The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-08

L L the other, END. Walter-Witn
the conviction"
Kennedy handed me letter il the
angular hand affected by many wom-
en-. II was dated at Sing Sing, or
rather Ossining.
said nothing, cor the letter spoke
tor itself.
Perhaps you recall reading Of the
trial and conviction Of my husband, San
ford Goodwin, at East Point.
Since the trial, have taken up my
residence here in Ossining in order to
be near him. My husband was accused
of numbering by poison-hemlock. they
alleged-h!s adopted parent tn. refined
merchant Parker Goodwin. whose family
name he took when he was boy. After
the death of the old man, later will
was discovered in which my husbands
Inheritance was reduced to a small an
nuity. The other heirs. the Elmores. as
serted. and the state made out Its case
on the assumption, that the new will
furnished a motive for killing old Mr..
Goodwin. and that only by accident had
it been discovered
Sanford is innocent. He could not have
done it. 1t is not in him to do such
some things I know more than all the
lawyers and scientists. and know that
he is innocent
1 cannot write all My heart is too full.
Cannot you come and advise me? Even
II yo ! cannot take up the case to which
I have devoted my life. tell me what to
do I am enclosing check for expenses.
all 1 can spare at present.
Sincerely yours.
''NELLA GOODWIN"
In the early forenoon, we were on
our way by train up the river" to
Sing Sing, where, at the station, line
of old-fashioned cabs and red-faced
cabbies greeted US. for the town it
self is hilly.
The house to which we had been
directed was on the hill. and from its
windows one could look down on the
barracks-like pile of stone with the
evil little black-barred Sits of win
dows, below and perhaps quarter OF
a mile away.
Mrs. Goodwin was pale, slight lit
tie woman, in whose face shone an
indomitable spirit, unconquered even
by the slow torture of her lonely
vigil
Today she had evidently been
watching in both directions, watching
eagerly the carriages as they climbed
the hill, as we'll as in the direction of
the prison.
How can 1 ever thank you, Prof
Kennedy" she greeted us at the door,
keeping back with difficulty the tears
that showed how much it meant to
have any one interest himself in her
husbands case.
1T has been long fight" she be-
gan, as we talked in her modest lit
tie sitting room, into which the sun
streamed brightly with no thought of
the cold shadows in the grim building
below. ooh, and such hard, heart |
breaking fight. Often it seems as if
we had exhausted every means at our
disposal, and yet we shall never give
you have not given up hope in
the appeal" asked Kennedy gently.
1T is merely on technicalities of
the law" she replied with quiet for
titude, that is, as nearly as l can
make out from the language of the
papers. Our lawyer is Salo Kahn, of
the big firm OF criminal lawyers,
Smith. Kahn & Smith"
A good lawyer" encouraged Ken
ncdv.
Yes. know. He has done all that !
lawyers can do. But the evidence was
what you would call. scientihc-ab |
<olutelv Three expert chemists testl
fed for the people that they found
the alkaloid. CONNIE in the body. Yes, |
:hev found the alkaloid IN the body |
and try as he did there was no way !
that Mr.. Kahn could shake their tes- |
tinonv The jury believed them
"Conine," unused Kennedy, half to !
himself
Yes. the active principle of hem
lock-" she went on. That was what |
the experts discovered they swore. In |
the pure state. | believe. it is more
poisonous than anything except the
cvanidcs And it was absolutely !
scientific evidence. They repeated the .
tests in court There was no doubt of
it But. oh. he did not do it. Some one
else did it, He did not-he could not"
Kennedy said nothing for few
minutes, but from his tone when he
did speak it was evident that he was
deeply touched.
Since our marriage we lived with
old Mr. Goodwin in the historic God
win House at East Point" she re-
sumed. as he renewed his question
ing. "Sanford-that was my hus
bands real last name until he came
as a boy to work for Mr.. Goodwin in
the Office OF the factory and was
adopted by his employer-Sanford
and kept house for him.
About year ago he began to
grow feeble and seldom went to the
factory, which Sanford managed for
him. One night Mr.. Goodwin was
taken suddenly i'll. don't know how
long he had been i'll before we heard
him groaning. but he died almost
before we could summon doctor.
There was really nothing suspicious
about it, but there had always been
great deal OF jealousy Of my hus-
band in the town and especially
among the few distant relatives of
Mr.. Goodwin. What must have started
as an idle, gossipy rumor developed
into a serious charge that my hus-
band had fastened his old guardians
death.
The original will-the will, | call
it-had been placed in the safe in the
factory several years ago But when
the gossip in the town grew bitter,
one day when we were out some pri-
vate detectives entered the house with
a warrant-and they did actually find
a will, another will about which we
knew nothing, dated later than the
first and hidden with some papers in
&