The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-17
FAITH IN His son
FATHER OF ROLAND b. MOLINEUX
ISSUES A REMARKABLE LETT
TER TO THE PUBLIC
III ASKS PRAYERS OF PEOPLE
EXPRESSES AN ABIDING BELIEF
IN THE INNOCENCE OF HIS
CONVICTED SON
SLEEP OF THE INNOCENT

Pathetic Reference to the Infancy
of the Man Who Is Sentenced to
Die in the Electric Chair-Plen
for Wife and Mother, and Ar
rniGnment of the Attorney Who
Assaulted the Character of Former.
NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-Gen. Edward
Leslie Molineux, father of Roland B.
Molineux, convicted of the murder OF
Mrs. Katherine J. Adams. and sentenced
to death today, has issued the following
statement from his home in Brooklyn, to
the newspapers of the United States:
IT do not desire to intrude unnecesc.
sarily upon the PUBLIC, but In view OF
the great number of letters l have re-
ceived, and in view of the great publlc-
lty the district attorney has seen tit TO
give to private and irrelevant aHalrs py
public interviews in the columns OF tne
press while the charges were pending
against my son, I feel justified now that
the trial is ended in making this state
ment.
II may say in advance that have been
deferred from making such statement
earlier solely by the advice OF counsel
and nv own consideration Of dignity and
propriety. The views l now express L
have always entertained, and have been
always ready to declare as l could prop.
eriy do 1t is lnIlIndlSu III SOllS VI
the newspapers that a fund should be
raised for assisting the defense OF my
son. l should not allow pride to prevent
me from accepting such assistance, II 1t
was offered, for | should not myself hes
tate to offer it to any persons In need
and l should rot be ashamed to accept
what I should not be ashamed to offer.
But owe no man a dollar, and | neither
desire nor need assistance of any char
acter. I feel that l am perfectly able
in health, strength and courage natural
all hr1Tl lOp1- hot
God has placed upon me- am rich IN
the belief of Almighty. God, devoted love
and comfort of a noble wife, my sons
and their wives al nn,ded an ceT'anH m moii Il
neux, and certain that it will so be
found in time.
'I need for myself no other assistance,
comfort or support. But for my house
hold 1 do need, and l do apply for the
support and prayers of all those of every
denomination, and of every faith. VINO
and the victim Of an unjust persecution.
/ appeal, moreover, to every man, who
to a man to sustain all the burdens that
grief of my afflicted wife, and my sorely
affllcted daughter, my daughter in af-
fection and my daughter-in-law by her
marriage to my son, Blanche Chese-
brough MolneuX.. In their behalf, my
friends, gallant comrades of the Grand
Army Of the Republic, gallant soldiers of
the Confederacy, late foes, but now
friends as we'll as all others VINO resent
you to help them, during my struggle IN
The front line Of the defense of right.
SLEEP OF INNOCENCE.
For nv sons I trust that they are
brave men, with the strength to live and
die bravely. 1 have seen Roland asleep
as child by his mothers side; have
seen him asleep in his cell after the YER
dict condemning him to death had been
pronounced. Who is better able than j,
his father, to judge whether that sleep
was the natural sleep of innocence? And
[ have heard his first words on awaken
Ing, at the call of his father, as by rev
How is Blanche? How is mother?', and
before that sad awakening lies all The
dreary days of his confinement, day by
day week by week month month by 10 month me, a.
Blanche, how is motherF Can ne pc
guilty of the cowardly poisoning? Is it
possible? Can it be? No, L know he Is
innocent as L know 1 am alive.
Like his father, he has not been faultless,
but he has also had much of the better
and kindlier nature of his mother. is ne
a degenerate and vicious person? 1t Is
Impossible and absurd.
Although no lawyer, I have always be-
lieved that the American bar is the pur-
est in the world, and l still believe and
honor and respect the bar as such. With
this belief it has been Impossible Tor me
to understand how a member OF that bar,
and in addition sworn pubic prosecq-
tor. man educated in an American col
lege, could assault by vile words a
woman, the wife of the defendant.
Moreover, where should the mother
and wife of my son have been When ne
was on trial for his life? Does not every
voice say that they should have been at
his side, and does not every heart indorse
that sentiment? And yet we are told by
the authority presiding over that trial
that the presence of my wife and daugh-
ter was "a matter of taste concerning
which men might differ 1t is a matter
concerning which 1 can conceive no diff
ference in opinion, and 1 believe in this
view / am correct.
"I hope l have made plain to all the
noble men and women living under our
flag my most warm and hearty. thanks
for their expressions of sympathy and
their tender of services. Their kindness
has ineNpressibly touched me.
LET me make one statement In con-
clusion. The public prosecutor stated in
public interview that | am conscious Of
made in uneqUiVocal manner, and is
answered in like manner. 1t is absolute
ly false, and must have been known to
him to be false when made 1 can con-
coive Of no reason why my position
should need apology and defense. Roland
B. MolineuX is innocent. know it, and
my only wish is for the support of all
those men who believe in the honor of
WomanhOod.
Edward Leslie Molineux."
SENTENCE PRONOUNCED.
NEW YORK, Feb 16.-Roland B. Moli-
neux was today sentenced to die in Sing
Sing prison. during the week Of March 26
for the murder of Mrs Katherine j.
Adams. He made statement asserting
that he had not been fairly convicted, and
that yellow journalism had put a price
upon his head.
Recorder Golf, in pronouncing sentence,
reminded the prisoner that his counsel
had already presented all the facts to the
jury, and the court had but one duty to
perform.
M weeke yuoved fo, q ,oez- +r,o, ~,
the ground that the verdict was contrary
to law and evidence. He gave MANY
grounds for the basis of his application
for new trial, chiefly exceptions to evil
dence and rulings during the trial AS
soon as he handed in his exceptions Mr..
Weeks asked that the defendant be per-
mitted to speak in his own behalf To
this Recorder Golf at first demurred. saw
ing the request was unusual, but, after
some discussion with Mr.. Weeks. ruled
that Molneux might be heard. Molineux
Strengthened himself up and began
81 thank your honor. OF the crime for
which I stand convicted, and of still an
other crime of which I am charged I
am absolutely and entirely innocent All
The Court-You are not charged with
any other crime.
The Defendant-I supposed that I might
refer to 1t, since the district attorney did
in his opening and closing argument.
The Court-Your counsel has attended
to all Of that matter.
REVIEWS EVIDh-
The Defendant--Very well. your honor.
All of the evidence produced here does