The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-01-23
TO HIS
LIVING TOMB
Murderer Taylor Goes to
State Prison Where He
Spend the Remain
der of His Life.
CAN'T SUPPRESS HIS JOY
Hangman Van Hise Thinks
the County Should Pay
Him for Preparing
His Gallows.
CAN'T SUPPRESS HIS JOY

At 9.45 this morning-the time that he
would have been preparing for his walk
to the gallows if the Court of Pardons
had not commuted his sentence to life
prisonment-George w. Taylor, the
negro murderer of his aunt, manacled to
Deputy Sheriff Frank Hague, stepped
from the door of the County Jail.
The brother Of the murderer was the
only one of the negro's relatives to come
to bid him good bye. The two met at
the curb, where Taylor stood with the
Deputy Sheriff awaiting the arrival of
a trolley car to convey him to the Penn
sylvania Railroad ferry They shook
hands like casual acquaintance and ex-
changed few words, but there was no
other demonstration.
Taylor expressed no regret at the fall
ure Of his wife to come. 1t is said that
she has disappeared. He thought. how
ever, that his sister, to save whose virtue
he claims to have committed the crime.
would come to the Jail before he left.
After he started to get ready to go to
State prison he said nothing further
ABOUT nef Ia1lufe TO appear
TALKS OF HIS ESCAPE.
I'D have been SWINGING by this time, :"
Taylor remarked when the Deputy Sher-
iff, Hooking at his watch, remarked that
it was 1905 o'clock. Just then "a ear
came along and the two men boarded it.
The murderer could not have been hap
pier if he had been a free man instead
of one on his way to an institution in
which he would probably spend the re-
nainder of hsi life. He made no effort
to conceal his happiness and kept con-
tinually referring to those who had saved
him from the gallows.
The Rev Howard A. NJ. Briggs, who
had been largely instrumental in saving
the condemned mans life, called at the
Jail last night and spent nearly two
hours with Taylor. They were joined
later by Lawyer Joseph NJ. Noonan,
whose brilliant legal fight to save the
negro from the gallows is remembered.
Taylor was profuse in his expressions OF
gratitude to both men and confided to
their care his life's history, entitled In
the Shadow of the Gallows," which he
has been writing since his arrest.
DID NOT EXPECT TO LIVE.
That the murderer did not expect tc
have his sentence commuted is evidenced
by the fact that he destroyed many Of
the pages of the manuscript he had writ
ten because they were along the line
of his anticipated experiences prior tC
his execution.
Pastor Briggs took the work and alse
a number of letters written by Taylor
thanking those who had interested them
selves in his behalf. The murderer want
ed these published, but finally consented
to allow the clergyman to use his dis
cretion on the subject
Hangman John Van Hise of Newark
was at the Court House this morning
He seemed disappointed over the escap,
of the negro and remarked: I'D like K
know who the Jonah is? You can't hans
anybody in this county any more.'
Van Hise said he was going TO pre-
sent bill to the county for services IL
preparing and bringing the gallows here
He would have received $3.50 for the
job had Taylor been hanged and though
he was entitled to at least 500 for thu
trouble he had gone to.