Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-02-16
GRANTED NEW LEASE OF LIFE.
MRS. KATE EDWARDS DID
NOT HANG TODAY.
Governor Pennypacker Whhdfaws
The Death Warrant Of The
Woman Who Killed
Husband


the Board of Pardons, yesterday with
drew the death warrants in the case
of Mrs. Kate Edwards, the white
woman. and Samuel Greason, the
negro. who were under sentence to
hang together in the Berks couny jail,
at Reading, this morning for the muir
der of Mrs. Edwards husband in 1901.
: The case of Greason will now be
again taken to the Pennsylvania Su-
preme Court, and if that tribunal re-
fuses TO reopen the case the attorneys
for Mrs. Edwards and Greason will
have to appear before the Board OF
Pardons next month. Mrs. Edwards
had confessed that she committed the
crime and that Greason had no hand
in it and because counsel for Greason
wanted to take dispositions and also
examine Mrs. Edwards with regard TO
the authenticity of the confession.
The board, after celebrating twenty
minutes, announced that it had de-
cided to take up both cases and imme-
diately continue them.
The Board of Pardons, in a letter TO
Governor Pennypacker, recommended
THAT respites issue in both cases,
Shaving the execution for q period not
exceeding ten days after the third
Wednesday in March, 1905. " Grea-
sons case has been in the Supreme
Court six times and twice before the
Board of Pardons The daeth warrant
has been read TO him ten times. Mrs.
Edwards case has never been in the
Supreme Court. hut the Board OF
Pardons has twice refused TO COM
mute her sentence. After the Cover
nor was officially informed OF the ac-
ton Of the Board of Pardons a messen-
ger was sent to the Sheriff of Berks
county withdrawing the death war
rants.
MRS EDWARDS CRIME
The crime of Mrs. Edwards and the
negro Greason was one of the most
dastardIy and cowardly outrages III
the criminal annals of Pennsylvania.
The woman is 40 years old and the
mother of six children. In 1882, when
she was a little more than a girl, she
was married TO John Edwards, FAR
mer, ten years her senior.
From her birth the girl has been
broughtsup in the midst OF dire power
ty. As soon a she was able to work
she was compelled to contribute TO the
maintenance of the household From
husband drank TO excess, and at times
was brutal. He beat her, choaked her
and dubbed her. Stunned by white
associates, Edwards sought the COM
panionship of lone negro, GTeason,
who worked in the quarry at which
he was employed. The negro asso-
ciate he brought to his home and in
troduced to his wife and Ia year old
daughter. He brought him constantly
until his presence became an accus-
toned fact, and the negro became a
familiar friend of the family.
On the morning of July 4, 1901, Ed
wards was found dead The badly mu-
tilated body was found at the bottom
of a cistern. His head bad been
pounded into jelly with hammer.
Kate Edwards, the daughter Mary,
Samuel Greason, Charles Rollins, Bill
Jones and Shorty Thorn pson, GALL
of the men negroes) we're at one time
or another committed TO prison on IN
formation alleging the murder OF Ed
wards. The woman was tried and
convicted in September, 1901. Samuel
Greason was tried and convicted two
months later. All the others were
discharged.
On the trial of the cases, the Com
monwealth advanced the theory that
Kate Edwards had been criminally
intimate with Greason, and that fear
ing the vengeance of her husband
when her child was born, she secured
Greason's assistance, and that together
they murdered Edwards. The child,
Alma Edwards, was born in the Berks
county prison on July IL, 1901, nine
DAYS after the crime, aud proved to be
mulatto. The progress of the case
was filled with many surprises. Three
separate appeals were taken to the SUI
preme Court in Greason's case. AN
act of the legislature was passed for
the special purpose of making his ap-
peal possible. Hearings were had be-
fore the board of Pardons time and
again. The case of Mrs. Edwards
was refused by the Board of Pardons
on three separate occasions.