The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-10
Pardon0d Man Admitted Guilt,
So Former CeIImate Says.
HACKED WOMAN TO PIECES.
She Was Termed "0Id Shakespeare" and
Was a Well Known Character Of
the Metropolis.

New York, June io.-Now that he is safe
out OF the country on Governor odells
pardon, regarded by the public as the in
nocent victim OF the police. it is SAID
that Ameer Ben Ali. alias "Frenchy."
confessed to a celmate. to Emilio Sui
tan. the court interpreter and to others
that he murdered "old Shakespeare"
| Sultan told the story to Superintendent
| Byrnes and to others. According to him
| Frenchy admitted that he was I'm the
| room and handled the body after the
murder occurred, but with characteristic
| cunning would not admit in so many
words that he had hacked the old woman
| TO pieces.
| Among those who knew OF the report
| ed confession TO his cellmate were For
| mer District Attorney De Lancey Nicoll
| and his assistant Francis l.. Wellman
| They preferred not 70 use IL because the
cellmate was In prison on a charge or
| forgery.
The story is now made public by will
lam III. Thompson. playing with the Mary
| Mannering- -Kyrle Bellew Theatrical COM
pany. Mr. Thompson says Sultan told
him the whole story OF Frenchys confess
sion
IT am surprised that the story has not
4
| Thompson. know the facts are In
the possession of several men. The
news OF the confession could not by any
means be called a secret.
SULTAN A CIGAR DEALER.
Emilio Sultan. an Arab, kept a cigar
| stores in Broadway and In Forty-second
street and IL was there that knew him.
He was the Interpreter at trenchy's
/ trial. Frenchy was a member of the wild
4 ID s.4lx .e.A A taf
\ than French.
q sultan talked with Frenchy many
| times in Jail. The savage prisoner was
| glad TO see the only man In New York
with whom he could talk without re-
straint- l used TO drink coffee I'm Sui
| tan's place and buy cigars OF him, and
| he told me the story. He said that
/ Frenchy admitted the crime to him.
But his admission took a curious
] form. On the night OF the murder
/ Frenchy admitted he went to the room
| In which the woman's body lay. lie
| handled the mutiliated body, he said.
| but would not admit killing the woman.
Sultan has been dead for years. | never
regarded what he told me as a secret.
| for he never treated IL as such"
Former Superintendent OF Police Byrnes
said:
! II have known of this confession a
| long while, but have preferred to say
| IL seemed unnecessary to bring II up.
AT the time OF the trial / heard that
| Frenchy had confessed to Sultan that
| he had handled the body after the muir
deA asked Sultan why he had not
testified TO that and he said he did not
understand his oath obliged him TO tell
! more than Frenchy said while under ex-
animation. When the jury was out Sui
tan said TO me, The fellow deserves to
die l asked him what he ment by that
and he replied: He is not fit TO live. L
know him. He has told me-
NOT SURPRISED AT NEWS.
Lawyer Emanuel NJ Friend, who de-
Tended Frenchy. was not surprised When
told IT was rumored that Frenchy had
confessed. "The relation OF attorney and
client is sacred" said. he, "and / can
therefore say nothing as to the actual
| guilt or innocence Of Frenchy. / might
say. however, that the result OF the trial
| did not astonish me-
/ have heard that Frenchy con-
| fessed." said De Lancey Nicoll who was
| district attorney when Frenchy was con-
victed. THAT is. that he admitted hand
| ling the body after the murder. The
confession was made TO his cellmate, a
man accused OF forgery. / decided rot
| to use the testimony, as II might be
| thought the man was inventing a con-
! fession I'm order TO help himself out or
strong enough with the witnesses we al
ready had.
81 have known for years Frenchy was
| reported TO have confessed the crime
said Francis l.. Wellman. who as assist
| ant district attorney, had actual charge
| OF the prosecution. THE fact that his
| counsel did not appeal for a new triaI
| was sufficient proof that in getting n
/ verdict OF murder I'm the second degree
| the counsel thought Frenchy was makinfi
| lucky escape.
CERTAIN OF HIS GUILT.
1.-THE evidence against Frenchy was
! absolutely clnching The scientific proof
was most exact and overwhelming
| am as certain that Frenchy killed that
| old woman as | am that she was muir
/ dered Frenchys confession is mere
corroborative detail"
! Both DR. Austin Flint and DR.. Cyrus
| Edison the scier'ific experts who tes;i-
! fled I'm the case, are confident that
! Frenchy was guilty. The news that ne
was said to have made a confession was
no surprise 20 them.
Frenchy was pardoned about two
/ months ago, and came at once TO New
| York from the State Asylum for the
/ Criminal Insane at Matteawan. wh,re
! he had been confined He spoke with
! great bitterness against the police, ana
| declared they had manufactured the ev-
! dence against him. lie said they had cut
| his fingers and feet TO furnish the blood
To make good their clues. lie sailed at
once for his home. "A condition OF his par
don by Gov. Odel that he would never
| return.