The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-20
LAST CHAPTER OF
PATHETIC STORY
William Kennedy Died in Cincinnati.
Imprisoned for Murder of Which
He Probably Was Innocent.

Indianapolis, Aug. 1.-THE Press
says: William Kennedy, an eX-cOn-
vict, whose case is one of the most
famous in the annals of criminal his
tory, is dead in Cincinnati from con-
sumption, from which he suffered for
years. In indianapolis is a group If
men thoroughly familiar with the Ken
nedy case, by virtue of the months
spent in securing a pardon for this
man whom they believed innocent. A
few years Governor Mount finally con-
sented to pardon Kennedy, who had
served ten years of a life sentence for
the murder of a man named Baker at
Greensburg during the Blaine and Lo-
gan campaign. Two governors before
Mount had held up the pardon in the
face of remarkable evidence as to the
man innocence.
When Kennedy was released from
prison he came to Indianapolis. and,
with Harry S. New, of the Journal,
who had been largely instrumental in
securing his release, called on the Rev.
Joseph Anthony Milburn, who had de-
voted several years to obtaining the
mans freedom. 1t was a spring day,
and the grass in University park was
jsut turning green, and as Kennedy
passed along the park to Mr.. MiIDurn's
residence tears came to his eyes. This
park is the most beautiful sight l have
ever seen," said Kennedy. He was eX-
tremely grateful to Mr. Milburn and to
Mr.. New, and in the study of the min
lister there was an affecting scene.
Kennedy went back to his family in
Cincinnati.
Sister Went Among Thieves.
One of the features of the extraor-
dinary case was the devotion of his
sister, Kate Kennedy, a mere child
when the murder was committed. For
ten years she worked to free her broth
er. She made dozens of visits to the
governors Office and at one time went
in disguise among Dayton thieves to
secure evidence against a crook whom
she was positive committed the muir
der She wrote thousands of letters
and enlisted the aid of such men as
Senator Voorhees,, who, in a letter now
on file in Governor Mounts office, said
the punishment of Kennedy was one
of the greatest examples of injustice
in the history of American jurispru-
dence.
During the campaign of 1884, at
Greensburg, pickpOckets went through
| the crowd and robbed Baker, who
grabbed one of the men. Baker held
| to the man and was Shot and mortally
wounded. The man escaped. Ken
nedy, who was known to have been in
| Greensburg, was arrested shortly af-
| terward at his home in Cincinnati
Notwithstanding an excellent defense
| he was convicted Now on file in the
governors Office are statements by
grand Jurors, showing that they reluc.
| tantly returned an indictment, mum.
ber of them not believing Kennedy
guilty, but returning an indictment
on the argument that if Kennedy was
| innocent he could prove it in court. One
of the witnesses to the shooting after.
ward identified another man as the
| murderer among a lot of prisoners al
the Marion county Jail 1t is believed
| by people that have to do with the
| case that Dayton man cOmmiEed th'
| murder.
| The late Warden Patten, of the Pris
on South, always believed Kennedy in
nocent, and made him "trusty.'
| When Kennedy's mother died, Cover
nor Matthews parOled him ten days
and without guard he went to her fUne
raj in Cincinnati. An hour before tn,
time his parole was up Kennedy wal
back in prison and donning his zebra
uniform again. He was uniforml!
courteous and made one of the bes
prisoners ever in the institution. II,
was permitted to go outside, but sci
dom took advantage of this privilege
After his release he obtained a posi-
tion as salesman at Cincinnati, but h
had contracted consumption in prisol
and there was little hope for him.