The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-04
MURDERER LEWIS MUST HANG.
THE BOARD OF PARDONs HAS DE-
CLINED TO INTERFERE.

sanitN-Sentence to he Executed
within Ten Days-The Dorothy
Morton Company Is Undoubtedly
Stranded-Work on the state Fair
Is ProeressinG-New Phase of the
street Railroad FiEht.
Atlanta. Ga. March IA strong but in
effective plea for the Communication of the
death sentence of Robert Lewis, the man
condemned to be hanged here ten days
hence for the murder of a fellow workman
on the new Prudential building, was maze
before the state board of pardons to-day.
It was claimed that Lewis is non com
pos mentis, one of the unique points urged
10 establish his mental condition being that
he is supposed to have married several
women without divorce or other separa-
ton and also that he was frequently
heard to claim strange women as mis-
wives.
Al least one wife of the condemned man
is in evidence in the case She arrived in
the city from her country home near Ma
Tietta several days ago, and was present
az the hearing before the pardon board
good-by before his going upon the scat
fold last Tuesday, not knowing that he
had been respited by The Governor.
The mans attorney entered a strong ar
ray of testimony to Indicate his clients
unbalanced mental condition, Dr. McDan-
iel. county physician and Sheriff helms
being among those who testified that they
old not believe him sane. DR.. Nicholson
also stated the same thing. and several
who had known Lewis well before he got
into trouble. told OF his queer conduct
At the conclusion of the hearing the
commissioners took the case under advise
ment, later passing an order refusing 90
recommend a commutation. Unless Lewis
gets another respite he will be hanged next
Tuesday week
opera Company Is Stranded.
Il turns out, after ALL that the Dorothy
Morton opera troup is stranded In At
lanta, despite the assertions to the con-
trary by Miss Morton and members of
the company. Practically the whole troup
are on their uppers," and they have ar
ranged to give themselves a benefit to
raise money TO get out of town
IL also appears to-day that Miss Morton
rs not as sick as she and her manager
nave been trying to induce the public TO
believe Instead of being i'll in bed. she
seems only to be lodging newspaper re-
porters, who have worried her since they
could not understand how she could be
50 i'll and at the same time appear so radi-
ant as the star attraction at after-theater
dinners given by some of the local bone
milan set.
Not only has the plump little queen of
opera bouffe been playing off on the news
paper reporters because she feared that
the might say things about her and her
stranded troupe that would not be pleas
ant to her, but il seems to-day that she is
also on her dignity with the stranded mem
bers of her luckless opera company, hav-
ing declined 10 take a part in the benefit
performance, without which they are I'M
able to raise the embargo laid by the ho-
tells and boarding houses upon their
trunks.
Working on the State Fair.
The joint executive committee which
will have charge of all the details of the
coming state fair, including the making
of the premium list was completed at the
conference between President Pope Brown
and his branch of the agricultural So
ciety committee and the local committee
men to-day.
This joint executive committee is com
posed Of five from each of the two organi-
cations, as follows: Pope Brown, chair
man from the the State Agricultural So
ciety; James Barrett, r. f. Crittenden,
w. o. Wadley, A. j. Smith, w. j. North
en-, chairman from the Atlanta commit
tee; c. A. Collier John A. Miller, II. III.
Cabaniss, Clark Howell. Mr.. I. H. Martin
of this city was made general secretary
of the committee, and ], K. Ortley treas
urer
Consolidated Strikes a Snag.
The Consolidated Street Railway Com
pany has struck another snag in the
building of the line to the barracks, about
which there has been so much contention
The company won the right to build over
the public road from the County Commits
sioners by Chairman Palmer of that board.
who was director of the company, vot-
ing In favor of the grant. Mr.. Palmer's
right to vote mad been challenged The
county attorney holding that he was dis
qualified, but he insisted that he was not.
because he had resigned his position as
director In the Consolidated, while the APP
plcation for the franchise was pending
When he announced that he would vote
with the other two Consolidated members
of the board to give franchise. Commits
sloners Brown and Adair withdrew from
the meeting, refusing 10 participate. The
Consolidated was preparing to take
prompt advantage of the victory so ques-
tionably won by laying its tracks upon
the public road but late last night several
citizens along the line, who have been
opposing the road, went to Decatur and
secured an injunction from Judge Can
der. This stopped the work of the Con-
solidated, and will throw into the courts
the interesting question of Chairman
Palmer's right to vote to grant the fran
chise