The Washington times., 1913-07-12
WOMAN SAVED FROM
GALLONS NOW DEAD
Matte Lomax, Kept From
Moose by The Times, Sue
cumbs to tuberculosis.

Within less than a year from the time
She was saved from the gallows through
the efforts of The Washington Times,
Matte LomaX, colored. convicted of the
murder of her husband, died in the hos
pital ward of the District Jail of tuber-
culosis Her death bears out the decla-
rations made at the time that even as
she stood in the shadow of the gallows,
until her sentence was commuted to life
Imprisonment by Pres dent Taft, she
was marked for death by the white
plague.
Her death recalls one of the most re-
markabie cases in the criminal annals
of the District, not because there was
anything unusual in the crime of which
she was convicted, but because OF the
widespread pppeals for Executive clsm-
ency that were made after The Wash
lngton Times took up its campaign to
save the District from the stain of
hanging woman.
Thousands Signed Petitions.
After The Times took up the Lomax
case, thousands of petitions poured in
on the White House The Times petit
ing against the hanging were among
these. One mass meeting Was held at
which 3.GOs people voiced their dis
approval of the sentence of hanSins.
Newspapers all over the country JoIn-
ed The Times in protesting against
what they considered would be blot
on the nations honor.
The appeals were not in vain. FIRST
sentenced TO be hanged on July 81, 1911;
reprieves Were repeatedly granted uhtll
on August l.. 1872, President Taft COM
muted the sentence to life imprison-
ment, declaring that the evidence LETT
room for doubt that the crime had
been premeditated.
Prominent among the men who Joined
The Times in its campaign against the
death sentence for the woman was Con-
gressman Caleb Powers, who himself
had been in the shadow of the gallows
after conviction for alleged conspiracy
in the murder of former Governor Goe-
bel of Kentucky.
Powers Defended Woman.
Congressman Power declared it would
be a stain on the national honor" TO
hang the woman for her crime. He
pointed out that one woman, Mrs. Sur
raft had been sentenced to hang in the
District, for completely in the murder
of President Lincoln, but her sentence
had been passed by military and not
civil tribunal.
Before Matte Lomax died yesterday
of tuberculosis, after remaining at the
point of death for months. her mind
had shown sings of giving way, and her
insane. Death not only brought an end
TO her sufferings. but to the perplexity
of the Department of Justice, who did
not know what TO do with her, as she
was refused admission to penitentiaries
because of being a tuberculosis victim,
and the Jail officials objected TO taking
care of a life prisoner.
Conviction for Murder.
The crime for which the woman died
in Imprisonment was the fatal shoot
ing of her husband, Cecil Lomax, De-
cember I6, 1910, at his home, 1888
Eighteenth street northwest. She sur
rendered to the police, declaring her
husband had shot himself while en-
gagged in an attack upon her. She was
tried. convicted, and sentenced to be
executed, when clemency was shown
at the last moment
The aged mother of the dead wo-
man who lives in the country, has
claimed the body and will arrange the
burial at her home.