The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-05-10

he let out a cry of warning Then he
shTank back into the crowd abasbed
by his blunder.
Klllen was tried and convicted of
murder IN the first degree for the kill
| ing OF Mrs Mary Rudert, wife OF Paul
| Rudert, at Tarentum, the evening OF
December 23, 1883. and sentenced to
be hanged. Through the efforts of
Rev. DR. E. r. Donehoo the sentence
| was commuted 10 life Imprisonment
Four men went into the jcwelry
store conducted by Rudert and his wife
in Tarentum just as they were about
to close for the day They seized two
trays of jewelry and started for the
| door. when Mrs. RudeTt lnterfered and
was shot through the head while crap
| ping with one OF the robbers.
After ne had seen the wonders OF
modern city he was wiling to talk
about the crime of which he was ac-
cused
1T was about o'clock OF the even
ing OF December 90. 1885" he said.
that was sitting in my shanty boat
on the bank OF the Allegheny river
| This was on the Amsterdam side,
about one and a half miles below Tar
| ontum. where the murder occurred.
| Two men called me from the boat
| house and wanted a row boat, l did
not know the fellows very well One
was named Griffith and he lived some
where In Penn avenue, near the point
| The other fellow | did not know so
well
Il let them have the boat. They
| said they wanted to cross the river. at
least 1t was my impression that they
wanted to cross the river. but they
started, as | thought, down the stream.
| | paid very little attention to them and
| ! learned later that they went up
| stream 1t was quite a while after
that when they returned / don't just
know the hour They had broken one
of the oars and damaged the boat.
| 81 told them the damage would cost
me several dollars to repair. They
said they had no money but offered me
a watch chain and bracelet | ac-
cepted this and gave the matter no
more thought until | learned OF the
robbery and murder | had little diff
Guilty in connecting the links of the
affair and hid the jewelry that had
been given me
1T was later ascerta',ned that my
boat had played part in the cast and
| was arrested ] can hardly explain
why. but | did not tell what had oc-
CURED between me and the two men
nor did / give the officers the name Of
the men | knew. l. however, did tell
cnem where the jewclrv could be found
;Hd this seemed to clinch the evidence
| against me-
Yes, | know now that my fate
would have bee1 very different had !
not withheld part OF my story until
| it was too late. Then l had an oppor-
tunity to escape from the jail before
my trial was held but deliberately re-
fused, had been in the jail here but
a short time when | was placed is1 a
cell adjoining that occupied by Fitz-
simmons, who was held on the charge
OF killing Detective Gilkinson. FitZ-
simmons sawed two bars from the win
dow and called me to get out with
| him | refused TO 20.
The following day when his escape
was discovered the officers declared
that he could not have crawled
through SO small a hole. | insisted
that he could and did go through it.
To prove my point, i got through in
the presence of the officers and / was
a large man than F'ltzslmmons. I
never tried to get away or in any way
| interfere with the officers until |
| found that l was going to bear the
entire brunt. 1t was tnen too late,
| and ! was convicted of murder in the
| first degree
The death warrant was signed by
| two governors. but the efforts OF my
| friends succeeded IN obtaining com
| mutation oil sentence and | was sent
| to the penitentiary for life. Numer-
out attempts have been made 10 OBJ
| tain my pardon, but TO no avail. The
| last strenuous effort was. prior to the
| successful one and was made about
| seven years ago.
Il had about given up hope until I
| received several letters from friends
and people who knew something of
the case. Letters from Judge Magee,
| Rev DR. Donehoo and Judge McKenna
had much 10 do with my pardoG.
Though DR.. Donehoo died several years
| ago, he wrote letter before his death
that prompted the last and successful
movement for my release.
THE failure of the former attempts
was due largely to the opposition
made by Paul Rudert husband OF the
woman who was murdered. He op~
posed every movement in my favor
from the beginning
Killen's pardon was taken up Ia
| earnest when NJ. f, Hughes and Nj. J.
Connolly called at the pententiary for
the purpose OF instituting stepS for the
pardon OF Former Councilmcn William
A. Martin. Martin and Killen were
close friends an dthe life man express
ed desire TO have talk with the
men. They took up his case and Sc
cured his pardon.