The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-08
IGNORANT OF COMMISSIONS
ACTION CRIB HOPES.
NO One Has the Courage to Tell Him
That He VIII Die Friday.


Lee Crib, the Coffee county muir
derer. who is being held in the Chat
ham county Jail for safe keeping, after
having twice escaped from other jails,
and who was respited until the Prison
Commission could have time to con-
slider a petition for a communication of
the death sentence to life Imprisonment,
will pay the penalty of his crime on the
gallows next Friday, the Prison Com
mission yesterday refusing to inter-
fere in the case.
The Prison Commission has had
Cribb's case under careful considera-
ton since Monday of last week, when
it was first taken up by that BODY,
and Cribs attorneys have worked dill
igently, eXerting their every effort to
save the condemned man from the gal
lows. but the petition that was pre-
scented with over a thousand signatures
of Cribbs friends and the Coffee coun-
tv authorities attached, has failed to
save his life. Following the decision
of the Prison Commission, Gov. Ter
rell approved the finding.
Still hoping, Lee Cribb unaware that
the Prison Commission has decided
against him, keeps up a bold front and
freely discusses with his fellow prison
ers his chances of escape from so early
q death. Jailer Seyden was yesterday
afternoon notified of the action of the
Prison Commission, but was in a guam
Diary as to the most advisable manner
in which to notify the prisoner that
he has only three more days before
the day of his execution. Since his con-
finement in the Chatham county jail
begun, Crib has been a model pris-
oner, and by his submissive, easy going
manner, so unusual under the circum-
stances, and his strong personality has
won the respect of all with whom he
has come into contact, and it is the
desire of Jailer Seyden to break the
news to the condemned man in a man
ner as easily for the prisoner to bear
as is possible. The news spread
through the Jail, but none of the pris-
onerS could summon sufficient courage
to tell him what he most breads, and
with only a few more hours to live,
Crib is yet ignorant of the decision
refusing the Communication of his SEN
tence. He will this morning be told
There remains only one bare poSsi-
bility of Cribs escaping the gallows.
His attorneys have asked for a hear
ing before Gov. Terrell, when, if it is
granted they expect to present an affi-
davit to the effect that the condemned
man is now insane In this event the
Governor will appoint three physicians
report that he is mentally affected, he
will go to the asylum at MilledgevilIe
instead of to the gallows. If this is
done it will be the first action of the
kind under the law passed by the last
Legislature placing insanity examina-
tions of capital prisoners into the
hands of the chief executive.
1t is not thought probable that this
action will be taken by the Governor,
who, it is understood, has been very
much interested in Cribs case and has
listened to what testimony that was
presented to the Prison Commission, a
portion of which touched upon the
fact that insanity is inherited by the
condemned man. Cribs crime, which
is familiar to the public, was so ex-
tremely heinuous in it's very wantoness
that the Prison Commission did not
feel authorized to interfere.
If Gov. Terrell does not respite Crib
the second time he will remain in Jail
here until Friday morning when he
will be taken to Douglass, the seat
of Coffee county, for execution on
that day. If Crib is hanged on Fri
day his will make three executions in
the state on that day; Crib in Coffee
county, Bob Middebrooks in Barlow,
and Jack Stanton in Wilkes.