The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-01-08
LAST HOPE FOR
MRS. TOLLA
Governor Will Be Asked to
Call a Special Meeting
Of the Board Of Pardons
RUMOR OF NEW EVIDENCE
SONG SERVICE AND MUSIC IN
TEE HACKENsACK JAIL YES
TERDAY- -TowNsPEoPLE ApA-
THETIC.

TERDAY- TOW WNSPEOPLE APA-
THETIC.
The w. G. r. U. prepared special
musical programme for their services in
the Hackensack jail yesterday. The ads
ditions were for the benefit of Mrs. AM
soinette ToEa, under sentence to be hang
ed next Friday morning. Seven women
sang favorite hymns in chorus. Duos
We're sung with Violin accompaniment by
I. Milton Secor.
Mrs. Tolla and Mrs. Valentino. the
condemned women, sat in Sheriff Mer-
GERS office during the services, Jerry
Rosa who also is to be hanged next
Friday, remained in his cell near the
singers. The services never seemed to
interest him. but Mrs. Tolla and Mrs.
Valentino were moved to tears by the
music, although they could not under
stand the words of the songs.
The Rev. Mr.. Elliott offered prayer
for the condemned, asking that they
might be reconcled to God and support
ed in the awful ordeal before them, and
that those in charge of the prisoners
might treat them with tenderness and
consideration during their last days.
Ex-Prosecutor 2. w. Stagg, of Hack
ensack, has been retained as counsel
for Mrs. Tolla. He will ask Coy. Stokes
to reconvene the Board of Pardons on
Wednesday.
Il have been provided with new eyi-
dence in Mrs. Tolla's case and will
60 to Trenton to argue before the Board
Of Pardons for a repreve," said Law
yer Stagg. Il do not know what viii
be done beyond that if the Board of
narsleIs refusess.a reprieve, fer I have
not been employed to do anything ex-
cept to seek a reprieye."
Vice-Consul Alfred Magnani, Of New
ark, representing several prominent
Italians, visited Mrs. Tolla in the jail
yesterday afternoon and told her not
to lose courage and hope.
"We will do all we can to save you
from death upon the gallows,'' she was
told by man who accompanied him.
Another of the party told reporter that
he was quite sure Mrs. Tolla's case would
be carried up to the United States Su-
preme Court should the Board Of Far
dons refuse to commute the death PEN
atty.
Jerry Rosa Is beginning to lose, cour.
age. He can't understand why 50 much
is being done to save Mrs. Tolla froul
the gallows while he is allowed to
meet death with hardly word Of en-
coura cement or sympathy. Very few
call to see him. He isn't even sure that
his case will go TO the Board of parddns
on wednesday, for no lawyer has talked
with him about lis case since the Court
of Errors affirmed his second conviction.
The pople of Hackensack are not ex-
pressing sympathy for Mrs. Tolla. A
year ago the leading women there iiHer-
estel themselves in Mrs. Valent;nS',s be-
half, circulated a petition and secured
many signatures asking for ayIcommuta-
tion of sentence. Father Lambert, the
Rev. Mr.. Elliott and several women went
to Trenton expecting to be heard by the
Board of Pardons, but none of them was
admitted and the petition, with its long
list of names, was brushed aside. Since
then the frequency of murders in Bergen
County has cooled their ardor. The dis
coycry on New Years Day of another
murdered Italian, supposedly victim Of
the "Black Hand" has caused many to
say that some one must be hanged as an
object lesson.
Van Hise, the hangman, will take his
paraphernalia to the Hackensack Jail on
Thursday.