The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-04
BY RAY BLACK
Tfnifed Press STAFF COrrespOndent

CHICAGO, Dec. 4.-Imminence
Of death is teaching Russell Nc
Williams how sweet it is TO live.
The IT., ear-old slayer Of a street
car motorman who faces electrocu-
ton next Friday IN Joliet peniten-
t.ary said today tnaU he would give
anything in the world to be able to
live his life over again.
I'D never toI"h another drop OF
liquor and I'd never look at an
other gun" the siX-foot shy, friend
ly youth said.
Young fellous and girls my age
don't know what fools they are to
fool with guns or drinks. I don't
even remember what happened that
night I shot William SayleS and by
this time next week maybe I'll be
living my last day on earth"
ut Looks Bad for Me"
There was wistful note in Rus
sells voice. His blue eyes peered
earnestly from under his blue prison
cap.
Il know" he went on in muffled
tone, ut looks bad for me. The
Governor didn't commute my SEN
tence. But still-maybe somehow
I'll be saved from that thing in
there"
His head jerked toward that part
of the massive prison where the
electric chair waits at the end OF
death row."
Russell's cell is on the first floor
of the building for solitary confine-
ment. He has a rocker. All his
meals are sent in. Two photo
graphs are in the cell. One is that
of his mother, Mrs. Robert McWil-
liams, who comes with RusSelps
father from Rockford as often as
she is permitted to visit the con-
demned youth. Russell does not re-
veal the name of the woman in the
other photograph.
She's a Christian lady who sent
me a Bible and writes encouraging
letters to me-" he said.
Thousands Behind Him
BY the sentence of Judge Arthur
f. Fisher of Winnebago county cir
cult court, Russell McWilliams is
murderer. BY decision of Governor
Louis l.. EmmerSon of Illinois and
the state board of pardon and pa
role, he deserves to die at society's
hand because he broke Society'S
laws.
Thousands of people of the coun-
try do not believe the state should
claim the life of one so young. Rus
sell gets from ten to twenty letters
a day from these folk, who encour-
age him and promise to intercede in
his behalf
Among those who argued before
the state pardon and parole board
that Russell should not be sent to
the electric chair was Clarence OAR
row of Chicago.
age is the greatest mitigating
circumstance in dealing with a
death sentence" barrow said. eff it
isn't, why do we have laws on our
statutes providing special treatment
for Juveniles? Why do we have
juvenile courts and juvenile
homes?"
Darrow insisted it was absurd to
contend that a death sentence stops
murder.
Call Murder Cold BlOOded
There are 400 killings for every
person put to death for murder" he
argued. Which way are we going,
backward or forward? Is it to be
a 15-year-old boy who is sentenced
to die next?
1T is strange that for all the
notifications in the criminal laws
the last 100 years for the creation
of juvenile homes and courts, still
we send 17-year-old boy to the
electric chair"
A statement by the parole board
to which the Governor subscribed,
stated, in part:
The only mitigating circumstance
urged on behalf of the petitioner is
his youth. 1t is admitted that he
committed a cold-blooded, wanton
murder while engaged in another
feloniouS act. He deliberately shot
to death an elderly man who had a
right to live and who was engaged
in earning his livelihood in law
full manner. 1t was a brutal killing
without provocation."
Russell confessed he shot Sayles
after robbing him and seven pass
engers on his street car, but blamed
the liquor he drank.