Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-06-09
Charles L. Tucker To E!xpi-
ate Death Of Mabel Page
In Chair.
NO APPARENT MOTIVE


-
Boston. Nass-. June s.-Iiis counsel
AAvias unssaiiinsiy exhausted ever
twist and turn known 10 law. Charles
L Tseker. ss ~ age vhen most youns
nen sin have the pleasures of life
before them. Lies In the death cell
q the Charleston state prison faeins
Ae T-ospect of m igncbie death In
tAe electric chair within the next
forty-eIsht hours. His last hours viii
be spent IN company with his spirit.
uaI adviser and his aged parents.
whose unfiinching loyalty aud devo.
ton TO their son has been one Of the
pathetic fAtures Of the celebrated
casa
Sensational Aomieide.
The crime for which Tucker 10 %
pay the death penalty vas one Of
the most sensational a. well an the
most inexpiicable homlcides Massa'
ehnsetss has seen In many years. The
murder Of Mabel Page. for atrocity.
elaboration. malice and ssrangenesss.
ranks among the remarkable crimes
os rural New England. For more than
two years its details have excited IN
tarest, wonder and imagination, while
the public has discussed the possi.
hilities with widely divergent views.
But the government held from the
start that the explanation of this re"
rnarkable homicide lies with Charles
l. Tucker. The young man--he In
but Is years old now--wss arrested
for the crime. tried, convicted and
sentenced to the electric chair. He
has had the benefit Of able counsel.
Who for two years have practically
abandoned all other business In their
efforts 10 save their client from his
fate. The case was carried TO the
highest courts In the land without
avail. A petition for clemeney. said
ID be the largest petition Of Its kind
ever framed in this country. was pre-
sented to Governor Guild. The chief
executive, however, after consultation
with his counsel. and with the judges
who presided at the trial, failed to see
his way clear TO interfere with the
decision Of the courts.
No Apparent Motive.
The murder Of Mabel Page occur
red at the suburban town Of Weston
ON March 81, 1904. II was a crime
that might at any time occur In a
suburban community. There was no
more apparent motive for any one to
lin her than there would be for the
assassination OF any modest, retiring.
intellectual woman who never gave
offence and who might be found any
day in her home. She was 10 years
old.stfa daughter Of Edward Page,
Z - red dealer in steel and iron,
x16m business reverses had reduced
" 9rnparativeiy poor circumstances.
IL. Page passed away but a few
raonths ago. dragged to his grave by
the overwhelming sorrow Of his
dts'ghters violent death.
Stabbed to Death.
On the day of the crime Miss Page
was left alone in the house. Her
father returned shortly after . O'Clock
in the afternoon. On a writing table
in the living room he found note In
Miss Pages handwriting, and evident
ly left for him. N stated that she had
inst received word that her brother
ilasi met with an accident and was in
d Boston hospital and that she had
left for the city to see him. Going
upstairs Mr.. Page found the body OF
his daughter. extended on the floor
III her bedroom. She was dressed ap-
to 60 ont. An examination
revealed the fact that she had been
stabbed to death. For several days
the investigation brought forward no
person with q possible motive and
opportunity.
The theory Of the detectives was
that the murderer must have told
Miss Page her brother had been in
jured and was In the hospital. She
must have left him downstairs while
she went up to dress, after writing
the note to her father. He undoubt-
ely stealthily crept upstairs. entered
the room while she was standing be-
lore the mirror adjusting her hat ana
stabbed her to death before she had
IN opportunity to resist The theory
vas advenced that the murderer
must have been some one whom Miss
Page recognized. else. being timid |
woman, she would not have left him