The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-22
THINKS SWEAT BADLY TREATED.
His Counsel Believes Him the object
of n Public Persecution.


The attorneys for Harry Sweat have
grievance against the people of Savannah
which they are not slow 10 express and
which, they assert, has done their client
Infinite injustice and harm. 1t is freely
stated by them that the prejudice against
Sweat has prevented the determination
of his case by a perfectly unbiased jury,
and has prevented his receiving that JUS
tice which they say ought 70 be dealt out
to every man, even to one who has reach
ed the depth in the social scale which
they do not attempt to deny is the man 5
condition.
evident even in the efforts they are now
making TO secure signatures TO sweat S
application for Communication or his sem
tence to Imprisonment in the penttentiary
for life Those whom they approach are
unwilling even to discuss the subject, and
ii is apparent to the attorneys that the
minds of these gentlemen have been so
preiudiced that they are unwilling to hear
argument or listen to reason.
Nevertheless, considerable success has
been had in securing signatures to these
petitions and they will be presented to the
Governor shortly and supplemented by an
earnest and urgent personal appeal on the
mart of counsel for the condemned man.
No stone win be left unturned THAI could
assist in saving the neck of the condemned
man or aught aett undone that might give
him chance of life. If he hangs on July
% the day upon which he has been SEN
fenced to die, it will be despite the dill
gence and tireless energy of the lawyers
who have defended him in the past. and
who are doing for him now, in his last eX-
tremity. all that human skill and devo>
ton can accomplish.
Sweat has been made the scapegoat o.
all the men who in this county have es-
capped the justice that the law exacts,'
| said Mr.. Walter Hartridge, one of cOun-
| sci, on yesterday, and has been made TO
| bears the burdens of other and worse Grim
| inals. l don't for moment think him
| innocent Or that he should not be COM
| PEELED to suffer for the death of O'Neill,
| but the evidence given on the trial, even
| that given by the witnesses for the state
| shows that il was not case of muir
| der but of voluntary mansiaughter, and
| surely Imprisonment In the penitentiary
| for life is ample punishment for the Of
| Tense. The principal witness for the state,
| Angus Smith, testified that when the fatal
| blow was struck, Sweet was being at
| tackled by ONeill and this evidence was
not satisfactorily contradicted."
And then there has been deal of false
| sentiment worked up over the part that
| O'Neills wife played in the case and the
| public has been led to think that Sweat
| had invaded the sanctity of ano hers home
| and defiled its purity. The mere thought
as absurd and the woman's conduct, past
| and present, SUFFICIENT reputation Of its
| truth. Sweat should not be punished with
death for the part he played In this mat
| ter.
Prom the very first there has been a
| false and damaging public sentiment. tAai
| the newspapers have unwitlingly fostered
and that has caused the conviction OF d
| man for crime he never commit ed-mur-
der. Before l was asked to become asso-
ciated in the case, after the mans trial
| and conviction, ] had been led through
| what l had heard and the newspaper ac-
counts of the killing and subsequent pro
| ceedings to esteem II a case of cod blood
| cd murder and refused TO accept a re-
| tainer until / had examined the evidence
! / did examine il and became convinced
| that whatever might be the crime of which
| ne was really guilty, Sweat was not guilty.
some Of the most eminent at the bar after
| reading the evidence have come 10 thf
| same determination, and have signed thf
| am assured that IN the future some nj
those who have been among the most clam
orous for the mans conviction, VIII regrei
thedr action, and if the man IS hanged, re.
alize that they have helred 10 convlct and
punish one much TOO severely"