The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-24
FACED GALLOWS LONG;
FREED AS INNOCENT
John f. Schuyler, Sentenced for
Jersey Murder, Wins Parole
After Seven Years.
PREACHER HIGGINS Is OUT

TRENTON, ~ j.. Dec. 23.-John L.
Schuyler of Somerset. who more than
seven years ago was convicted OF murder.
OF a Christmas gift from the Court of
Pardons to-day. lie was set free on
parole. and despite his conviction may be
regarded as innocent. for another man has
was found guilty.
Sentenced to the gallows, then receiving
Communication to life imprisonment Schuy-
Ter had asserted his innocence day In and
day out. Finally. with the help Of de-
voted friend, he managed to obtain evil
dence in support OF the confession OF an
other man In State prison.
The murder Of Manning Riley OF Califon
on the night OF January 10. 1907. was
laid to Schuyler. The body of Riley was
found n o'clock on a Saturday night
within "a short distance of the Union Hotel.
Caiifon. an hour after he had left the
place. The base of his skull had been
crushed. the slayer using a hemlock fence
paling.
George Knowles Largo. then County
Prosecutor. aud Elmer Hand. county
Constable. worked up the evidence. and
within a day ordered thu arrest of Schuy-
Ter. who was found at his home at Nernoy.
mile away from the scene OF the crime.
! A Coroner's inquest. he'd in secret. gath
cred evidence which the prosecutor re-
/ fused to divulge before the trial.
Schuyler protested his innocence. al
though when sentence Of death was hang
ing over him he was told that IL he con-
fessed he would receive a life sentence.
He said he preferred hanging to the con-
I fession of crime that he had not com.
mitted.
J In 1912 rumors were circulated that an
other man had admitted the crime. None
of tho officials would say anything. but
finally II. s. Kuhl. then County Prose-
cutor. ordered an Investigation. 1t de-
veoped that Frank Burd, convict. had
told sheriff Tolconbe that he was the
slayer but he refused afterwdrd to con-
firm the statement. because he feared he
would he put on trial for murder.
Then Joseph Mcconnell. a county con-
stable. who believed in Schuyler's 'uuo-
ceuce. made an inquiry into the state
ments made by Burd. lie spent nvc
months following various clues at spare
moments and Interviewing various wit
nesses Mcconnell made verbal report
To- the Prosecutor. but no action was
taken until newspapers Justice Reed and
eN-tiov. stokes interviewed In behalf OF
the convicted man.
\ parole from prison was granted t..
day to George j., Huggns. a lay preacher
of Burlington, who was sentenced to from
Ave TO thirty years for attacking a girl
indentured 70 him by the New Jersey
, Chldren's Home Society. Clergymen
throughout the State started movement
in behalf of Higgins, but the Court OF
| Pardons refused to intervene at the time
! of his conviction. the evidence being re-
garded as conclusive.
The court refused 10 commute the death
sentence OF Griffin J. johnson. Burling-
ton county negro. who killed the woman
with whom he boarded. lie is sentenced
to die during the week OF January I. with
two other murdercrs now in the death
house.
Joseph Kysilka. serving a thirty year
term for murder committed in liud-
son county. was paroled. Evidence sub
mitted convinced the court that Kyslka
could not have been present when tho
murder was committed.