Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-05-29
Stern Mandate of the Law
is Thwarted by Eleventh
Hour Recommendation
That Reprieves Issue to
Five Condemned Men
PARDON BOARD IN
SESSION ALL DAY
Finally. Without Concur
renee of Attorney General
Jones, Recognizes Wishes
BRYAN and Approves Tenn
porary Reprieve
(BY 10 c. RICKARDS)
Especial Correspondent for The Repub-
lcan)


Especial Correspondent for The Repub
lican)
Black Friday at Florence has passed
into history. 1t came and went with
some of the dramatic and so much of
the human that it will long be remem
bered by those whose duty called them
to the silent walls of the great con-
crete house of correction in the desert
and those who were ordered under the
stern mandate of the law to execute
Tor cause five men who awaited death
within the walls of the big building.
As early as Tuesday speculation was
rife in the prison as to the outcome of
the date set for the legal hanging, for
there We're rumors that would not be
downed that the men were to be saved
from the laws sentence by a move OF
their attorneys and while the rumors
were vague and without much to hang
hopes upon. still the friends of the con-
desnned did not require much to tinge
the clouds that hung over their friends
with \ bit OF silver lining.
The arrival of the two members of
the pardon board who had motored
from Phoenix ended the day and prom
ised to bring developments when morn
ing came, for they announced that no
meeting would be held until then. The
mass of kilograms and requests from
both sides of the question of the exc
CutiOn of the men had poured in on
the three servants of the state and it
was this correspondence that prompted
the postponement of the meeting an
nOunced to be held at night Thursday
at the prison.
The Fatefu Morning
With the dawn of Friday the two
members of the board breakfasted ear
" and were at the prison at s o'clock
where they went Immediately into
conference with Chairman Trott, who
had remained at the institution over
night.
The lack of prisoners going in and
out of the gates and the absence of
grey clad men in the fields adjoining
the grim walls were the only signs that
this Friday was any different than
many others that have passed since
several of the condemned men first
entered to await the stalking of the
spector of the moose.
In the office of the warden the cleri-
cal force was reduced for the reason
their cells to await the stern business
which was to occupy the attention of
the guards and the men in charge of
the carrying out of the laws mandate.
From time to time in the first hour
after the board went into session, ar
rivals of automobiles which had left
Phoenix in the early morning broke the
stiffness that had settled over the big
inclOsure.
While many invitations are said to
have been sent out by Warden Sims
but few responded and most of the out
of town arrivals were sheriffs from
other counties or men engaged in up
holding the law.
True several makers of laws for the
state were there but the number to see
the sentences executed were far below
what must have been anticipated from
the number who received the black
bordered messages of impending death. |
The Drawing of Lots
Shortly after nine O'Clock Warden !
Simms stepped into an ante room ad- |
Joining the office proper and as if by
magic or some preconcerted move the
grim faced guards not on the ram /
parts Of the prison filed in by twos and
threes and the word was passed that
lots would be drawn to determine who
should officiate at the trap. Two men