The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-10
ABE sSEALL's RECORD.
Solicitor General Osborne VIII Pre-
sent His Views to GOV. Gambler.

0UftCAtOE AtntEAA OSbOFnC W III RE-
sent His Views to GOV. Gambler.
Solicitor General Osborne will go to At
lanta to present his views upon the Small
case to Gov. Gambler He does not ex-
pect. of course. that the Governor will
set aside his respite to Abe Small. In
now, the date set for the hanging Of
Small having passed.
1t is understood that the fact of SMALL
havingbeen respitcd viii moi require re-
sentence for his hanging to take place
on Jan. 10, the date to which the Gov
ernor's respite extends provided, Of course,
no further action in the direction of Glenn
ency is taken by the Governor. Mr. Os-
borne simply wishes to put che history
of the case before the Governor in order
that he may have a clear understanding
of it before he takes further action
Mr.. Osborne said yesterday that Small
has probably the worst record Of any
criminal that has ever been before the
Superior Court. In the search which was
made of him by tho detectives after his
escape from savannaA after 'tlree killing OF
Neve his record naturally came TO light
1t was found that he was known 10 the
police of Charleston as april" Small and
that he had been a criminal from his
youth. Previous to his coming to Savan-
nah he was convicted of burglary in
Charleston and sent TO the state peniten-
tiary for d term of years After serving
part of his sentence he escaped but later
returned 90 Charleston and was recaptured
by Detective Hogan OF that city at his
mothers house. He was sent back to the
penitentiary and served out the remainder
of his term, afterward coming to Savan-
nah
Small was ostensibly engaged in run
ming a small cook shop and fruit store
at the corner OF Arnold and Jackson
streets. In the spring OF 1892 several
burglares were committed, stores and
shops being broken into and robbed Two
shoiguns, with other property, were taken
from the store of Timer & Creamer a
detective found negro attempting TO sell
one OF these guns few days after the
burglary. The negro was promptly arrest
cd and confessed his crime pointing to
Small as the leader in the affair.
The rest of the story is well known.
Deputy Sheriff Humphreys undertook TO
arrest Small on the charge of burglary
one night. and received bullet in the Jaw
as Small fed away in the darkness. Hum
phreys was laid up al the Savannah Hos
pitai for some time as the result of mis-
wound. A day or two later Information
was telephOned the police barracks that
Small was in hiding in a field to the south
east Of she city. Mounted Officers Neve
and McCabc were notified by teleDhone To
go to the place indicated meet the CITY
detectives there and attempt the arrest
OF Small The next known at the barracks
of the affair was the fata. shooting of
Policeman NeYe. The two officers under
took to ride down upon Small without
waiting for the detectives Small who
was intrenched behind a haystacI. armed
with both rife and pistol, opened fire on
che officers as they approached. They
began firing on him with their pistols AT
about the same time. Both exhausted
their charges without wounding Small
their horses being so excited that il was
Impossible for them to take any aim. 1t
IS at this point that the evidence shows
that Policeman Neye was shot In fbe
back as his horse wheeled on account ~
bullet through the ear.
Small escaped and went North. In 1892
he was seen i'm Baltimore by Isaac Lew
a former resident of Savannah who ,,oint
ed him out TO the police there. He was ar
rested and the Savannah authorities noti-
ned. Not until the Governor of MARYLAND
had signed the requisition for his trans
Ter to Georgia did he acknowledge that he
was Small, having contended ali the time
that a. was a case of mistaken identity.
Small had managed to add to his record
after leaving Savannah. He was said TO
have committed one or two burgiaries and
to have held up and robbed a sheriff ON
the high road. After being arrested he
wrote the secret service authorities at
Washington, confessing to the robbery Of
a postoffice on the Neck near Baltimore.
His idea was that the United States Courts
would take precedence of the state courts
and that he would be convicted ana SEN
fenced for the lesser crime first. which
would, Of course give him an opportunity
TO escape. The scheme did not work. how
ever, as the federal authorities took no ac-
lion.
Mr.. r. =. Ravcnel. one OF the ATTORNEYS
for Small, said yesterday that he had not
approached Gov. Gambler for q respite or
Communication Of the sentence until Wednes-
day night when he. with Mr. George A.
Mercer, Jr.. the other counsel for Small
wrote The Governor. They had previously
appeared before the pardoning board ana
urged a commutation OF the sentence. but
without result. Their letters 20 the Cover
nor doubtless reached him Thursday morn
ing and Influenced him 10 grant the respite
Ia order that he might have time 70 look
into the records Of The case for his own
satisfaction.
III 81 should bc urged that Small should
be hung on general principles ~ bad
gan Of whom The community would be