Evening star., 1935-01-05
Circular Asks Public to Offer
Roosevelt and Cummings
Pleas.
WIFE OF DOOMED MAN
WILL PRESENT ALIBI
Attorneys Plan to File Additional
Evidence Supporting Claim
He Was Not in City.

Aprinted circular letter, signed by
a group of several well-knoWn Wash
ingtonians, was being circulated
throughout the East today asking the
public to call upon Attorney General
Cummings and President Roosevelt in
an effort to save the life of Charles
Harris, scheduled to die next Friday
in the electric chair for the murder
of Milton W. "Milsie" Henry, Wash
ington gambler.
Meanwhile Harris wife was expected
to appear at the Department of Justice
some time today to give her version
of an alibi for the condemned man,
which his present counsel claims he
was prevented from presenting at his
trial because of inadequate funds.
Official Studying Case.
Mrs. Harris is to confer with James
A. Finch. pardon attorney for the
department, who is making an official
study of the case before submitting a
recommendation to the Attorney
General.
Yesterday. the mother and sister of
the slain man sent telegram to Finch
in which they expressed doubt that
Harris had anything to do with the
crime.
United States Attorney Leslie c.
Garnet. on the other hand, has pro-
tested the application for Communication
of the death sentence, contending
Harris was given fair trial and that
the courts had passed upon and held
tho 1ou' or6 forts SIlfhPinnf n dnny
him rehearing.
Neil BurkinShaw and Nugent Dodds
attorneys for Harris, also planned to
file additional evidence with Finch
today supporting the contention that
Harris was in New York at the time
Henry was killed in April, 1882.
Car Evidence Claimed.
Garnett, however. declared in his
letter to Finch that the district at
torney's Office also had evidence not
presented at the trial, tracing the au-
tomobile used by the slayer to Harris
The car, it was claimed, was found in
Camden, N. j., and an automobile
salesman there is said to have picked
out Harris photograph as that of the
4Alo1A wiz bOd5llO lllC lllnS11hlC
Later. however, it was stated. the
salesman refused to identify Harris
and the prosecutors contend he re.
versed his position because of threats
The circular letter sent out today
outlines the evidence introduced al
the trial and then proceeds to tear il
down as insufficient to warrant the
death penalty. 1t also gives in some
detail the alibi claimed for the con.
demned man, asserting he was with
members of his family at their New
the Passover at the time Henry was
killed.
The letter requests that letters be
forwarded at once, both to Attorney
General Cummings and the President
since Executive clemency before next
Friday is Harris only hope to escape
death The case was upneld on ap-
peal and there is no hope of again 60
ing into the courts.
Signed by Seven.
The circular is signed by Herbert
z. CASTOR, assistant to the Secretary
of the Treasury; Rabbi Abram Simon
Joseph A. Berberich and Charles Nc
Nerny, representing the st. Vincent de
Paul Society; Mrs. Charles Goldsmith
secretary of the Board of Public We'll
fare; Charles Edward Russell, we'll
known writer, and James P. Briggs OF
the American League Against Capital
Punishment.
Meanwhile, Finch is awaiting COM
munications from Leo A. Rover, United
States attorney at the time of Harris
conviction, and Julian I. Richards, the
assistant United States attorney, who
handled the case in court.
When all the records and recon-
mendations have been received, Finch
will submit them along with his find
ings to the Attorney General.