Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-01-17
A Mothers Fight for Her Son.

From the Kansas City Post
JEFFERSON CITY, Jan. S.-When
the house convened yesterday
afternoon a shriveled old woman
in widows weeds began to make
her way slowly from seat to seat.
She presented to each member a
paper upon which was typed:
"Resolved, That it is the sense Of
this house that capital punishment
should be abolished in this State"
To the members look of inquiry
she looked up into his face and
asked in low, inexpensive tones:
"Won't ye sign it?"
"Why should I?" asked the first
member.
The reply came in the same,
dead, inexpensive tones, pro-
nounced by unquivering lips. In
the coarse face Of the petitioner
there was no hint of the agony be-
hind the appeal.
"I'm tryin' to save my boy-my
boy Bill. They're going to hang
him at Ironton Thursday for
shootin' the sheriff"
"I'll sign it," said Walter Cross
ley, 81 don't believe in an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a TOOTH"
Presently the woman came to the
seat of a member to whom she was
about to hold out the paper. Then
she drew back. For she looked
into the face of Representative G.
| H. Polk of Iron county, brother of
Sheriff John w. Polk, who the
Spaugh boys shot to death year
ago while resisting arrest. There
was no sign in the face of the wo-
man. She moved stolidly to the
next member.
81 cannot find it in my heart to
oppose her." said Representative
Polk few minutes later. "Those
boys killed my brother in cold
| blood. The old woman herself is
under sentence of ten years as ac-
cessory, but I cannot find it in my
heart to say a word against hel
petition and the brother of the
murdered man was. silent while
the stolid petitioner went on from
seat to seat.
II amt thinkin' about myself
she told one member who signed
the petition. "They've got Arthur
in the pen for life for KILN the
sheriff. They can send me there
if the want to, but / want to save
Bill. Do you think it's right te
hang people? The governor told
me he would like to do somethin
but he KANT. They're going te
hang Bill a-Thursday. Won't ye
put yer name down. It'll save
lots Of others besides Bill"
Gov. Folk at noon positively re-
i fused to save Bill Spaugh.
| Somewhere this primitive moth.
or got the suggestion for the peti.
ton. If she could get the House
( of Representatives to do what i
had refused to do since the frs
House came on horseback and BY
boat to the little log cabin that was
the first capitol; if she could by
her pleadings get it to oyerturn il
q half hour the precedent which
reformers have sought to overturr
since the State has had consti-
tuition, she might save Bill. Ane
SO with an ache ID her heart thai
would have killed a less stolid wo-
! man and with the vision of hel
boy ON the gallovs, Mary Spaugf
set out on her herculean task.
Neyerat any time as she moved
among the members was there 9
trace Of feeling in her face. Never
was there a quiver in her voice
The world and her home surround
ings have done all that they coule
to Mary 6paugh. About all thu
feeling she has left is that for hel
hoy; and her features are incap.
able OF showing that. 'sThe mos
pathetic figure; the most hope.
Hess misery 1 have ever seen, !
said one member. 'sIf that de.
spairing woman would only weep