The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-21

eerlouS wound. he managed to get
outside, the front door. and alarm the
nefghbors before he became, uncon-
scious. When the police and neigh
bors entered the house they found Mrs.
Place In q bedroom. In which gas was
escaping, and she was shamming un-
consciousness. Mr.. Place recovered
consciousness, and said his Wife had
tried to murder him, and the woman
was arrested, after they had both been
taken to II hospital.
The motive for the woman's crime
was jealousy OF her step-daughter
Places first wife died six or seven years
ago, and about eighteen months after
ward he engaged the woman who be-
came his second wife to act as his
house-kecper Her maiden name was
'iarretson, but she had been married
10 n man named Savacoll, now dead. AS
long as she was house-keeper 1t Is said
she was extremely kind to Places
daughter, Ida, but she became quite q
different person when Place married
her. She was possessed OF an ungov-
erHable temper. which led to frequent
quarrels with Ida, and Mrs. Place was
very much embittered because her hus-
band took the young woman's part. An
other cause Of, family pickering was
Places refusal to have his wife's adopt
ed son live with them. The woman
was much inferior to her husband and
step.daughter In social and educational
qualities, and many friends OF Mr..
Place had cut his acquaintance on ac-
count OF his marriage to the woman.
Miss Place was popular with the fami-
lies In the neighborhood. and this also
made the step-mother Jealous. Mrs.
Places story OF the crime was that,she
had thrown carbollc acid In her step
daughters face during one Of their
quarrels, and then got the axe to de-
fend herself from an attack by her
daughter. but 1t came out during the
trial that she had made preparations
for flight. and had written to her
brother that she would 60 to him.
Mrs. Place was tried before Judge
Hurd. in Brooklyn. last summer. and
was found guilty Of murder in the first
degree. The case was carried to the
court of appeals. but the conviction
was confirmed. and she was sentenced
to death. Governor Roosevelt was then
petltfoned to exercise ciemency. It be-
ing alleged that Mrs. Place was Insane
at the time the. crime was committed,
and he appointed Drs. Dana and Polk,
Of New York. to report TO him on this
point. They informed the governor that
the woman was sane when she killed
her ep-daughter, and was sane now.
I This destroyed her last hope of life,
and on March IL. Governor Roosevelt
announced his refusal to interfere. nc
compauying 1t with the following MEM
orandum.
mo more painful case can come be-
fore a governor than an appeal to ar
rest the court Of Justice In order to ave
woman from capital punishment,
when that woman's guilt has been
clearly established, and when there are
no circumstances whatever to mitigate
the crime. II there were any reasona-
BILE doubt Of the guilt. II there were
any basis whatsoever for interference
with the course of justice In this case,
I should so interfere. But there Is no
ground for Interference. The accused
was condemned as guilty OF murder in
the first degree after full md fair
trial, although. as all men know. a
jury in such case Is always reluctant
to give q verdict against @ woman II
any Justification whatsoever exists for
withholding It.
This verdict was then reviewed at
great length by the court Of appeals,
and was affirmed without dissenting
voice. though this court always scru-
tinizes with the most Jealous care such
q case. desiring that the benefit OF
every doubt shall be given to the &C.
cused. wrote to the district attor-
ney and to the Judge who tried the case
to learn whether they thought there
was any ground for executive clemency.
They both answered that there was
none whatever. and that the case was
one Of peculiar outrage. the letter Of
the Judge running as follows:
THE record before you will show n
crime OF shocking atrocity, followed by
another. the attack on William Place,
having murder for its object: that both
crimes were premeditated and dellber-
ate there can be no doubt; In my opin-
ion. the verdict was eminently just; l
think the application entirely without
merit. and know Of no ground for in
terferIng with the sentence.
II went carefully over the evidence.
which showed that the accused had
first blinded her step-daughter with
the acid and then stranSled her, and,
after waiting in the house ali day. when
her husband returned at dark. had at
tackled him. and endeavored to kill him
with an axe.
Her attorneys and her pastor ap-
pealed to me for clemency. They
raised no questions as to her guilt, but
claimed that she was insane ut the
time the deed was committed, and was
now insane; the clergyman stated that
she was undoubtedly sane at present,
but that he believed her to be insane
when the deed was committed. although
he did not then come personally In con-
tact with her,
II accordingly appointed two doctors
OF the highest standing, upon whose
professional capacity, common sense
and deep consciousness could implicit
Iy rely. and directed them to examine
tha ,rcpua1 IN Joctda bn