Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-05-30
THE SPAUGHS!
Another Lying Screed
From the ST, Louis
Press.

I
to save their brother, VIM. Spaugh,
Jr., from the gallows are two frail
women, Mrs. VIM. Ross of st.
Louis and Mrs. G. w. Denby of
Centreville, Mo-, around which
cluster the incidents that, from
boyish quarrel, resulted in a tragic
death, a sentence of execution, the
breaking up of family, the Jail
ing of another of its members for
55 years, and the loss of a wo-
mans reason.
VIM. Spaugh, Jr., mere youth,
is the one upon whom the death
sentence has been passed, and
that, Notwithstanding the fact that
Arthur Spaugh, his brother, con-
fessed to the killing of the victim,
Sheriff Polk of Iron county.
Affirmed by the highest court in
the United States, the death de-
cree of the State tribunals must
stand, unless clemency from Gov.
Folk is obtained and the sentence
committed.
While Mrs. Denby is bending
every effort to circulate petition
for clemency, to which, it is said,
$4,000 persons have attached sig
natures. throughout st. Francois,
Reynolds, Dent, Phelps and other
counties in Missouri, Mrs. Ross is
making plans for starting to Jeffer-
son City next week to pray for the
life of her brother. With her she
will take her youngest son, Willie,
a pupil at the Lincoln school, who
will, in his childish way, ask
mercy for his namesake and uncle.
Spaugh is in jail at Salem, Mo-,
awaiting the execution which has
been ordered for the latter part Of
June. Haggard from the terrible
ordeal he has passed through since
his conviction of murder Dec. s,
1905, at time when sentiment was
at fever heat, and MANNED by a
gunshot at the hands of a mob,
Spaugh, nevertheless, has not lost
heart. His letters to his relatives
bespeak his confidence in the in
tervention of Providence.
But of Mrs. Ross. Far different
is her case. Trembling at her
shadow, heavy eyed, crushed
bodily, but not in spirit, she con-
stantly prays for her brothers
life, and in her prayers utters
thankfulness for the restoration of
her reason. In the gentle little
woman seen by Times reporter at
her home in the rear of her hus-
bands barber shop at 1910 Market
street, no one would recognize the
almost wreck of womanhood who
was sent to the City Hospital and
thence to the City Insane Asylum
January 10th last, just two days
after Spaugh had been taken from
the st. Louis Jail to be executed.
The hanging was to have taken
place on that date, but respite at
the last moment stayed the sent
ence for the second time.
For three months Mrs. Ross
mind was a blank. Anguish and
the shock of parting with her
brother had proven too much for
her. Her husband, her home and
two sons we're strange to her. She
had eyes and ears for none but her
brother. She called for him in
cessantly by day and moaned for
him at night. Kind care and the
love Of her children gradually re-
stored her reason, and six weeks
ago she was released from the
asylum in full possession of her
faculties.
Her story of the trifle which gave
rise to the tragedy and the sub
sequent events, seems stranger
than fiction. The sheriff's attempt
to arrest Spaugh was for a quarrel
he had with the son Of high
official, she stated. "Yes, I'm go
ing to Jefferson City," she said,
"and ! am going to pray on my
knees that the Governor spare my
brother. My brothers told the
truth on the stand in court, and |
shall tell the Governor the same
story.
"It would be terrible wrong to
hang my brother. He did not
shoot Sheriff Polk. 1t was my
brother Arthur who did the shoot
ing, and he admitted it in court,
saying he did it to save William
from being shot by the Sheriff.
But they gave Arthur, who is only
| % years old, a sentence of 55 years,
and they-they-." She could
not continue for q few moments,
SO overcome was she with grief.
"Sheriff Polk and William were
good friends and neither Of my
brothers would have deliberately
shot the sheriff. 1t was case Of
| Williams life or Polk's, and
Arthur did not hesitate. The
sheriff had already fred one shot
at William, and it passed through
his coat. /"
Mrs. Ross told Of the intense
feeling that had been created
against the boys, and, she said,
some Of the jurymen had formed
opinions Of the guilt Of my broth
|er, William, before they sat in the
cases. She said the case was tried
in the district where q close rela-
tive of the dead man lived and
was an officer of the law. She
spoke In bitter terms Of the actions
of some OF the jurors. Then she
related the story Of the breaking