The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-05-03
He PRAYED
To SAVE A
MURDERER
Leslie Shaw DuTDbiOuhds Court
By KneaIIng Before
Tho Jury

Mason CITY, Ia, Nav 3 There is
considerable unwFitten history Ia eon.
necton with the NE of Hon Leslie
"a Shaw. governor oi iowa hi 1855.
1902 and secretary of the tFe9suryI
lunder former President The0dufeI
Roosevelt That He II man won-
defiully resourceinl has BEEN dem
Mrated time and time again by the
many stories he mas p0t afloat. If bel
couldn't draw one from his most ex.
cellent stock he had the genius to
originate one which always bit the
mark
But it is not In story making that
he has alone shown his originality
Judge Charles e Alhrook of the
Eleventh Iowa district, with home ina
hldora was q cassmnte of Governor
SHAW Both chose the legal profess.
sion, and the Judge now enjoys tell
ing this story on Mr. shaw, which
occurred soon after receiving bis ar
ploma
Shaw was a devote Methodist as
| young man, and he wasn't one Bit
ashamed Of bis religion Or his relig
ious preferences He never did things
itst exactly as other Young lawyers
not that he wanted TO be different
but II simply wasn't In him A sen
sational murder had occurred iii tae
town In which he had located. Shaw
gave a good deal Of promise and he
enjoyed hard work, and the defense
was put in his hands fe worked
hard for his client in getting hold OF
| evidence, but thtre was nothing def
intely tangible upon which 10 base a
defense
! When the case came TO trial the
Young man entered a plea Of not
guilty The state commenced pilng
lup It's evidence and there was d com
plete chain. strong in every part Il
did not seem possible that the cu-
brit could escape Shaw introduced
what little evidence he had accumu-
lated when both sides rested
Prayer Saves Murderer
The arrangement was that the
states attorney should open the arg.
ument Shaw would follow and the
| state would close A powerful plea
gas made for the administration of
capital punishment, and from the
way the evidence was construed by
the expert states attorney, the Jury
could hardly do anything short Of re-
turning a verdict as asked.
1t came time for Shaw All were
wondering what the young attorney
would do But they We're not long
held in suspense.
Let us pray, were the words ut-
tered, which made the old court
house ring Down upon his knees
fell the young attorney The states
attorney was dnmhfounded Should
he object? was question quickly
debated H he did, ne reasoned. that,
with the religious jury hearing che
case It would surely acauit the man
4 He kept silent
Il While the attorney was debating,
II shaw prayed on He prayed for the
Y Jury, then for the prosecuting attor.
ney, for the presiding judge, and last-
lls for his client, and all with so much
feryor and SO rach intensity oi
heart that whep he arose there was
i lhardlv a dry eve In the court room,
! sympathy had taken a deep hold NlF.
Shaw Followed this with very briei
remarks The jury, after receiving
| the instructions from the Judge re-
tired to its room, but quickly brought
in a verdict OF not guilty II Was tne
lpayer which won.
There are few OF the older Meth'
odists OF this country who can not
remember the fierce debate in the ec.
! uumental conference til 1896, when
the question Of admitting women TO
the general conference was being
fought out on The floor Of the con.
ference Leslie NJ. Shaw, then 1ank.
e, Of Denison. was selected TO pre-.
sent certain legal phase of the uues.
tion In favor Of the admission, and
/ ht dla so With remarkable clearness
and force which promised to sweep
things Dr Buckley oil the New
I York Christian Advocate, who made
aacersaries trembe when lie spoke,
Was hghting the admission OF women
With an the giant strength he possess
ed. 1t was the fight Of his life.
Mhen MIR. shaw had completed his
acdress Dr. Buckley arose and WITH
sarcasm as weapon, OF which he Is
master said
Here comes q STRIPPING from the
lpiairies ol Iowa. Who has delivered 2
few speeches before some country
justice OF the peace, and he comes
lh,re proposine to tell us The legal
phase of this question, What audac
; lity3A
Dr. Buckley carried his point and
women were not admitted
Just year later Dr John q. Grip
pen. VINO S now living a Mount Nern
on. la. who was present at the CON
ference and heard the debate, haa
tine pleasure of wiring DrBucklev
Iowa has Just elected the strlplins
from the prairie governor Of This
great state Look out for shaw
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