The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-02
REED IS PAROONEO
Story of an Old Crime Again
RetoId.
REED Is AN INVALID
Shot Issac Hopper Eight Years
Ago in Wellington.

Saturday Governor Stanley pardoned
Isaac G Reed, the Wellington lawyer,
convicted in Cowley county in 1892 of
murder in the first degree and sentenced
to be hanged. Reed has been in the peni-
Tertiary for the past six years waiting
the signature of the governor to the death
warrant The pardon was granted for
two reasons. The first is that Reed is
now suffering with an incurable disease
and can live only a short time. The other
is that one of Reeds lawyers threw
him" at a critical point in the case and
he was deprived from taking an appeal to
the supreme court after money had been
advanced to make the record.
As soon as the pardon papers were
signed Charles Elliott, Wellington attor-
ney, took them and went over to Lansing
to get Reed. If his condition is such that
he cannot make the trip home at this
time Reed will be taken to a Leaven-
worth hospital and treated. Elliott has
been friend Of Reed in his troubles,
and through his efforts the pardon was
secured.
The Reed case attracted wide atten-
parties interested and on account of the
extraordinary conduct of one of Reed s
lawyers in the case.
Isaac G. Reed was formerly prominent
attorney of Wellington. He was a gradu-
ate of Yale college and his early life was
spent in Boston. In 1878, he came to Sum
ner county. Seven years later he was the
Republican nominee for probate pudge of
that district, but was defeated by Judge
Herrick.
About 1891 he became intimate with
Mrs. Jessie L. Hopper, wife of Isaac Hop
per, real estate and loan man, of We'll
hngton. On Christmas day, 1891, Hopper
met Reed on the street and gave him a
severe whipping with buggy whip. Re-
peatedly he threatened to kill Reed. On
the afternoon of May p. 1892 while cross
ing the street on his way to his Office
Hopper ran toward him. Reed pulled a
revolver and, holding it in front of him,
ordered Hopper to go away. He kept
The revolver was discharged and the bull
let entered Hopper's abdamen, making a
wound which caused his death the follow
ing day
Reed was arrested and tried for muir
der in Cowley county. The trial lasted
ten days and after the arguments were
all over one Of the jurors was taken sick.
After waiting for ten days the sick juror
did not recover and the jury was dis
charged. At that time the jury was said
to have stood ten to one for acqmttal
The case was tried at the next term of
court and resulted in verdict of murder
in the second degree. Reed was sentenced
to twelve years in prison. The case was
appealed and reversed. 1t was tried
again in the Cowley county court and re-
suited in verdict of murder in the first
degree. He was sentenced to hang. Reed
had no property, but his father was in
fairly comfortable circumstances in Bos-
ton. The father mortgaged his home in
Boston and furnished $500 to make a rec
ord to take the case again to the supreme
court. He placed the money in the hands
of an attorney, who had been engaged for
the defense. The attorney claimed the
money as his fee and the record was
never delivered. Therefore the case
could not be appealed to the supreme
court. Reed has been in prison since 1898.
The prison surgeon today said that he
could live only few months.
The attorney who deserted Reed is now
practicing at Blackwell. o. T. While no
effort was ever made to disbar him in
Kansas. charges were preferred against
him before the State Bar Association two
years ago and they are atill pending.
The old board of pardons had the Reed
case up for consideration in 1898 and after
a thorough investigation recommended
that Reed be pardoned. It's report to the
governor tells this story of the crime as
seen by the members of the board:
The evidence shows that the difficulty
which led up to the killing grew out of
the relations existing between Reed and
Hopper's wife The evidence. in our judg-
ment shows improper relations existed
and had existed for a long time between
them. This was denied by Reed and in
our judgment was the cause of his con-
viction. Hopper had for a long time prior
to the killing been very abusive toward
Reed. and had, as the evidence shows, as
saulted him on two or three. occasions be-
fore the time when he was shot He had
also made many threats against Reed
and was. in fact. a large, powerful. quar-
re!some and dangerous man. On the
other hand. Reed was small quiet.
peaceable citizen, an eXceEent lawyer and
a good man. From the evidence, ii seems
that the relations which existed between
Mrs. Hopper and Reed We're brought
about solely by the efforts Of Mrs. Hop
per In fact. after reading the entire
evidence in the case, We do not see how
# could have been possible for Mr.. Reed.
being a man and possessing the same