The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-22
.C0MMUTfS SENTENCE
OF IDA BALL WARREN
Carolina Woman and Accomplish In
Murder OF Husband Saved From
Chair.
MURDER WAS MOST nRuT,L
Fishermen Found Body Of Dead Man
Five Weeks After DeatI,--Women's
Clubs Make Appeal TO Governor.

Raleigh, ~ c.. March 2i.--Thc
death sentence imposed upon Mrs.
ida BAH Warren, the first woman ever
sentenced In North Carolina to die in
the electric chair. was conmutcd to
life imprisonment today by Governor
Craig.
The Governor also committed to fife
i'm prisonment the sentence Of Samuel
Preston Christy convicted with Mrs,
Warren for the murder Of her hus-
band.
Ci,risty Could Not Attend Hearing.
Formal petition ftf- communications ri
Mrs. Warrens sentence was presented
Yesterday at hearing granted by the
Governor. Counsel for Christy was u1-
able to attend because Of Illness, but
tiIed a written petition in his clients
behalf.
Mrs. Warren and Christv were con-
tictcd for the murder IN winston
Salem on July Is, 1914. OF C. j. War
rem. After their conviction the case
went To the State Supreme Court on
an appeal and the action of the lower
court was affirmed. An appeal to Chief
Justice Clark, OF the state Supreme
Court, for writ of error in order
that the case might he taken To the
Supreme Court OF the United States
was denied Chief Justice White. of
the Supreme Court of the United
states. declined to act on a similar
appeal
Women's Clubs Make. Appeal.
Because of her sex. women's clubs.
other organizations and individuals
throughout the country appealed to
the Governor for clemency for Mrs.
Warren Other petitions urged the
pxnTlitlNA N. i.,fa
ldreds of communications pleaded for
Ike Treatment for f't1rtgty IT Mrs
Warren's sentence was committed.
Governor Craig. after the hearing
Yesterday Informed counsel for Mrs.
warren he was sure the verdict OF
the courts was sustained by the evil
cence submitted at the trial but he
vas undetermined al that time wheth-
err he would permit a woman 10 be
electroCuted
unusual Features In the Case.
Because OF the unusual features in
the case the trial of Mrs Warren
ana Christy for the murder or the wo-
mans husband attracted wide atten-
tlon Mrs Warren and Christy. after
living together several years as "Mr.
and Mrs Kearns." although I'M
married. We're residing in Grand Sa
line. Tex. when Warren IN 1912 first
appeared ON the scene and obtained
accommodations at boarding house
conducted by Mrs kearns" Christy
! IL railroad man returned from one
| OF his trips few weeks later and
discovered that Mrs. kearns and
Warren had disappeared taking with
mem Christy's savings Of aeveral
years. Warren aud the woman cams
directly to North Carolina, and i'm
mediately after their arrival in Win
Ston Salem, the womaus former
home, were married
A year later Christy located the
couple >and on two occasions went 10
Whisten~Salern in an effort ia. recover
his money. In July. 1914 he came
to North Carolina third time. at
Mrs. Wafren's request. he said.
Fisherman Found Body.
Warren's body was discovered by a
negro fTsneTTTT7N i've weeks after fft-
death, but was buried without lden-
tiflcation.
Upon receiving Inquiries from War
ten's relatives. who were searching
for him. the authorities nine months
later exhumed the body and deter
mined 1t was that of the missing man.