The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-07-31
|CONDEM MEN
AT PENuTENTIARY
GET COMPUTATION
TO LIFE SENTENCE


Gallows Thru Action of Gov
ernor Shoup.
Clifford Sprouts scolored) OF Pueblo
and Cruz Romero OF Gienwood
Springs. who were under sentence to
have been hung at the penitentiary
some time before IL O'Clock next Sat
urday night for murder. have had
their punishment committed to life
imprisonment by Go. Shoup. The
announcement that the execution of
these men would not have TO take
place was received by Warden lyman
from Denver late Wednesday after
noon All preparations for the hang
ing of the two murderers bad been
completed and would have b. en- car
ried out according to law il the gov
ernor had not superyened to save
them from the penalty the courts had
pronounced on them
By reason of the Intervention of the
executive the hangman's Moose has
been eluded and both Sprouts and
Romero live to scoff the scaffold and
to hold as naurht the verdict OF the
turymen who found them guilty OF
capital offense. Until they were in
formed of the executive c-emency
both men expected. to be hung. and
were ready to pay the supde.ne pen
atty for their crimes. The verdict of
the courts that found these men guilty
OF murder was that they were 10 be
hung until dead some time during
the week beginning July 20 bu: no
hour was fixed for the infiictiop o.
the penalty. The public gets no e.
vance notice of the time =i,au srch
executions will take place. Only the
out the DEGREES OF the courts ere sum
moned. and they proceed with the
utmost secrecy.
The murder for which Sprouts was
convicted and sentenced TO death was
one OF the most cold-b' CODED in the
history of Puebla county. or the state
of Colorado for tina, matter In or
der that he might escape from Jail
and fee from prosecution for burglary
with its consequent term In states
prison. he shot and killed w. w. Green,
one of fueblo's pioneer citizens and
detectives. who al the time OF the
murder was serving as turnkey at the
Pueblo county jail Sprouts had
been admitted to the rotunda OF the
Jail to converse with his wife. who
had called TO see him. She had
brought her husband a basket con-
tanning food and clothing. and later
admitted. but subsequently denied.
having given him pistol while they
were talking. While Sprouts was be-
ing taken back to his cell. after his
wife had left him. he shot Green
twice and beat him over the head
with the butt of the weapon. Bran
disbing his gun Sprouts entered the
office of the jail and compelled the at
PENDANTS to unlock the door and per
NIT hi INTO pass out on the street.
Sprouts was captured only few
blocks away from the Jail hiding in y
barn. Owing to its brutality the mu--
der of Green created great excitement
in Pueblo. and the sheriff hurried
his prisoner TO Colorado Springs TO
escape mob violence. Later Sprouts
was taken to Denver for safe keep
ing.
Romero Il a Mexican and densely
ignorant. being unable TO read or
write any language. In association
with another man. who is now. serv-
ing a long term in the penitentiary
here for completely In the crime. ne
killed Mexican raneher in Garfield
county two or three years seo for
The purpose of robbery. They buried
the body OF the murdered man. and it
WIS not until several months later
that II was ascertained what had be-
come OF the missing man. About a
year after the commission OF the
crime Romero offered fors sale to a
merchant in Glenwood Springs some
articles that were identified as hav-
ing belonged to the murdered ranch.
man and Romero was taken into Gus
tody and locked up until judicial
hearing could be held Romero was
convicted in the district court OF Gar
field county and the death penalty
was imposed upon him. His convic-
ton led 20 the arrest and punishment
Of his partner In the crime.
B