Richmond planet., 1905-02-18

MRS. KATE EDWARDS AND HER DAIrCUrFS
tervenes. is in a state of collapse. Mrs.
Edwards appears to have given up all
hope. She eats nothing and spends hor
time moaning and sobbing and asking
to be left TO herself.
:. G-aason's iopositio was talon. Is
reviews his case, protests his inno-
cence, and asks for full pardon. The
confession generating Greason from
completely in the murder. 1t will be
presented by the negro's counsel
District Attorney Kutz issued
statement, announcing that he believes
Greason innocent and will advocate his
pardon.
When Rev. Stephen Schweitzer, Mrs.
Edwards spiritual adviser, called on
the condemned woman, she confessed
to him that she murdered / r husband.
and that Greason was in no way i'm
plicated in the crime. She went over
the entire story of the night of the
murder in practically the same man
ner as it is told in her published con-
fession. Rev. Mr.. Schweitzer con-
firmed her and married her to John
Edwards.
A monster petition, urging the COM
mutation of the woman's sentence to
life Imprisonment was presented to
Governor Pennypacker at Harrisburg
by f. l.. Boalt Miss Catherine Pant
land, Mrs. Anna Finch and Mrs. Ru-
dolph Kneipfer, of Cleveland. The pc
tition contains the signatures of e75,-
600 men and women of Ohio. The gov
ernor promised to refer the petition to
the board of pardons. The petition is
two miles long and weighs so pounds.
Carl Mueller and II. H. Anderson,
Cleveland attorneys. have obtained
permission from the board of pardons
to appear before that body at today's
hearing in behalf OF Mrs. Edwards.
The petition contains the signatures
of lawyers, ministers, public men and
thousands of women. The movement
for the presentation of this paper was
started by Mrs. keipfer
Sheriff Sassaman will begin the erec-
ton of the scaffold this evening if the
board of pardons refuses to interfere.
1t will be located in the southern Jail
yard. and Mrs Edwards and Greason,
who are to be executed at the same
time, will walk directly out of the
prison door onto the scaffold.
The Berks county Jail has every ap-
pearance of being the central scene of
the fateful drama which may be en-
acted tomorrow. There are already
signs OF preparation to carry out the
laws DEGREES, which can only be halted
by the action of the board Of pardons.
Sheriff Sassaman returned with the
rope with which to hang Mrs. Kate
Edwards and Samuel Greason, and the
gallows is ready to be put up if the
action of the board is unfavorable to
the condemned.
The attorneys for Mrs. Edwards will
ask for life Imprisonment for her.
Their petition contains a recital of the
e--slio facts as published in the peti-
ton to the supreme court. They will
ask for life Imprisonment for Mrs. Ed
wards on the grounds that the act was
Justifiable, because she struck the
blows in self-defense of her own life
A full and complete pardon for their
client is wanted by Greason's lawyers.
The contrast between the actions of
the two prisoners under sentence of
death is striking in the extreme. Grea-
son, cool, complacent and his counte-
nance at times wreathed with a smile.
suggests to one that he is simply
awaiting complete pardon. Mrs. Ed
wards is in constant state of hyster-
les. She eats nothing, and can only be
Quieted by strong stimulanss. Her at