The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-09
KEARNEVs LIFE SENTENCE BEGUN
Taken to the Peniten tiary Camp at
Crnmer.

Pat Kearney, convicted of the murder of
Jack Wyness, left Savannah yesterday for
the penitentiary to live the balance Of his
days, according to his sentence.
It was touching scene at the Jail when
the prisoner was taken away His wife,
a trim little woman. as faithful and true
as she is attractive and winsome, bade
him goodbye in great distress She has
visited him at the Jail every day recently.
She would come to the prison home Of the
doomed husband and bring with her every
day their little child. A pallet was laid
on the hard floor of the jail for the young
one and father and mother would beguile
the torturesome hours of suspense by
fondling the child and talking about the
past
4 Morning News reporter found Kear-
ney in one Of these moments of transient
comfort day or two before he was taken
from the jail
ITS all wrong, wrong" he said with
emphasis, when asked about his future,
his going to the pententiary for life.
Heaven knows my heart, and heaven
knows it is all wrong, sir. My life has
been blighted, my home destroyed, my
heart drained of every joy, and all by an
accident.
yes, sir; it was by an accident that
Jack Wyness went to his grave. Jack
knew 1t was an accident and | knew it
was an accident. Jack told people it was
an accident. and the poor fellow sent for
me to come to see him before he died, and
I was locked up and they wouldn't let
me go"
The man spoke with great fervor and
emphasis, and rounded up his sentence by
striking his hand down upon his knee
heavily. After pause of a few mo-
ments ne resumed:
Il have been badly treated. l would
no more have shot Jack Wyness than a
man would shoot his brother. There was
no Ill feeling between us. Just the con-
trary. l liked the boy. If I ever had
piece of money in my pocket and Jack
wanted IT, goodness knows he could have
had the last red cent of it. The pistol
in my hands that night was not drawn on
Jack Wyness. 1t was simply being held
in my hand after taking it out of one
pocket to put it in another, and while the
others in the place were doing a great
deal of talking, Jack saw this pistol and
came up to me and put his hands over it,
like that and said, Put that thing up
and in the tussle, he pushing it back, and
l trying to straighten my hand in his
grasp the concern went off. To this day
| don't know whether my finger pulled the
trigger, or whether Jack did it, neither
did Jack know. 1 do know it was an &C
cident."
Kearney was policeman at the time of
the fatal shot, but was not on duty.
savannah has been my home always"
ne said, and | dread the thought of leav-
ing it. I am a Savannah boy-was born
here, have lived here all my life. When
| go away l will leave all that earth
holds dear to me right here in Savannah
-f6pTn they a % ba
pointed his big hand to his wife and child,
the wife sitting close beside the little one
lying on shawl on the floor of the jail
corridor
Kearney is tall, stalwart, straight man
OF splendid physique. His face is clean
shaved and his profile is a striking one,
displaying strength of mind and firmness.
His mouth is large but his lips lin and
expressive. His head is well shaped, and
his hair closely clipped His manner is
that of man with a great abundance Of
deep feeling, rather bordering on the emo
tional His words are spoken in a deep
strong voice and come in rapid success
sion. His conversation is goodrich, with
original expressions, as expressive as or
iginal.
Kearney received letter from Simon
O'Neill, who was recently sent from Sa-
vannah to the penitentary, a few DAYS
before he went away. ONeil is at Gress's
luHpef camp the same place to which
Kearney was taken yesterday, and in his
letter to Kearney he spoke cheerfully,
declaring that he had been given the same
bed that Lord Beresford slept in while in
the lumber camp, The camp is at Cramer
kearney has many friends in this
city who have manifested a great interest
in his case from start to finish and watch
ed eagerly to see what chance there might
be for his final deliverance from the doom
placed on him in penalty for the crime for
which he stands convicted and sentenced