Year: 1869

DIR. Paul Schoeppe Respited- Governor Geary


snd the Newspapers.


Special Despatch TO The Epentrg Telegraph.


CARLISLE, Pa, Dec. 15.--A special messenger
left the capital this morning for Carlisle, bear
ing with him the official letter of Governor
Geary, directing Sheriff Thompson to return the
death-warrant in the case of DIR. Paul Schoeppe
who was to have been hanged on Wednesday
next for the murder of his betrothed WIFI, Miss
Maria NJ. Stennecke His respite is understood
to be for an indefinite period, or at least until
the Supreme Court has taken action on the re-
cent motion made by counsel for the defense
andAttorney-Gener Brewster jointly. Its admit
ted here that never has a case occurred in which
such pressure has been brought to bear upon
the Governor in order to secure respite. Every
mail has brought petition upon petition, and
every train has borne some delegation, beseech-
ing executive clemency. Yesterday Governor
Geary was closeted for several hours with a
gentleman from Philadelphia who has taken an
active interest in this anti-execution movement
At the expiration of the interview the Governor
signifed his intention, on the reception of the
official notification from the Supreme Court that
that tribunal had granted the writ of Certiorari,
of respiting the condemned man. During the
conversation the Governor is understood to have
animadvertedp pretty strongly upon the course pur-
sued by the newspapers of the State, upon his
pardon record He also said that a great hub
bub had been raised with reference to his course
upon this case. He alluded to the fact
that no direct application had been
made to him for respite, but on the contrary
every one seemed to demand an unconditional
pardon. So far, he had been unable to see his
way sufficiently clear to grant such a request.
A gentleman just from Carlisle states that
yuI.1 ,hOl lypa
of the Governor was very sanguine that
respite would be granted, and if the verdict was
set aside, he felt convinced that he could place
a clean record before the public as the recently
discovered testimony, both as to the facts of the
case and the question of poison, was very i'm.
portant.


The Case of Adam Titus, who Is to be Executed
on Wednesday Next.


An application has been or is about to be made
to the Governor to also respite Adam Titus, who
was to have been partner of Schoeppe on the
scaffold in Carlisle on Wednesday next. The
case of this unfortunate man has been COM
pletely hidden by the excitement which has been
raised in consequence of the recent movements
with reference to schoeppe. Titus was resi-
dent of Southampton township, Cumberland
county, and in January last went to the resi-
dence of Henry Stahm, which was in the neigh
borhood, and after knocking him down with the
pole of an axe, severed his head from the body.
Titus was arrested after considerable difficulty
and locked up in the Carlisle jail, where be acted
like madman, destroying everything that came
within his reach. His trial was fixed
to follow that of Schoeppe. Accordingly,
on the retirement of the jury in the above case
Titus was arraigned and, contrary to the expec-
tations of everybody, plead guilty. Judge Gra-
ham directed this plea to be entered on the
docket of the Court, and sentenced Titus to
death. The application for respite is based upon
the allegation that the course of Judge Graham
was an unusual one, and contrary to the usages
of a majority of the Courts in this country.
Several cases were cited, among which Philadel-
phia will come in for share, where the pr-
soner has plead guilty of murder, that
the Courts have ordered the plea to be
withdrawn, and that of not guilty subst-
tuted, counsel have been assigned, and trials
directed, and the result has invariably been
the rendition of verdict of lower grade
than first degree. Instances are also known
where men have pleaded guilty of a crime which
facts subsequently diyulged they did not COM
nit. 1t is now claimed that had Judge Graham
proceeded to trial in this case, ameliorating
circumstances might have been produced which
would have lessened the degree. Titus, it is
said does not join in this request, but!says that
he committed the murder, and that he is willing
| to die for it.