The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-07
HIS Innocence.
HENRY CRAEMER WRITES To THE
UNITED BREWERY WORKERS.
Himself GuiItIess In Vigorous
LAnguage-Coasider His shaa-
! sien Dse 20 Enmfty OF Germans.

The following letter written by henry
Craemer now under sentence OF o.asa
in the King county jail for k'iiihE sifs.
Mueller and her baby, 20 the baIiohA
executive oS tbs United Brewery Work
ers OF America, under GATE OF Soyeni oes
6. was printed IN the November 6faesT
Zeitnag, Of 81 Louis:
se;ey,tfemen: In the New Yorker Stats
Zelsang / nave read telegram from 81.
Louis through which i am informed thal
you have decided 20 petition the governor
OF this state ID nay D.half. requesting NM
TO commute the sentence OF death.
by This information that you, 10 whom
am a stranger. thousands OF Miles away.
have acted so nobly and generously III
rny behalf. 4 am induced 10 publicly thank
you for your action and TO say Few
words about my condition. since the day
Of my arrest this n the first time az
tempt TO do this For. who WIZ listen 10
the voice OF a poor creature sentenced 10
death7 And OF what earthly use .s 1t 10
ian4s The convicted man Is no longer
the clear truth, still nobody Will believe
him: he viii simply lie himself out o.
troubifs-this II about all the people Will
sag. He Is dead for this world. He Is
sitting In his iron cage like beast. But
the beast Is still better OF, for II is rot
being tortured. while my German enc
mics here. and several newspaper men
without character, have done their Ut
against me during the three years aud
three months OF my Imprisonment,
II make this public statement because
] know of 20 better way OF thanking you
than By sincerely and truly assuring you
that your work has not been done in be-
half uf criminal or murderer; Tor
am innocent, perfectly innocent, OF the
crime for which ! have been convicted.
have not committed any crime In all
my life neither have ! ever committed
any act of VIOLENCE Of the law: but | have
ierAg4 ar azft "a
wherever l have been, even here in the
ian, among al CLASSES Of criminals. My
neighbprs. wherever lived. and even our
jail officials, can prove this.
Il can assure you that every word
spoke To nay defense. before or during my
tria1 a. can b. read in the official court
proceedings and az have been published
by Mr. Wsrener In his pamphlet on my
case, Is the fuli truth and nothing but the
truth. The accusations against me and
my arrest ! owe 10 the super-prudent and
INSCRIPTIONS detective who declared later
on In The court that ] had looked suspi-
cious, BECAUSE | had not exhibited enough
excitement when he told me about the
murder. the rest was attended 10 by sew
erat German brewery workers with whom
] used TO work. who hated me and there
fore awaited themselves OF the opportun-
ity 10 tell all possible lie-stories about ME,
as IL is customary among many Germans
of the most ordinary class.
Reporters Of sensational newspapers did
their part Ia bring about my conviction. re-
me guilty immediately after my arrest and
that incensed the public TO such an extent
that the people almost inclined 70 lynch
me. The consequences OF such action were
that was considered and treated as Il
convicted murderer from the first hour of
my Imprisonment on. and not like an in
dicted prisoner. For six days ] was con-
fined In dark cell. where Chief of Police
Rogers visited me daily and asked me all
kinds of questions. Then, for another six
days l was imprisoned In a steel cage.
where nobody, not even the German
preachers. were allowed to see me and
speak 20 me. Then the court secured for
me an entirely incompetent Swedish law
yer. and but nine days time was granted
was far OFF in the mountains, The attor
ncy said he could do nothing without
police had taken away from my wife the
day after my arrest Consequently the
lawyer did nothing for us. and thus j was
brought into court without witnesses and
without any other defense except my own
statements.
ION the side OF the prosecution there
were two state attorneys, either one OF
whom was much better lawyer than my
attorney. and they were assisted by the
staerid and all county detectives, and had
twenfs-ihree days I'm which to work UP a
case against me And all the expenses
were paid out of the city and county treas
tiries. Besides. in case my conviction was
brought about, an extra compensation OF
81 100 had been promised. Therefore the
chief Of police and his two principal de-
fet'tives themselves appeared on the wit
ness stand. In order to bring about my
conviction by means OF false testimony
given by several bought witnesses, one OF
whom was n prisoner who had escaped
from the penitentiary In Arkansas. ] came
into court without any other witnesses ex-
eept myself and nay wife. and for my help
iessness | was even ridiculcd and Knocked
by the states attorney. who asked me IRON
ieally when testified for myself:
Why did you not hunt for your wit
nesss'
"And the state supreme court refused
to grant me new trial. because. as they
The defendant evidently did not use
all the means in his power 10 keep track
81 his alibi witness and bring him into
court
And to-day, when nearly 100 witnesses
could be brought into court TO prove my
Innocence. one court after another, for
technical reasons. refuses TO grant a new
trial.
The Public Eorgcts
''The public here has forgotten every
thing, but have not. THIS unlimited pre-.
judlee and the disgrace of remaining Inn
rr.soned for thifty-niue long months com
vlUfed for murder Is constantly present
'ns it1clf 10 nay View. And, beside. imagine
the lnAaman hatred. the moan hateful at
taCks With which / am sttil being nersa-
c9sed by some Germans here and else
where, and the manner IN which they az
tempt 20 brafd NE AS the unqueStsonAhle
rsrpstrator of a crime with which | had In
no way snythlng 10 dc. All this has inns
sge eneittervd ana troubled me So much
that | look upon death as a savior from,
disgrace and torture which have not de-
served.
"BuI must aght sgsinst dlsgraceful
death On the scano!d. hos for my own sake.
b0t because my aour wife and children
would re dishcuorod and made unhappy for
their lifetime. Besides. ] consider Ii INV
duty To toiiaw tire advice of Mr.. Nrgentr
who has done ali ia his power during all
this long Time OF nay Imprisonment to save
fne and eiy family from such u horrible
death ard ruin. AR. Wegener is convinced
that he Will be able. perhaps within a few
weeks, 20 ard the only missing lnk tn the
chain of testimony ~ prove sny innocence
and 80 effect my judicial liberation There
fore, no Is very snxloAs az present ~ save,
my life. and he induced me 10 accent n
eomuataSioa 81 the sentence OF death 10
imprisonment neither % whsch punfxH-
mcnts have deserved. ] am. therefore
willing 10 accept this disgrace $50. ang, 10
wear the criminals prison Jacket as Az
hensss eaan Tree 81 any crime as a man
VINO wore his military uniform 81 honor
for three kong years
However Il - siiN Questionable whether
THIS favor OF mercy WITH be granted IN me
II Is true have only been convicted on th,
testimony or SfrounisfaattaE evidence
Nbsch can ROW Ia proven TO hsVa h..a,