The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-07-04
A VERY SAD CASE
A Poor Woman i'm the Shadow of
Death on the ScaffOld.

woman III the SHADOW OF Qeatn OF
the gallows for the murder of heI
husband, whose pathetic case has
|enlisted the sympathy not only OF
good women in Ontario, where she
lived, but in many parts of the Unit
ed States. 1t is true she slew her
husband, was tried, convicted and
condemned, but the provocation was
very great and there is reason to be-
lieve that she was desperate and I'M
hinged when she committed the
crime.
Execution would have followed
swiftly her conviction had it not de-
yeloped that she would give birth to
child during the current month,
and as the la (which forfeited one
life in expiation for the life taken,
had no claim on that of the unborn
child, the poor unfortunate was re-
prieved until August 9, or for a
month after the expected birth of
| her child. 1t is not to be wondered
at that the sad case of this poor
woman, facing the risks and dangers
of motherhood in the shadow of the
gallOws, should appeal strongly to
| all good women who have become
acquainted with the distressing de-
tails. If ever there was a case which
merited human pity and official
lclemency, here seems to be one. In
Canada, as in England, the laws are
strictly enforced and execution fol-
| lows conviction with terrible swift
ness, but this is an unusual case and
| il is hoped that proper and num-
erous appeal to the Governor Gen.
eral of Canada might secure for this
poor unfortunate at least a commu-
tation of sentence to Imprisonment
for life.
When the fact is known that This
young Italian woman slew her hus-
band. the father of her four living
children, as well as of The unborn
babe, to protect her virtue and save
the good name of her offspring, her
execution will seem atrocious. Her
husband not only abandoned her,
but cruelty maltreated her and
sought to compel her to lead life
Of shame to provide him revenue.
The horror of the proposition, as
well as fear that the brute would
carry out his threats to kill her,
drove her to madness and to murder.
while it is proper enough that
the law should exact a life for a life,
the first law of nature is self-preser-
walton, and a woman's honor is GER
tain1y as dear TO her as her life. This.
unfortunate is no perverted crimi-
nal, but at heart good woman
driven to desperation and insanity
by cruel wrongs. That she has no
friends, is a foreigner, and is abject-
ly poor, are but fresh stimulants to
pity and human kindness. 1t seems
impossible that the Governor Gen.
Ieral of Canada could prove deaf TO
appeals properly placed before him
in behalf of this poor, suffering
mother who preferred death, even
death on the gallows, to turpitude.
and dishonor.'
As the Picayune has we'll said,
this is an unusual case which should
appeal to the fullest sympathy of
every human being in whose breast
there sparkles the least particle of
commiseration for the unfortunate.
This poor woman is the mother of
several small children, the eldest a
boy of seven who does not know the
impending fate of his mother, to
whom he wrote a letter recently i'm
ploring her to come home.
This is one of the sadlest of the
many pathetic recitals chronicled in
newspapers.
In this case the homicide was JUS
tifiable, and instead of being held
for and convicted of murder, the
poor woman should have been ac-
quilted.
Petitions are being circulated re-
|questing that the sentence of death
be commuted to life Imprisonment,
or that she be given reprieve so
that the child soon to be born to her
may not be deprived of mothers
love during its first months of life.
The very thought of this woman
being hanged, especially when she
killed her assailant under the great
est of provocation, is horrifying. IN
lstead of communication or re-
|prieve this woman should be par
doned and be permitted to return to
her children.
1t is true this homicide occurred
| in Canada, but every human being,
man or woman, can exercise some
influence by appealing by letter, post
card or petition for the pardoning of
Angelica Napolitani, which should
ba addpoecad ait hpp dipaet to Earl