The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-26
FOURTEEN YEARS
IN PEN|TEN1|ARY
But INNOCENT
The Awful Fate Fastened Up.
on Young Man by circum-
stantial Evidence.
GUILTY PARTIES MAY Be MADE
TO SUFFER FOR THEIR SILENCE

Ran Through an Alley in Which
q Murder Had Been Committed,
While Playing With Crowd Of
Boys on Fourth Of July.
Pittsburg, Aug. E26.-Perhaps the
strangest case in the history o! al.
legged crimo IN Pennsylvania will
likely reach climax soon In devel.
opments which Attorney 9. II. Huse!.
ton will bring out in the application
for pardon of Fred Mcdonnell, who
has been in the Western Pcnnsyl-
vania penitentiary for about l.: YEAR,
and for year before was locltm! up
in tho Crawford county jail.
On the evening of the Fourth o.
July, 1894, John McAndrew WAS mur-
dered in an alley OF Titusville. There
was evidence Of & fight. The con.
dition OF tho alley showed struggle
and all who wera engaged must have
exhibited tho marlss Of tho fray.
Mcdonnell when he was npprclenl.
ed had not sign OF mud or blood,
but circumstantial evidence, and pos
sibly certain influences, was sufficient
to convict him. The who,o story
has been told how he was found gull
ty Of murder in the first degree and
how the sentence of death WAS com.
muted- to Imprisonment for life.
The state pardon board has once
refused hia application for freedom
Mcdonnell has grown from youth tn
middle ago In the penitentiary. Er
has an unblepished record as pris-
onef. Not blot has Deen placei
against him on the books.
WOman In the Case.
Within tho last week money has
been contributed voluntarily to secure
legal assistance, and tho. family o.
Mcdonnell, who employed Attorney 8.
H. Huselton in another matter yea-a
ago, have requested him to renew
the application, for pardon.
It H. a case without & parallel in
the state, and before 1t is ended, per.
sons may, be involved who have been
suspected but for many reasons have
not been. brought to faco direct evl,
dencc. There Is a young woman III
the case-not so young as she WINS at
the time of the tragedy, but still
conely-and tho other man in tho Case
ha we'll as this woman are under
surveillance, with strong prnbnhii.
lty that In tho proceedings fer tho
pardon Of Mcdonnell tho real c,lnin.
al will ba compelled to face a charge
similar to that for which Mcdonnell
has suffered for more than seventh
o: q century.
Entirely of his own voli:ion Mc-
Donnell mas Just written {. letter to
Atta,rty Huselton. telling Iii MS cwn
way tho story Of his only connection
Win the tragedy. Since has in..ar.
ceration he has studied moro than
ever nefore in his life. !Ie has
le 'rred spelling and punctuation aud
something OF composition, as his ,ct.
te. VIII show. It ia written with a
clear hand that might be envlc.! Ey
anyone devoted to literature, and 1t
IL reproduced here without clanse III
wo'd letter or punctuation. At the
request of McDonnell's family It is
addressed to Mr.. Huselton and is as
follows:
NcDonnell's Story.
Allegheny, Pa, Aug. IL, 1909.
s. H. Huselton, Attorney at Law,
Pittsburg, Pa:
DOoA 0Al"A AaS yOU may U0COult5
fully familiar with my case, you have
asked me to write down my every
movement from 6 o'clock up until the
time Of my arrest on the night of
July 4, 1894. Now, that is mighty
hard thing for anyone to do unless
he possesses an Lnfailing memory, as
1t means the stretching Of ones mind
back is years and more.
kha
out plainly In my memory are these:
My arrest and the experience had
with several youths which led to 1t.
Titusville upon the day in question
was celebrating independence Day
and hundreds of strangers from the
surrounding country were there-peo-
pie Of all classes and all descriptions.
! remember that we'll, as do the
fact that, during the day, I enjoyed
myself immensely. as hundreds OF
other young people did, firing of
crackers and cannon. watching the
parade. ete.
The biggest part Of the afternoon
and evening l passed away by simply
strolling around with the crowds that
we're on the streets. About 6 or
$3.50. 1t must have been, had lunch
III u uIlic restaurant Ou lNOTLu cF8uk-
lin street, after which wandered
around once more. At what time
met and spoke to Johnny McAndrew,
The boy. who. later on that night, was
30 cruelty killed, do not remember,
but 1t was but few minutes after
the arrival Of the train upon which
he was a<newsboy, the d. A. v. & p.
road.
Were Good Friends.
Johnny. and ! were good friends and
I liked him He was a splendid boy
In every way. jolly and full OF fun.
I met him as he was on his way
home after his days work. We
spoke together for perhaps minute
or two when We separated, and that
T. the last time ever saw him. When