The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-05-21


stantly struck him several times,
causing him to stagger back and fall
heavily. I had followed Sweeney
hastily and as Beasley fell and
Sweeney seemed about to continue his
attack jumped forward, crying:
Don't kick him. Sweeney and thrust
him away. at the same time STOPPING
to pick up the fallen man.
Following the instant of Beasley's
fall woman in window Of one of
the houses near by screamed 'Police!'
the effect of which, In a neighbor-
hood which did not require much
waking up, was to cause crowd to
gather rapidly.
"In the effort to raise Beasley had
lost track of Sweeney and, fearing ar.
rest for disorderly conduct and pos
sibly assault, pushed through the
throng and started to run away, was
intercepted by an approaching police
man and brought back to the place
where Beasley lay.
On circumstantiai Evidence.
"The latter being unable to arise,
several other officers knelt down, ex-
amined him. hastily, searched his
pockets, turned them outward, and
was thereupon taken to police sta.
ton, a charge of simple assault being
made against me.
I'm the morning l was arraigned In
the Fifty-seventh street court, and,
lacking Sweeney's testimony to clear
me. was in the act of paying $40
fine for simple assault, as the easiest
way out Of bad job, when word was
received of Beasley's death and was
held on the charge of homicide. This
is the plain. true story of the whole
transaction"
And most painstaking investigation
made since then has proved, at least
to me, that Wise's story is true.
But why in the name Of justice was
not all this brought out at the time
when Wise faced Jury Of twelve good
men and true. who held his life in
their hands, The answer is simple
| one now.
When Wise was on trial his lawyer
pleaded with him to tell the true
story. He refused. I have asked him
since why he refused.
II thought" Wise said to me, that
could not be convicted, and even II
l should have had luck the worst I
could get would be conviction for
assault-certainly not more than man.
slaughter. stood ready to go to
prison rather than tell on friend.
Sweeney had escaped. They never
caught him. But when 1t became a
question of going to the electric chair
I had to tell the truth, and did. That
was the difference"
There is on file in Albany today a
significant letter to be written by a
public prosecutor. This document to
which l refer bears the signature of
John F. Mcintyre, who was in charge
| of Wise's prosecution. was present
when the foreman of the jury an.
nounced the verdict of guilty In
| Wise's case. No man was more as
founded at the verdict than was the
very man who had presented the peo
pies case. Here is what Mr.. McIn
tyre has written on the jury's findings
in the Wise case:
Victim Of Public Opinion.
AT the time Of the trial there had
been a number of highway robberies
upon the thoroughfares Of the city OF
New York, at which the public mind
became very much inflamed, and upon
the trial OF the accused man It ap
peared that he was in company with
| one who, It was said, assaulted an.
| other for the purpose Of robbing him
upon the streets Of the city. felt at
| the time that the intense feeling then
existing had reached the jury box in
the case Of Wise. which accounted for
what regarded as q, very unusual
verdict In his case.
| IT am informed that an application
has been made for a pardon, which
| application is now pending before you.
II you will permit the liberty, would
| state. that believe that the ends OF
Justice have been fully served in this
case and that 1t would be quite con-
sistent at this time to commute his
imprisonment to term of imprison.
ment that would equal the maximum
punishment for mapslaughter in the
first degree, which, II recollect
Alright, is twenty years. It is my i'm.
preston that Wise has already been
in state prison some ten or twelve
years, and had he been convicted oil
manslaughter in the first degree in the
first instance and the maximum pun
ishment imposed. he would now b
about ending his term Of imprisop
ment."
In the meantime Wise remains be
hind prison bars. And when at the
end Of days work the convicts In
the gloomy old prison on the banks- oi
the Hudson answer the count. Warden
Frost knows that he has at least one
innocent man under his care.
VIII he ever be granted his freedom
feel assured that he will, that thii
boon Is coming for poor Edward Wise
the ''lifer" convict. against whose
name and number is written ''Mpr
derer."
ace Good Returns for HUGE Sum. I