Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-02-27
MRS. MURRAY OUT IN
STATEMENT REGARDING
PART IN SNoWDEN CASE
Lady Who Has Been One OF Most As,
tire Id Effort saye Negro admits
Defeat And Gives t'p Battle

Mrs, ella Rush Murray who has
leen most active and prominent IN
the enort to secure commutation or
reprieye OF the senSence of John Snow
den. today declared that she felt she
had done her utmost and admitted de-
feat iii the attainment of her object.
Mrs Murray still maintains her con
vietion OF the Innocence Of the man
Who Is Ia hang tomorrow but says
!, the time is too short for her in which
ITO secure such testimony In support
of her views as she believes she could
oI tain
Mrs, Murray has prepared the fol-
lowing statement and asks the Even
ling Capital to make publication of II !.
Sir May ask little Ana space
lin your columns. Iii order that ! may
SAY i parting word 70 my fellow
townspeople ia regard To the Snow
den case?
81 have worked upon the fresh evi-
dcnce regarding the murder of Mrs
Brandon for nearly the past three
weeks until late into each night All
that evidence. pul Iished In the Capital
under date oE Eel ruary 25. last is
signed testimony, with one exception,
the last paragraph The court records
have given me much valuable infor-
nation. Lack of space forbida quota
fion therefrom. will. however, say
that my teiief iii John snowden's IN
innocence, aside from the newly diacoy-
Eered evidence is founded primarily
upon most peculiar testimony by Val-
entire Brandon, as against Mrs Ida
Burch: see the Court Records, Vol
une i pages S6. 81. 49, 81 and 55
II also wish to say that the recent
newspaper attack made upon Mrs.
Humiston because 81 her visit To Mrs.
Burch. Ii only one Of many en-
Ideayors made y certain interests
10 diacredit a woman who was ap-
pointed assistant to Attorney General
Bonaparte Il j President Roosevelt and
who held that position for three years,
sttswfSU has been district attorney In New
York, and who is b uemLer OF the
New York Tar. with fifteen years
Epracticc Before sent for Mrs. Hum
isson was told ~ Major Pullman,
tchief or the Washington police, and
Thy Hon. Charles Bonaparte, that she
WAS woman of the highest ability.
Her capacity for unearthing incon-
yenient facts is frequently the cause
sof her alleged uopopularity. In re-
gard to her recent highly misrepre-
sented interview with certain state
witness III this city, ! will merely say
hat the same individuals very Curl
| OTIS and contradictory statements to
me we're one of my flrst reasons for
sending for Mrs Humiston was
moreover strongly warned BY three
highly prominent men, all connected
with the case. not to send for "the
! woman detective from New York
i Naturally. sent for her, as conclug-
ous Mere quite obvious.
n was forced into this terrible case
lily the action of the states attorney,
] tired 10 treat him sQuarely warn
/ Led him that / would not he a favor
/ al le witness for the state. because the
testimony 4 had heard the irst day Ol
! the trial had convinced me that snow
J den was innocent. could have allow
5 led the states attorney 10 place me on
! 1.-THE witness stand. and then have ai.
lowed the defense 10 break down ms
Testimony, hut that line Of action does
I not appeal to me- and In return foI
/ what tried to do for the states at.
I ltorney, he prevented me from testify.
J ling as my conscience dictated, for tht
defense BY having me. ruled ont on ths
I. grounds that was secondary eyi
4 dence, although he had subpOenaed M
! las 'one OF his most important wit
ncsses. He also told Judge Duncan
: THAT my only reason for not wishini
to testify was because wished to re
I return to Annapolis on account Of nj,
!. child who was I'll, and denied HAVING
I been giving any other reason BY me
{ (See Court Records, Vol 2. page 771
This statement was expressly made U,
!. him while the jury was out Of tn
! court room
III the best element ia Annapolia
which has 10 plainly eyinced It's dis
approval OF an execution ON sucl
circurnstantial evidence, will only car
lry. on the good work and see to !
that such 4 terrible mistake ii neve
e made again. and iE public sentimen
is sufficiently aroused TO abolish capi
q tal punishment upon such tine-lImi
q d the possible committing oS an eIab
y Orate. Intricate and complicatel
= crime inside of only ten minute
= lsine, gsee Court Records. Vol 2, pag
Il a071, then indeed Ne may feel thas TIL
!. p00r nsgro shall not have died !
!. ynin
&. ELLA RUSH MURRAY.
n FEB. 81. 1918.