The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-13
NEGRO PLEADS FOR
LIFE IN VERSES
THAT HALT
Man Condemned to Death
Asks for Communication and
Tells His Story in a Re
markable Poetic EffusiOn
Written in Jail-Younger
Case Goes Over.

| Chief Justice Start and Gov. Van
SAINT, Of the state pardon board. held
a session yesterday afternoon and con-
| sidered seven of the thirty cases on
the calendar. Owing to the absence
from the city Of Attorney General
| Douglas, the third member of the
/ board, no disposition was made Of any
| of the cases except to take them un-
der advisement. The board will hold
| an adjourned session Jan. 81, at which
time the application of Thomas Cole
| man Younger, Ole G. Nelson and
Charles E. L. Henderson, the two lat
ter under sentence of death, will be
| considered.
| Attorney Marshall, who appeared in
! behalf of Henderson, made a short plea
| for a communication of the sentence Of
the prisoner to Imprisonment for life
Chief Justice Start stated that it was
| necessary that the transcript of the
! evidence taken at the trial of prisoners
who were sentenced TO death should bs
in the hands of the pardon board be-
fore any action was taken. County
Attorney McCIintock, Of st. Louis
| county, explained that the transcript
had been completed and he supposed
| 1t had been forwarded. It was decided
to hear the plea for the prisoner and
then adjourn sic case until the special
| meeting Of the board.
Chief Justice Start called the atten-
ton of the county attorney to letter
which Henderson had written to the
board and requested that an investiga-
ton be made as to the facts contained
In the communication.
Was Born a Slave.
In the letter, which is in the hand
writing of the condemned man, at
tention is called to the fact that he
was born slave forty odd years ago,
and that he served as a member Of the
Eighth Illinois volunteers in the Span
fsh-American war. Letters from his
commanding officers speak we'll of his
conduct and bravery. When returning
from Cuba Henderson brought back a
little colored child, ten years DID, that
he has since cared for. He admits in
his letter that he killed the woman
who was his common law wife, but
claims that he was insaneiy Jealous
and under the influence of liquor at
the time.
Henderson winds up his plea for life
With thirty verses Of rhyme under the
1t is understood the board will neither
condemn or reprieve, on account of
the effusion, of which some stanzas
follow:
An Appeal for Life.
The history of our brightest past
Is known best Of all to me
A vision Of happiness, but alas,
IL Is dead to me and she.
Then while I yet have time to live
| shall not shrink from duty,
AqV1ce 10 them that to baby will give
Beat1tudes of beauty.
I was born Of slave parents. but deeply
mixed In my blood
have certainly had hard row to hoe.
nave stood true for honor, but submerg-
ed in a flood
OF deception. base duplicity and domes-
tic woe.
have stood up for my country, I'VE
fought for the land
OF humanity in yonder Cuban isle.
volunteered and went when with Spain
we had war,
was numbered in the rank and fiIe
saw upon the hill (san Juan) that dread
full night
That which caused all the world to
American soldiers that had sworn to
fight,
And 1 heard the mighty cannons thun-
der.
My heart was sad and panied within,
My legs refused their calling
| The struggle of mercileSs battles din
| The sight was nauseating and appalling
You must not lose sight of that war with
| Spain,
Where it was said "the colored troops
fought bravely.'
| What our white comrades lost our
| black faces regained
Their positions and held them defiant
| and boldly.
You will acknowledge to some men Of
color there's honor due
And While many are aware of this fact,
Mans bias to fellow man won't acknowl-
| edge this is true
| That's how 1 define mans bias exact.
| BIames the Woman.
Then how could any woman with a human
| Have condescended to play me false and
so doubly act
| When she was cognizant she was honored
from the start
OF the day 1 laid my eyes upon her.
that's a fact.
I cared for her as a father cares for his
| only child,
| I would fondIe, caress and enfold her to
my heart
| Then discovering her duplicity If drove
| me inSanely wild
| Caused my self-respect honor and
mind from me to depart.
| Oh! was she vain, 1 hear you say.
| She was, and delighted much in expen-
| sive dress.
I'm sorry, but my love gave her I'M
dispute sway,
| That today causes my shame and dis
| tresS.
| She left our home one beautiful summer
/ night,
| When all was serene and still
| fright
Because thought her unbalanced in
/ mind and ILL.,
Alas! found her one dreary, rainy morn.
! briate.
Her hair was disheveled, her dress all
| torn
Her condition terrible to relate.
put these manly arms around her waist,
Secured a carriage and again took her
home;
I summoned a physician with all possible
| haste
She'd been maltreated by some libertfne
| to me unknown.
She acknowledged she'd been untrue to
promised the past to forgive.
| For the sake of our baby moral mother
be-
1 said. Pet stay at hcme and rightly
live.
The deceased features on our baby's face
| did shine:
Baby's eyes they flashed like hers,
| With dimpled cheeks and q heart sub
| lime.
Long life for our baby I daily implore.
Oh! could I call her back again.