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 UNI
der Amusement. 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 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 be
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. 1t was decided
| to hear the plea for the prisoner and
then adjourn NE case until the special
| meeting Of the board.
| Chief Justice Start called the atten-
| ton OF the county attorney to a 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 Slave.
| In the letter, which is in the hand
| writing of the condemned man, at
| tentton is called to the fact that he
was born a 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 old, 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
head of MANS Bias to Fellow Man"
| ~ 40 0AANCl SIOOQ IIlc OOdIu VIII nelIn6T
| 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,
1t Is dead to me and she.
Then while 1 yet have time to live
| shall not shrink from duty
ri To
Beatitudes of beauty.
was born Of slave parents, but deeply
| mixed In my blood
nave certainly had hard row to hoe
L have stood true for honor, but submerg-
ed in a flood
| OF deception, base duplicity and dones-
| tic woe.
have stood up for my country, I've
fought for the land
or humanity in yonder Cuban isle.
L volunteered and went when with Spain
we had war,
I was numbered in the rank and file.
| I saw upon the hill (san Juan) that dread
full night
That which caused all the world to
wonder
American soldiers that had sworn to
And heard the mighty cannons thun-
| der.
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,
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 acknowI-
| edge this is true
That's how L define mans bias exact.
| BIames the Woman.
Then how could any woman with human
heart
Have condescended to play me false and
so doubly act
| When she was cognizant she was honored
from the start
Of the day I laid my eyes upon her,
I cared for her as father cares for his
only child
I would fondle, caress and enfold her to
my heart
Then discovering her dupIicity, it drove
| me insanely wild,
Caused my self-respect, honor and
! mind from me to depart.
| 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
t night,
| When all was serene and still.
| When / came from work 1 shook with
fright
Because I thought her unbalanced in
mind and i'll.
Alas! found her one dreary rainy morn.
Her appearance was that of an inc
| briate.
Her hair was disheveled, her dress all
Her condition terrible to relate.
1 put these manly arms around her waist.
Secured carriage and again took her
home;
I summoned physician with all possible
She'd been maltreated by some libertine
to me unknown
She acknowledged she'd been untrue to
promised the past Is forgive.
| For the sake of our baby moral mother
be-
1 said. Pet stay at home and rightly
live.
The deceased features on our baby's face
Baby's eyes they flashed like hers,
| With dfmpled cheeks and heart sub
Long life for our baby I daily implore.
Oh! could I call her back again,
| And live life Ger and Ter