The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-05-03
Prisoner in Kansas Makes an
Unusual Request.
OTHERS FEEL AS HE DOES.
Death Penalty Is Never Inflicted in
Kansas, Although Life Term Pris-
0ners Prefer Ii.
Oners Prefer It.

tertiary at Fit LeavenwOrth. has
petitioned Gov. Stanley that the
death sentence be carried out and
that he be hanged for the murder OF
which he stands convicted.
According to the law of Kansas a
murder is punishable by death. But
for thirty years no convict in Kansas
has suffered the death penalty. each
governor during that period has re-
fused to sign the fatal death war
rant.
Somebody has said that no want
is more terrible than the want TO
die and the terrible saving is we'll
illustrated in Taylor Cooks story.
Cook was sentenced TO the peniteE-
tiary ten years ago for the brutal
murder OF his wife. Henow demands
that the full penalty OF the law be
inflicted
This is the third time that Cook
has begged the governor OF Kansas
to carry out his official duty under
the statutes
There are sixty cOnvicts in the state
penitentiary at Leavenworth con-
victed OF murder and waiting only
the signing of the death warrant by
some governor TO pay the penalty of
their crimes. Out OF this sixty it is
ii th.t
ly the outcome of Taylor Cooks pc
tition.
Should Gov. Stanley consent to
sign the death warrant these twenty
men will demand a like release for
| themselves within short time
Six other convicts have made the
same strange request within a few
years. None of them, however. have
SO persistently urged the executive 10
infiict the death penalty.
1t has often been claimed that in
disregarding the statute which makes
murder an offense punishable by
death the governors of Kansas have
inflicted a penalty ten-fold more Sc
we're. This assertion seems TO have
received verification in the pathetic
story OF Cook.
When Gov. Stanley received Cooks
petition he Immediately wrote to the
convict that i'll no case would the
warrant be signed unless upon the
recommendation of the Judge before
tornev who prosecuted it Cook
crime was committed 10 years ago.
He is now confined in the peniten-
tiarv and has no money and no
| friends.
wait a week and you will get
| over this, Cook. said the warden,
| jokingly odd Cook is getting
'nutty," said the man who for years
has worked beside the murderer in
the chain gang. But Cook persisted.
He found out that the attorney who
secured his conviction and Judge
Clark 4. Smith. before whom the case
had been tried. were still living He
wrote TO the attorney and the attor-
nev wrote back:
Il believe, Cook, that you ought to
be hanged. but you will never be
hanged on account of anything that
| | write.
| Cook then applied TO Judge Smith
and met with the same refusal Smith
recommended that Cook be sent TO
an asylum for the insane
When he was tried before me,
wrote Judge Smith. Il believed that
he was responsible for the murder for
which he was convicted. | sentenced
him and sent the death warrant as
usual TO the governor for his sigma
ture The remarkable letter which
have Just received from Cook con
vinces me that he is insane At the
same time | believe that if he were
. pardoned he would be menace &c
society. therefore recommend tina,
he be transferred TO the state esv
lum"
Cook was thoroughly indignant
upon the receipt of Judge Smith:
letter. Il do not want to be sent tC
: an asylum" he said. 'Idono want
either. 70 commit suicide. but if tbs
governor fails to sign the warrant
shall be driven TO kill myself
So he wrote again, laying the fact:
before Gov. Stanley.
4 have tried to fulfill your require
ments.' he wrote. land / have failed
| Il L. not rhrnr1orfa anv fault Of nina