People's voice., 1900-01-04
ISAAC G. REED
Has Not Long to Live-fIistory Of His
Crime and Trials.

uoo uUt lOug W i've Iue pilSOu pu1-
sician : IS that Reed is suffering from
an liberation o. the stomach and
bowels and that his condition was
critical during the summer. At
present he IS lble to be about. He
has not recovered from the disease,
and it is the opinion Of the physician
that he never will. a careful eXami-
nation of Reed was made two months
ago, when the question Of granting
him pardon was brought up.
Reed had been at the penitentiary
five years and five months under a
sentence Of death. During the last
three years he has been in charge Of
the hospital dispenSary aud had been
acting as the druggist. He had never
infringed any nj the prison rules and
has an excellent record.
The pardon Of Reed recalls ore Of
the most sensational murder Cases of
Kansas. Reed was a practicing attOr-
ney Of Wellington, man Of educa-
tiOn and culture, being a graduate of
Yale. He was prominent in local
affairs and Of growing fame in state
politics. His victim, Isaac Hopper,
was Of humber walk of life, of little
or no education, surly Of disposition
aud cOmbative but conservative.
HOpper's wife aspired to better society
than her husbands opportunities
could give her, Reed was equally un-
happy in his domestic relations. His
wife refused to live in the west when
he had made her home, and he saw
little OF her, visiting her at her
fathers home near Boston about OLCe
! a year.
Soon Reed came irtO the Hopper
wOman'S lite. Each knew the others
story and then followed a guilty in-
fatuatiOn that resulted in the death
of the wOman's husband at the hands
of Reed, May 81, 1892. The tragedy
occurred 10 front Of Reeds law office
On the main street of this city. Hop
per warned Reed to cease his atteu-
tiOns 10 Mrs, Hopper, but Reeds
iDfatuati9n carried him beyond the
bounds of discretion and he econtinued
to meet her Clandestinely, the woman
encouraging him, Reed had been
across the street on al errand, aud
returning, was accOsted by Hopper,
who was approaching in threatening
maUueT, Reed warned him TO stand
back. Hopper continued to advance
aud Reed fired, killing his adversary
Before tue killing Hopper was unpOp-
ular 10 the community, but the cir
cumstances leading to the tragedy
caused indignation against Reed,
which was intensified by the wOman's
devotion to his cause after the mur-
der, aud he was convicted.
There were three trials of the case,
After his first trial the case was taken
to COwley county on a change Of
venue. There we're two trials there,
the last one resulting in verdict Of
guilty of murder in the first degree,
and Judge A, NJ. Jackson gave him
the extreme sentence, death, which
in Kansas amounts to life imprison-
ment.
By this time Reeds resources were
exhausted, but his father raised 500
by mortgaging his home and sent it
to him to pay the expenses Of another
lease made" for the supreme conrt.
The money was given to a lawyer TO
prepare the case, but instead Of using
it for that purpose the attorney ap.
prOpriated it to pay himself for SER
vices rendered aud left the state. BY
this time it was too late under the
law regulating practic 10 the supreme
court to begin again, aud Reed, with
out hope and without money, could
make no more fight aud was taken to
the penitentiary.
Until this stage Of tie case public
sentiment was against Reed, but the
unpardonable action of his attorney
caused change OF sentiment in the
state, especially among lawyers, and
steps were at once taken to obtain
executive clemency. Local sentiment
10 Sumner county, however, was DOT
ripe for pardon, and the application
was opposed by the trial Judge, jury
aud county attorney, and by numerous
citizens. Finally, in 1898, the POpu-
list board of pardOns by a majority
vote recommended free pardon and
submitted the following statement uf
the case to Governor Leedy:
"The evidence shows that the diff
Guilty which led up to the killing grew
out OF the relations existing between
Reed and Hopper's wife. The cyl
dence in our judgment shows improper
relations existed and had existed for
long time between them. This was
dapiod by Dad ond a. 49, s,,l...