New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-14
SAVED BY DEATHBED AVOW AL
An INNOCENT MAN HAS SERVED TEN
YEARS IN SING SING.

WENT TO JAIr. FOR THIRTY YEARS TO SAVE i'''
psorurR WHO BEFORE HIS DEATH FROM
CONSUMPTION CONFESSED HIS GUILT
The deathbed repentance Of man VINO ano '
,,s brother to serve ten years In Sing sing rr'so"
uos tha cause of letter being sent by Distfic'-
,,torne,, Gardiner to Governor Black yesterday
morning asking for the immediate reiease VI ~"
,nnocent man Michael O'Donnel Is the man VIM
has been the vcar.ous sacrifice TOT MS "'o'
and he has preferred to suffer rather IMAM piii's "
iuetice his brother James ODonnell Inc ia,'e''
corsciences,ricken bv his brothers fate, went INTO
consumption and after wasting away Tor ten se"
made a confession. and died the next Gay
on the night Of April s, 1883. the saloon OF MAN
c. Stein at No. 40 East Sixty-rour'n-S',' W"
entered by three burglars. The noise maue y! Wv
burglars awoke Stein and. taking Pis'o' WIN
him he went into the barroom. As soon "S "o
anneared In the saloon the burglars opened up
fusillade on him Stein returned the hrc' ana io'
several minutes there was smaH pf''' III -
ress The burglars were somewhat o'e'""c' uy
the bravery of stein. and retreated. as uley "'u
a big stone crashed through the window M!chae
reeban who lived IN East Sxty-seventh-st.' COW
cred the retreat OF his companions, ana was 'he
last 10 make his escape He was captured by the
police OF the East Sixty-seventh-st. station WIN
were attracted by the noise OF the shooting.
The burglars managed to get STEMS go'i watcn
and chain some money and articles OF Jewe'rf.
on the sidewalk near the saloon the police found
a hat with a hole shot In II. The morning al'er
the burglary Michael O'Donneli won't In Tho locailty
OF the saloon and arrested after being idehu-
fed by Stein as one OF the burglars Feehan was
put through the third degree, but stoutly reiuS'u
to divulge the OF his accomphces, thongh
he stoutly maintained that Michael ODonne!i hau
nothing TO DO with the burglary and was innocent
O'Donne also protested his innocence, and the on'y
evidence against bin was STEMS positive assertion
his identity.
al and VoE
;hirt, years IN Sing Sing prison. Michael ooon-
nell stood trial His mother and sister swore pos
lively tina. he had been at home on the night oi
the burglary but ODonnelVs previous pad c"ar-
acter was against him. He had been IN many
broils and had been often in the police court ms
influenced the jury. and he was convicted anu
sentenced TO thirty years in Sing Sing james
ODonren the guilty man. said nothing curing ' -,
whole trial and allowed his brother TO DE sent ~
Some time seqeoT Maurice vent to s0e
Sing or the Christmas Lay after ne psruUn e.t
been secured to make Fee han IN bristmas Eve
He Jeff a SIP of paper on which he had roughly
scrubbed the statemen; that IN the know,eugv ~
the fact that he about to pass away ne s"TI H.,
that Michael O'Donnen innocent Prior 20 ms
death Feehan told the whole story OF me auIs'a9 y
Senator Featherson was mEc1 ImlrcI IN nrtson
this confession. and he saw QIOonne IN PIi s
he was a wronsed man. and should be pardoIed;;
M Seen Ga5f n e' %yrog n and s who Kept
secret 10 save his brother from prison. said:
For Gods sake. don't Poor Jim Is dying ana
he won't have many days to live. Let him ENJOY
his las. davs I'm peace Hes got the consumption
and his conscience troubles him. and know ne
wants me 10 get out. hut poor Jim won't suffer II
| can help it. / am strong fellow ana VIII I'VE
down this. o.r
Mr. Featherson however visited James o'Don,
nell and talked with him. Tne man mad changed
since the day OF the burglary He tried apparently
TO do penanCe his sin IN allowing his brother 10
suffer for him and often offered 10 surrender him
self His brother. however. instructed his mother
and sister TO ''let Jim live at liberty"
On Apr. last Just ten yesrs after Inc comTs
O'Donnell that he dying. A notary was sum,
moned and in his presence he made a desth6ed
confession Of his crime. He died In the Presby-
terrain Hospital the next day His last words were:
Thank God. Mike will be free
his brother was conveyed 10 the man who FOR ten
years had suffered FOR the crime. he sat down on
the cot i'm mis- cell and cried like a child. When
the Warden told him he believed he was innocent sS M
/ and commlserated with him the prisoner said he
| would have remained the whole thirty years had
/