, OF Troy, now serving a SEN
fence OF nineteen years and six months
Tor shooting and attempting to kill
lIWllllam Ross, brother Of Robert
Ross, who was supposed to be Shea's
iVlctlm. In some way known only to
icCnV1cts McGough had contrived TO
keep Informed as to the success or
FAILURE of the applications for commu-
rtatlon made in behalf Of Shea. When
sShea was resentenced to die the 23d Of
sDecember, it is believed that McGough
was ready to confess, but when he
learned that a respite had been grant
ed, he withheld his confession. After
the holidays he learned that the eff
forts to obtain communication for Shea
had not ceased and SO he made no sign.
On Saturday when Warden Thayer
was made aware that the government
would not Interfere and arrangements
Were being made for the execution Nc
Cough sent for the warden of the pris-
on, Walter N. Thayer, and told him he
wished to make a statement. The war
den had McGough taken to the office,
told him to put down what he had to
say in writing. McGough wrote COM
munlcation of about two pages and
signing it with his full name, handed
1t to the warden. To the surprise of
the warden and his deputies, the paper
contained a decided statement that he
and not Shea had shot and killed Rob-
ert Ross. The statement contained no
details of the shooting, other than the
bold confession Of the fact.
J. Warden Thayer went at once to the
telephone when McGough had been re-
turned to his cell and called up the
Executive chamber. He asked the gov
ernor to please receive a messenger
whom he said would arrive and then at
once dispa tched the prison stenograph-
er, Edward M. Coughlin, to Albany,
who arrived here this morning and
caught Gov. Morton at the mansion
Just as he was leaving for church. The
governor, upon learning the nature Of
the communication, sent at once for
the pardon clerk and Shea's counsel,
Galen r. Hit. After a brief confer
ence the governor decided to grant
respite for four weeks, during which
time counsel could take the proper
means to bring the matter before the
courts for a new trial.
Mr.. Hit Will go before the supreme
court tomorrow morning and ask for
a new trial for Shea, and the produce
ton in court of McGough.