Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-08-30
Governor Donaghey Gives Reasons For Delaying Alexander Hanging,
 Fixed for Today.
DOUBT AS TO SANITY
Sheril Brewster Receives Official Cop! oi Respite From the
 Chief Executive.

Sheriff Edgar Brewster of this coun- ty, Acstt rdav received from Governor George w. Donaghcy the four months respite granted W. C. Alexander. con yicted and condemned murderer of ] ]. Kelly. popular railroad man. who , was 10 have been hanged today. but ! whose execution vas postponed after alienists, named by the governor :d examine into his sanity, had reported that he was hopelessly insane, and af- ! ter a jury of twelve men in this coun- ty had failed to agree on his sanity, being equally divided. six to six, af- 1 ter hours of deliberati0n.
 In his respite Governor Donachey declares that he considers Alexander guilty of the crime for which he was l convicted and would not in any man her interfere with his execution but for the douht raised as to his sanity.
 Furthermore, says the governor the law does not contemplate the hanging of an insane man in any event, and such an act would be n- humane in the extreme and warrant the censure of all good citizens of the commonwealth A copy of the re- spite follows:
 WHEREAS, w. c. Alexander, was by the Circuit Court of Desha county, Arkansas, tried and convicted at it's January term, 1912, of the crime of murder in the first degree and sen tenced by said court to be hanged on Friday, Mrach 18th, 1912; and,
 WHEREAS, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the State of Arkansas and the judgment of the lower court by the supreme court in all things affirmed, and the date of execution of said w. c. Alexander named by me as Friday, August 30, 1912; but,
 WHEREAS, There has arisen reason-
 
 the sanity of Alexander, he having been pronounced insane by num- ber of responsible physicians, of well known repute, and by other reputable physicians sane, and the special jury empaneed by the sheriff according to law for the purpose of determin- l.: 1Inv ly divided; and although l consider Alexander guilty of the crime for which he was convicted and would not in any manner interfere with his exc cution but for the doubt raised as to his sanity; yet,
 WHEREAS, The law does not con- template the hanging of an insane man in any event, and such an act would be inhumane in the extreme , and warrant the censure of all good : citizens of the commonwealth
 NOW, THEREFORE,, I, George w. Donaghey, governor of Arkansas. un- , der by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State of Arkansas, and acting in my official capacity, do hereby grant to the said
 w. c. Alexander a respite and sus- pension of sentence until Friday, the r 27th day of December, A. D. 1912, be.
 lieving that by that time either his ]. sanity will have become assured Ol r his insanity will have progressed t' e such stage that all the examininl l. physicians will be convinced and al - doubt in the minds of the people re < moved; and I decree that on that da d he shall by the sheriff of Jefferson '- county be taken to some convenien U place near the jail yard and hange' " by the neck until he is dead. ,t IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hay g hereunto set my hand and caused tn . seal of state to be affixed, at Littl V Rock, in the Executive Chamber, thl n 2Sth day of August in the year Of ou r, Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundre t # and Twelve, and of the Independenc E of the United States, the One Hundre ie and ThirtySeventh.
 : G. W. DoNAGHEY, ? Earle w. Hodges, Governol Secretary of State.