The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-26
H. B. WARNER, ALIAS JIMMY VALENTINE.

the expenses Of their ngbt. firmly hclis'
7 inE In their innocence
Naturally there y scre feeling on
the Other side u Il not % he expected
that all the officials who took charge OF
the case would a. this late day come OUT
. boldly IN their defence. continues Mr..
War eT Fer example. Harry Skinner
| rho as Uritei States District Attorney
pTosecutei the three mer l. row villiTg
| 10 sign a petition Ter Adams's gar lou.
| but h ur conviccei Of SAWYER irrCcer -
| II was he who obtained the Commutati1n
. Of sentence from Mr. Roosevelt. IN
answer 20 the letter I sent him he refers
I 20 the feeling aroused during al the trial
az being very strenuous and SAYS.
Bishop Robert strange OF Wilmington
and the Rev James Carmichael With others
became 20 Interested In the man Adams
, that az my suggestion President Roosevelt
commuted the sentence Of Adams and
SAWYER 10 life Imprisonment. This was
the best that could be done for them az
the time have not quite made 40 my
mind as 10 SAWYER II developed that he
was more active and altogether more
positive man than Adams. whereas Adams
vas a Weakling and showed every -
position Of being a very timid man. On
reading the testimony YOU vii note that
there vas suficieni evidence 70 convict
sawyer ana Adams am very anxious
that the matter shall b. thoroughly investi-
gated and properly presented 20 hat the
prisoners may have the benefit Of every
favorable CONDITION and Circumstance look
ng toward their release
Mr.. skinner soon after this case re-
signed and Is no longer a Government
ofiicial.
Thomas n knight. one 81 the leaaing
citizens Of Wilmington, Of the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad Company, VINO has
bea1 rreatly interested IN the case from
the beginning. sent me copies Of the
local papar containing the account OF
the trial and Scotts confession on the
gAllovs with a list Of other important
men who, like him. believe the two should
he reinstate1 20 liberty. He says:
The rasa No las vas called for trial
November 4. 1876. a. the regular term Of
the United states Circuit Court for the
Pattern district % North Carolina. Judge
Thomas r Purnsu vas the trial Judge
lie nov dead bur before biz death signed
A pstItion for the pardon ~ Adams The
men we're total strangers 10 everybody
here and u would have been. 10 my mind,
almost a miracle 20 have found jury 20
account them But after their conviction
many prominent citizens changed their
vI.w, and interested themselves IN their
behalf. credltinG their Innocence Mr.
savage. then and nos constable for the
CITY. who was for a tine death Satch over
them. doubted their guilt. a. did also Mr.
Capps. the then iaileT.
The Rev. Z. Robert Bennett. Arch
deacon ~ Florida. writes 70 me from
jacksonville after reaning the ADAMS
letter that Il is substantially correct ana
adds
10th he and Robert SAWYER are abso-
lursly mo ent and instead o. being mar
Grated Tor life ought 20 h. free and loaded
down Ulth presents for OyerpOVertnz anc
bindtns scott and giving him 40 70 jus
tice scott was fend incarnate and 10
Was his full intention 10 have both Adams
and SAWYER forfeit their lives for giving
rim IN Uva- the greatest miscarriage Of
Iu-fire - punish these innocent Young men
have ever known Bnt prejudice vas great
and white and blark alike felt like lynch.n'
I'M. two until / got the trltn IRON >, OFT
1 almost anOW by heart the fearful detaiIs
Of IN. tragedy a. told me by scott hate
10 re-, all them u ever a man was insane
20 IN blood lust II was scott he confessed
10 me that he intention vas 10 murder the
two nov 10 prison a. vell but they got nim
nrst
A letter signed by name must hold
n coLh4cnce u as IoilOws
read 10 a New lors paper the account
81 your generous hearted Interest In behalf
Of pOoT prisoners NAV the good Lord Eeip
AMI bless YOU In this grand and monte
charity, trust YOU all be able 10 do some
thing Tor Arthur Adams and Robert saw
yer. Young men Sentenced here Tor life
firmly believe the are innO, enl, and they
have been and are modei prisoners. NON.
M dear ~. ~ / an an ono ~ ~ this prison
! am not al liberty 20 take an active rart
In behalf Of the prisoners. ~ you Will Andy
consider this letter confidential
In a seoDni letter from the prisoner
Adams IRON the UTitet states pei.iteu-
tiarv. Atlanta. Ga. subsequent 10 the
lettrr asking that I do what | can for
the release II Sawyer and himself there
l. A straightforward narration Of facts
A. IN the original. lie writes:
- Nas q years old az that time
and bad been a seaman for about three
YEAR and had honor bic discharge papers
from 90 my previous ships sawyer was
NJ wears old and has been On the sen for
ten years and has r. cOnsidera number
of discharge IN ono ship he served thre-
year- and six months and all good char
aster ! had never known sawyer before
We shipped on the Harry 4. BerWind 90
Philadelphia for the voyage. We Nent %
cuba. then 10 Mobile and we're on our way
back 10 Philadelphia when this happened
scott aud the captain had some vords
together and In the ships log kept By the
captain there b. an entry 10 the eject that
scott had threatened Ia xii him. scott
absolutely falsined on the stand In telling
u this crime and in his confession he de-
clarrd that he had lied and that ne we're
not guilty Of Il. and had nothing 10 do with
r Ne tried 10 make Il appear that We were
al in conspiracy You see this hole
anau from the time u The crime until We
were sentenced took lrs. than thirty days
We we've brought -shore pennies almost
boo q community in vhiCh We had no friends.
charged With a moustrous crime. Public
sentiment Was against 40 % o. from the
Grsi uutu hearing our statement ana after
the confession then the arutimnhg Of tha