Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-20
MAY TIE HIM TO BOARD.
Jail Officers Consider Ezecu-
ton Of Sinclair.
HE HAS ONLY ONE LEG
THEY WISH TO AVOID A SCENE
AT THE scAFFoLD.
Effort for. C1emency is Being Made,
but Prisoner is Least Hope
full Of All.
HE HAS ONLY ONE LEG

h John Sinclair, or st. Clair, colored, the
one-legged man vino is under sentence to
die on the scaffold next week for the muir
der Of Daisy Maddox, also colored. has
anxiously awaited the Presidents decision
on his application for a communication of SEN
tence. The papers were presented some
days ago with the request that the decision
be made known to the prisoner as early as
possible. Christian workers were especially
anxious to have the decision made known
before the last day in order that they might
have time to make a final effort to bring
about change in his religious views.
Although Snclairs father was a minister,
the son does not believe in a hereafter, and
1t is the desire of the Rev. John Roberts and
others that he may undergo a change. Sin
clair expresses surprise at the Rev. Mr..
Roberts statement concerning the small
number of persons who have no religious.
belief, and declares there are several prison
erS in the Jail who believe as he does
When the prisoners We're attending the
regular services last Sunday the minister
called for all the believers to stand, and
Sinclair was the only one who, remained
seated.
Expects No Clemency.
While Sinclair has not been model pris-
cner he has caused serious trouble since
he entered the prison. His conviction was
not a surprise to him, and when friends
proposed to intercede in his behalf he said
he expected nothing from the President, and
recalled that the present chief magistrate
was governor of New York at the time Mrs.
Place was eectrocuted If he would not
interfere in the case of a woman he could
hardly expect any clemency because he has
only one leg. s
Sinclair's aged mother is living, and a
brother also lives in this city. AS heretofore
printed in The Star, a brother of Sinclair
was executed in Philadelphia for murder.
His father a member of the Alabama
legislature many years ago
During the meetings between the prisoner
and the colored minister the former has
never shown that he has any fear of death.
He says it's only matter of few minutes
between the scaffold and the cemetery and
in another form, he=<says, for the sake of
his relatives. 81
May Garry Him to Scaffold.
Anticipating unfavorable action on the
part Of the President, the funeral arrange
ments have been discussed. and Sinclair has
been told that he will be given an oppor-
tunity to say farewell to his mother and
brother the day before the execution. +
The question of how Sinclair is to go to
the scaffold having only one Leg is giving
the jail officials some concern. The officers
say they have never had the unpleasant
duty of executing a one-legged man.
. In other places crpples who have been
condemned were either strapped to board
or tied in a chair.
Sinclair will have to be carried to the scat
fold unless the pinloning of the arms shall
be done on the scaffold. This. it is feared,
might cause scene, as the condemned man
would be able to offer resistance, and this
the eXecutioners want to avoid.