The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-07-26
At Columbus Is Seeking
q Pardon
MURDERED HIS Wife
And Was Found Guilty In the
Second Desree--Friends
are Rendering
Their Aid.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

serving life sentence for shooting
his wife at East Liverpool, Is seeking
a pardon. Friends have proffered their
aid in the matter, but. the serious draw
back is, Robinson's relatives show no
signs Of cooperating in the movement
and without their help 1t will probably
fail. Robinson, however, Is not depend
ing upon the efforts Of his relatives
TO get out. They are not well-to-do
and could not help him much even IL
they were so inclined. Zach's relatives
seem to have gone back on him entire
ly. The only one of these who has
been to see him since his arrival at the
pentitentiary almost three years ago,
is his mother-in-law the mother of the
murdered woman. She has been kind to
him, writing and sending papers to him
regularly. His parents are both living
at Bellsville, Washington county, Pa,
close to Pittsburg, but they are aged
and too infrm to visit him.
IS BROKEN IN HEALTH.
Robson has three sons, Dave, aged
20, merchant at Punxsutawney, Pa;
Thomas, aged q, painter at Pitts
burg, and Edward aged "a, in the sig
nal corps Of the regular army in the
Philippines. They seldom write to
their father. Zach is broken down in
health and may not live much longer.
He will be so years old in September,
has been a painter nearly all his life.
His system is filled with lead from the
paint and this is the cause Of his i'll
health. Frequently he has severe spells
and has to be taken to the hospital.
The physicians administer treatment
poison, but diagnose his trouble as be-
ing incurable.
Progressive paralysis is one out
growth of The disease, starting at the
waist and extending up the back to
the base of the brain. There are times
when Robson does not have proper
use of his mental faculties. He is mild.
hammered and never makes any trouble.
He has been "trusty" since several
weeks after being received and since
has been permitted to go where he
pleases about the big prison.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The shooting for which Robinson is
imprisoned took place In the Hotel
Grand building in East Liverpool the
evening of April "a, 1897. Mrs. Rob-
ison died in 52 minutes. She was un-
conscious all the time. Her husband
had been living In Pittsburg and inter-
cepted a letter written by her to another
man. This filed him with jealousy and
led him to go to East Liverpool, where
she was taking part in female walk
Ing match. They met in q room at the
hotel and quarreled and the seQueal was
murder. The woman's remains were
buried at Mt. Lebanon, a suburb of
Pittsburg, near her old home. Her
maiden name was Agnes Jane Jones
and she was commonly called Jennie
Her parents, Bradford Jones and wife,
reside at Sheridsville, on the Panhan-
die, just outside of Pttsburg. Robi-
son was tried for first degree murder,
found guilty and sentenced to be cleo
trocuted at the Ohio penitentiary on
November 26, 1897. He entered the
chamber on July % and after IL weeks
confinement there was taken back to
Lisbon, having been granted a new
trial. The late Judge p. G. Young and
III. Il. Grosshans, who defended Rob-
ison, conferred with County Prosecutor
Charles Speaker, and a compromise
was agreed upon. Robson says the
trial Judge asked II he would plead
guilty to second degree murder and
TAKE A LIFE SENTENCE
! and he replied he was willing to take
! this sentence. To a News-D Democrat
correspondent he declared he did not
plead guilty, although his lawyers had
urged him to do this. Neither would
he allow them to say anything against
his wife, In whom he now states he had
/, full confidence. He is satisfied the let
ter which caused the trouble would
have been explained to his satisfaction.
He claims he did not fear death when he
was In the annex, with his wife gone
there was nothing for him to live for.
Warden Coffin, predecessor of Warden
Darby, told Robson while on a recent
visit to the penitentiary that he would
help him when his application for
pardon came up. The present officials
have only kind words for him and his
good record behind the walls
COUNTS IN HIS FAVOR.
He has been very religious for long
time, but was not anxious to have this
generally known for fear the impress
sion might be formed 1t was for effect.
He was president OF the prison Bible
society for six months and vice pres
ident for a like term. His religious
views differ from those of most people.
He believes in the millennium all peo-
pie will be given another chance to re-
pent and there will be second and
final death. He Is very radical in his
belief and is familiar with the scrip
lures. being able to quote many pes
sages therefrom. Robson says prison
life Is killing no matter which way 1t
\ js taken. II one abstains from hard