The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-10
CONFESSION GAVE roo LATE.
An Innocent Nun Had Been Hanged
for the Murder.

cases of men convicted on circumstantial
! evidence, executed and proved innocent
afterward. It Is not often that direct evil
dence leads to this terrible mistake, but
| there are cases on record where even this
mas happened. Perhaps the most peculiar
of these cases is that of James p. Donnel-
", student in Fordham College during its
| first year of existence, the proof of his in
nocence having just come TO light, years
after his unjust execution.
The story is pathetic from every stand
| point. After graduation he entered the Of
nee Of DR.. Van Buren,, physician of New
York, as a student. After a years close
application he felt the need of a vacation
and as his father was tailor in but mod
crate circumstances. he secured posi-
ton as night clerk in the Sea View House
| at Highlands, n j.
Not long after Donnelly came there as
night clerk a guest who was going to New
York for a few days deposited $95 with the
young man, who put ii into the safe That
night a peddler named Moses stopped at
the hotel and he and Dounelly played
cards till late hour, the peddler winning
| about $40
1t was near daybreak when the house
was filed with a great cutlery The peddier
in his night clothes, and covered with
blood, staggered from his room into the
corridor screaming for help. He had been
stabbed in the neck, an artery had been
severed and the man was bleeding TO
death.
Donnely appeared upon the scene after
a little longer delay than seemed natural,
and at his advent the peddler screamed
the louder He declared that Donnelly
had stabbed him.
His story was that, after winning at
cards from the clerk, he had gone to his
room and to bed, putting his winnings,
| with other money, under his pillow. He
had fallen asleep within a few minutes,
and had been awakened in the earliest
gray of the dawn by some one who was
bending over him and endeavoring to take
| his money.
Starting up, he recognized Donnelly.
There was a struggle, which ended in Don
nelly stabbing him and escaping from his
grasp. The money, however, was not Sc
| cured by the thief and murderer.
Donnelly denied the accusation with
every sign of horror Then he said to the
| wounded man.
Il can save your life. I can tie the ar
terry that Is severed and stop the bleeding.
IF ii is not done you viii die
| But Moses would not let Donnelly touch
| him. He screamed and protested whenever
the young man approached.
Donnoly pleaded with those who were
witnesses of this scene that they should
| hold the wounded man, In order that the
| operation, which alone could save his life,
might be performed. They would not or
at least did not do it, though, in fact, two
| lives hung upon the issue.
| The Young medical student begged for
| the chance showing how he would get
/ hold of the artery with a. bent fork, and
! declaring what must be the result If that
| we're not done. But the wounded man
To aff n
| given hin-as only Donnelly of all at hand
| rev how to give it-and the man died
from loss of blood
| In addition to the direct accusation of
tbe victim in his informal ante-mortem
| statement the strongest evidence against
Donnelly was given by the innkeeper and
| his wife who testified that Donnelly had
| run to the river Immediately after the
| crime and had thrown something into the
u,afar presumably the weapon with which
| Tho deed was done There was also some
connlication about the money, and IT was
| claimed that the motive lay in Donnelly
! losing a part Of the sum intrusted to his
care by the guest already mentioned. The
accused met all accusations with steady
denial. and his demeanor was good
throughout the ordeal
| His friends never lost confidence In his
innocence. and they resolved that he
should not die upon the gallows.
Mot was formed in which Joe Coburn.
he pugilist. was the central figure. He
had considerable influence in those days,
and though ii would not do on the evil
dence at hand to charge him with bribery
or any other offense in connection with
this matter, 1t is necessary 70 record the
fact that Donnelly escaped from jail at
! T7reehold. n j.. in accordance with the
Man that had been laid. The prison doors,
! az every one believed were opened by
means of the usual golden key.
A vessel was waiting to take the es-
| caned convict to the Canary Islands. She
] Law about two miles off the Jersey coast
and one of her boats was ashore. Don
nelly was to meet his friends at a point
agreed ,lpon, a considerable distance from
the prison.
He gained the woods in safety and had
a Gear route before him to the rendez-
vous where his friends were anziously
waiting him, the only weak point in his
course being an open road, over which he
must cross
But his flight had been discovered by
| some whose silence had not been purchas-
ed. The big bell OF the prison was ring
| ing as he stepped out into the road. A
| little later he passed some people who
had heard the bell, aud who asked him
| what was the matter
~ supuose a prisoner has escaped" said
he; and pulling his hat down over his
! face he hasteAed on
/ But his actions had aroused suspicion.
and he was overtaken and recaptured
The trial, especially after the attempt
! ed escape, could have but one issue. Tie
! defense was that of Moses, awakened from
sleep following a night spent with Dom
nelly. had that young mans image i'm
planted 50 firmly in his mind that he
| fancied him TO be the murderer; that, In
short, the dying man had been sincere
| but mistaken. This view did not prevail
and Donneily was convicted. In spite OF
the most strenuous efforts in his behalf
he was sentenced to death, and he met
his fate calmly protesting his innocence 10
/ the last and declaring that Smith. the
/ landlord, had committed the murder.
| There were some who all along believed
| in the guilt OF the landlord. but there had
| been no proof.
few years later the Seavlew House
while SIN under Smiths management
| burned 20 the ground and Smith diesp-