The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-05-03
THE STATE
POLITICS
Republican State Com
mittee Meeting.
CHANCES
Governor Nash Refuses to Com
mute the Sentence Of Ed
win Ruthven, of
Cleveland,
From a Staff Correspondent.

From STAFF Correspondent.
Columbus, May 1.-The Republican
state central committee is meeting
here today to fix the time for the state
convention. Dates about the middle
Of June will probably be selected. Co
lumbus will be chosen as the meeting
place. Senator Foraker it appears will
be made temporary chairman and will
sound the keynote of the convention
Senator Hanna may be made perma.
mont chairman. John r. Malloy will
be named for temporary and perma-
nent chairman of convention. The af-
fairs of the convention will be talked
over and plans made. Major A. b.
Critchfield, of Wayne county, an Off
Ger of the Eighth regiment, is the
choice of many for clerk of the su.
premc court. Isl" Allen, who has
filled this berth for several terms, has
quish the Office. and asks for renomi.
nation. Several months ago he said
he would not be candidate.
just now there is much talk about
the Democratic candidates for the
nomination of governor. Kilbourne
stock is going up about here. but it is
on the part of the colonel. He frank.
ly acknowledges he is novice in the
game of politics, and says if the Dem
ocrats want him he will be glad to
serve. He thinks the best way to nom
mate a candidate would be by the di.
rect vote of the people. A local polit.
ical writer has put John C. Welty, of
Canton, out of commission as far as
his candidacy for governor is concern,
ed. This is how he turns the trick:
Corporate interests, and his connec-
tion with the same, will prevent John
G.. Welty. of Canton, being a candidate
for the Democratic nomination for
governor, though it had been expected
all along that he would be in the run
ming. Mr.. Welty is largely interested
as stockholder in the construction
of an interurban railroad line, con.
Meeting Akron, Canton, Massillon. Ca.
nal Dover. New Philadelphia, Coshoc.
ton, and Newark, which when com,
pleted, will form the link connecting
Cleveland and Cincinnati. The new
issue of q two-cent fare on steam rail-
roads and a .three-cent fare on street
railroads, takes Mr.. Welty out of the
race. He could not well stand upon
platform committed to these propo-
sitions in view of his large holdings
in street railway stocks. Politics is
one thing and business another, and in
choosing between the two Mr.. Welty
has decided to pursue the even tenor
of his way for the present at least.
Ed. Ruthven's fate is sealed. Gov.
ernor Nash declines to commute the
death sentence, but has granted the
condemned man another reprieve until
May 81, on account of the death of
Warden Darby's father. In disposing
of the case the following is recorded !:
In the matter of Edward Ruthven
applications for Communication of the
death penalty to Imprisonment for life,
Ihave examined the evidence in this
case, and have reached the same con.
clusion which caused the jury to find
Edwin Ruthven guilty of murder in the
first degree, which caused the trial
! Judge to overrule the motion for q
new trial, and which caused the board
of pardons to refuse the communication
of the sentence. The evidence con
vinces me that Ruthven, on the night
of the 9Th Of May, 1900, committed the
burglary In the house of Henry w
Lueking, of Cleveland, and that while
in the commission of the burglary, he
purposely killed the policeman, John
.Shipp. This being true, under the law
of Ohio, he was guilty Of murder in the
first degree.
! After reaching this conclusion, had
q right to look at the previous life oi
Ruthven, for the purpose Of ascertain
ing whether he was entitled to any
clemency at the hands of the pardon
Il ing power. The evidence indicates tC
me that for months prior to the com
Il mission of this offense. Ruthven had
been professional house burglar, and
in the commission of these offenses
went armed and prepared to kill, If II
became necessary to do SO. in order tC
escape detection and punishment
There is certainly no more dangerous
N class of criminals than this. l refuse
! to grant communication of his sentence
to life Imprisonment, but on accoun,
of the death on yesterday, of the
father of the warden Of the peni
tentiary, I hereby reprieye Ruth
ven until Friday, the 31st day of May
when the sentence of the court in this
case will be executed.
i In the case of Anton Hammerly VS.
Il Mary z. Zettler, error to the circuit
court of Stark county, in which judg
i nent was affirmed by supreme cour-
yesterday, except as to Dow tax pei
entry, Judge Williams, Birket ant
A Davis concurred, and Judges Shaucl
: and Spear concurred in the judgment
of reversal as to Dow tax.