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

here. At any rate l should hope So"
Not ALL" replied Warden Frost. II
am sure there is one man in here in
whose innocence believe"
What" exclaimed the astounded
visitor. "An innocent man-and suf-
fering the fortunes of this hell? Who
is he? Tell me! want to help him."
Warden Frost pointed in the direc-
ton Of the pantry door, through
which sad faced, middle aged man
had Just disappeared.
'The innocent man refer to is the
very one who has been waiting upon
you at this table," said Warden Frost.
II firmly believe in his innocence. He
Is the one man Of whom do not hesl-
tate to say that he ought to be Free"
The innocent man who Is wasting
IL no other than Edward Wise, at one
time champion pool player of Massa-
chusetts, and well remembered as q
member of the Boston baseball team.
But against his name and number
there Is written in large letters on
the records of Sing Sing prison:
Murderer"
Once Edward Wise stood in the
shadow OF the electric chair. He had
been convicted of murder In the first
degree, and the punishment for that
Is death. The court of appeals had
denied his last application for new
trial.
Already the electrical death-dealing
apparatus had been tested. The cleo
trio chair was ready and waiting for
him.
l had received an Official invitation
to attend the execution. I had been
summoned--so read the invitation-to
appear at the death-house before six
o'clock on Monday morning, and on
the Saturday night while looking up
the timetables to find out how to get
to Sing Sing at that early hour was
called on the telephone by Abraham
Levy, Wise's lawyer, who informed
me from Oyster Bay that Governor
Theodore Roosevelt had just COM
muted Wise's death sentence to one
Of life imprisonment.
-, An Innocent Sunerer.
Ten years have passed since that
date. And Edward Wise. probably
innocent of the crime of which he
stands convicted and sentenced--for
I firmly believe that Warden Frost
made no mistake when he referred to
his silent waiter as an "ipnocent
lifer"--is still confined behind prison
bars.
And why? An application for a
pardon was made some years ago.
Prominent men, especially In Massa-
chusetts, where Wise came from, ap.
pealed to the governor. But Wise's
case was laid aside. An effort was
made to have Governor Hughes take
up the matter. There is still hope
that he will. But Wise comes from
another state Maybe 1t is that mis-.
fortune. II such 1t may be called, that
keeps him ''lifer" in Sing Sing state
prison. have Investigated Wises
case, together with others, and
firmly believe, as do many others, that
Edward Wise IL an innocent man.
And to me Il seems strange that
this mans abpeal for clemency- may
{ for Justice and cation--remain
Y UNDECIDED
everybody who II familiar with
prisoners and their ways know thai
all, certainly nearly ali, proclaim thsil
innocence. Go from cell to cell and
ask: Are you innocent or are yos
guilty Of the crime Of which you were
convictedf' And invariably the a
swer win be
Innocent" *
Many years ago ! visited Sing SinG
prison ct the time Governor Flower
wal ~. tour Of inspection. H>
talked With many Of the convicts who
Aad Asked for an audience. They ~