Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-17
PLEA FOR LIFE Of
PITTSBURGH MAN
Asks Pardon Board to Commute
First Murderer Sentenced to
.~ Death by Electric Chair

Sheriff George w. Richards, of Allie
gheny county, to-day sent to the State
Board of Pardons a plea for the
life of Andrew MalinowSki, of Pitts
burgh, who is under sentence of death
for murder and who, If not commuted,
will be the first person to suffer the
death penalty by electrocution under
the new law substituting the electric
chair for the scaffold in Pennsylva-
mia.
In behalf of Malinowsfi, Sheriff
Richards presented to the Pardon
Board petition signed by every
member of the Legislature from Allie
ghenN county.
My interest in this man is not ac-
tuated by the sympathy that is sup
posed to exist with regard to all hu-
man beings who are about to die said
Sheriff Richards, but because [ have
been impressed with certain eNtenuat-
ing circumstances in this case that the
ordinary man would not be familiar
with, and because l consider myself a
sufficient judge of human nature to
know that this unfortunate young man
is possessed of more good qualities
than one finds in confirmed criminals.
He is not of the latter type, and If for
one minute / thought his act had been
premeditated l should certainly not
he here"
Among other things that have inn
linowski are the love of the young
man for his children, his utter lack of
feeling against his dead wife, and
his diligent perusal of a prayer book.
Chief Deputy Herbert II. Braun and
Deputy Charles McInerney hold the
same view as the sheriff, and have not
only signed with him the petition for
commutation. but have come here per-
sonally to assist in the case.
Malinowski killed his wife in fit
of drunken rage on New Years night,
1914. and then shot himself, but not
fatally. He was convicted and sem
fenced to death. Sheriff Richards and
him to the new Western Penitentiary
at Bellefonte, where all electrocutions
are to take place.
Malinowsxi said he was an Amer
lean, having lived in Pittsburgh since
he was three years old. He was mar
ried at 10, his wife being 16. They
got along harmoniously for several
years and had two children. Times
got bad at Pittsburgh and Malinowski
got work at Gary, Ind, as bolt
maker. which is his trade. They had
two boarders. The wife wanted two
more. The husband objected, for rea-
sons which he says ARE not necessary
to state" Quarrels followed. and the
young man returned to Pittsburgh.
The wife followed and lived with her
mother. She had the children and
Malinowsld was permitted to see them
only occasionally.
on New Years night there was a
ball Malinowski and his wife attend
ed but not together. There was drink
ing afterward.
From that point said Malinowski,
Il really remember nothing until I
woke up in a hospital and was told
I had shot my wife and also had shot
myself through the leg. They say
people saw me do it and I guess l must
have done it, but l don't remember
anything OF It,"
The case was argued to the Pardon
Board by Attorney Hiram Schoch, for
merly a newspaperman in this city.
and Representative \. C. Stein, the lat
ter having volunteered his services.
The board will give its decision later
in the day.
The board had three other commu-
tation cases. in one of which, that OF
Arthur Simons, it directed an alienist
to examine the man.
The three Dauphin county cases will
come up later in the day.