The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-03-26
T|ELOW CASE
IS TO Be REOPENED
BY n. Y. GRAND JURY
Man Serving Sentence of Life I'M
%prisonment for Alleged Double
Murder May Gain Freedom ;
New Evidence Found, Claim.

special Correspondence to TIE Herald.
Buffalo. Y. Y. March s6.-The cell
ebratcd Sticlow case II 10 be the SUBJ
iect of investiLation by the orleans
county grand Jury which %conNcuea
today iu the town of Alhion II is
said this grand Jury viii he called
upon to consider new and important
facts in the case. tending to hlish
the Innocence OF Charles =. Stieiow.
now serving = sentence Of life impris-
onment for alleged double murder
facts were brought TO light by
sticlow attorneys aud by influential
persons In New York City who have
long beer Interested in the case.
Stielow was convicted of numbering
Charles phelps. q farmer by whom he
was employed. and Mr.. Phelps house
keeper. Mrs. Wolcott. In their home
at Medina. orleans county, In July,
1915. The accused nan made AN al
legged confession uf the crime and u
was his allesed confession that was
mainly responsible for his conviction.
Later he rccanted his previous state
pents and Declared his Innocence OF
the murders. Medical testimony was
kANf WI ~ Alf ~ tAA NANhA FAAtANh NNN ANAA
brain 81 q chitd seven and one-half
years old.
After the condemned mar had been
granted e rcprieve to permit an APP
peal to the higher court. several
prominent persons I'm . York be-
came Interested IN his case. believing
that he was innocent. Among them
were former District Attorney Jrmes
W. osborne. Misha Appelhaum. head
OF the Humanitarian cult. and the
late Inez Nlnholland Boisscvain.
Sctund I,cp1ieNc GunUrl.
Governor Whitman was induced Co
grant a second reprieve. after the
court Of appeals had refused To inter-
ferc with Siielow's sentence OF death.
After the governor had refused ga
grant q third reprievc. Justice Guy Of
the supreme court. twice prolonged
the condemned mans l;fc just as wit
neSscs were assembling in Sing sins
prison Tor the expected legal death.
Following the granting ot a stay OF
eighteen hours. the Justice issued AN
order requiring the district attorney
" no prosecuted Stielow To- show cause
why "A new trial should not D.,
granted.
only energetic efforts uu the part
OF persons who believed Stielow inno-
cent saved him from seemingly Ger
ltniu death. In uIl the criminal am
mails Of New York state 10 u.s. said n'
other condemned person ever had 81,
narrow an ESCAPE from capital pun
Iishmeut. Twice In one dpy Sticlow
wife and tNo children had ~aid fare.
well tu him. and each time they ma,
abandoned hope Of seeing huu alive
lHgain.
While the case Wa awaiting q huA
de, siuu the authorities arrested Er-
win King. "a peddler. who had beet
known to visit the Phelps home or
ioccusions ana who had figured in th'
lStiolow case as a Witness After hi'
|inrrcst King b. sad Co have made
what amounted to a. confession uf ih'
murders Later he r%cpudiaicd boz.
iall,g,d confession. pu the strength
lof his statements. however. Governor
whitman. ou December 3 last con,
imu'cd Sticlow's sentence tu lie inn
lpr -oumrut In his message commit
ting the sentence the governor -8i'
Of Kings confession.