Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1887 — TWO SAVED FROM DEATH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TWO SAVED FROM DEATH.

Gov. Oglesby Preserves Two ol the Petitioning Anarchists from the Gallows. The Sentences of Fielden and Schwab Commuted to Life Imprisonment [Springfield (Ill.) special.] Thursday was an exciting one in Springfield. Business was practically suspended. "Although people did not gather in crowds the only subject of talk was the anarchist case ana the Governor’s decision. Louis Lingg’s suicide but added to the excitement. At the State House no business was done. State officers and clerks left their desks to hang around the Governor’s office and wait for news from the Executive Mansion, where Gov. Oglesby was at work on

the case. Gov. Oglesby would not permit himself to be seen. He would not even receive a message except the piles of telegrams that came pouring in all day. Early in the morning he sent for Attorney General Hunt, and the two gentlemen were in consultation nearly the entire day. They went over the record together, examined the petitions, and discussed the decision of the Supreme Court. About noon the Governor sent for Milton Hay, whose judgment he always asks in an emergency. Just what advice Mr. Hay gave of course could not be ascertained, but it is known that they discussed the case in detail and looked at it from every side. The Governor had not finally decided what he should do until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. At that hour he sent for a stenographer, and an hour later the brief decision he concluded to make had been written. Much of the discussion during the day was as to whether a long explanation of his action should be given, but both the Attorney General and Mr. Hay are understood to have advised against that, and as this was really in line with the Governor’s view, it was finally decided to simply give the points in the case as briefly as possible.

THE GOVERNOR’S DECISION. Full Text of the Document Granting Commutation to Fielden and Schwab. The following is the decision of Governor Oglesby: “State of Illinois, Executive Office, Springfield, 111., Nov. 10. 1887.—0 n the 20tb day of August, 1896, in Cook County Criminal Court, August Spies, Albert R, Parsons, Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, and Louis Lingg were found guilty by the verdict of the jury, and af-er-ward sentenced to be hanged for the murder of Matthias J. Degan. An appeal was taken

from such finding and sentence to the Supreme Court of the State. That court, upon a final hearing, and after mature deliberation, unanimously affirmed the judgment es the court below. The case now comes before me, by petition of the defendants, for consideration as Governer of the State, if the letters of Albert Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, and Louis Lingg demanding ‘uncondit onal release,’ or, as they express it, ‘ liberty or death,’ and protesting in the strongest language against mercy or commutation of the sentence pronounced against them, can be considered petitions. “Pardon, could it be granted, which might imply any guilt whatever upon the part of either of them, would not be such a vindication as they demand. Executive intervention upon the ground insisted upon by the four abovenamed persons could in no proper sense be deemed an exercise of the constitutional power to grant reprieve, commutation, and pardons unless upon the belief on my part of their entire innocence of the crime of which they stand convicted. “A careful consideration of the evidence in the record of the trial of the parties, as well as of all alleged and claimed for them outside of the record, has failed to produce upon my mind any impression tending to impeach the verdict of the jury or judgment of the trial court or of the Supreme Court affirming the guilt of all parties. Satisfied, therefore, as I am, of their guilt, I am precluded from the question of commutation of the sentences of Albert R. Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, and Louis Lingg to imprisonment in the penitentiary, as they emphatically declare they will not accept such commutation. “Samuel Fielden, Michael Schwab and August Spies unite in a petition for executive clemency. Fielden and t chwab, in addition, present separate and supplementary petitions for the commutation of their sentences. “While, as stated above, lam satisfied of tho guilt of all the parties as found by tho verdict of the jur. ■, which was sustained by the judgments of the courts, a most careful consideration of the whole subject leads me to the conclusion that the sentence of the law as to Samuel Fielded and Michael Schwab may be modified s>s to each of them, in the interest of humanity and without violence to public justice. And as to said Samuel Fielden and Michael I Schwab, the sentence is commuted to imprisonment in the penitentiary for liie. “As to all tha other above-named defendants, I do not feel justified in interfering with the sentence of the court. While I would gladly have come to a different conclusion in regard to the sentences of defendants August Spies, Adolph Fischer, George Engel. Albert R. Parsons, and Louis Lingg, I regret to say that under the solemn sens > of the obligations of my •ffice I have been unable to do so. “Richard J. Oglesby. Governor. ” The following is a copy ot the instrument officially commuting the sentences of Fielden and Schwab: “Whereas, Samuel Fielden and Michaol Schwab wore convicted at the June term, A. D. 1886, of the Criminal Court of Cook County of the crime of murder, and were sentenced to be hanged; and, “Whereas, it has been represented to me by divers good citizens of said county that said Samuel Fielden and Michael Schwab are fit and proper subjects for executive clemency: “Now, know ye, that I, Richard J. Oglesby, Governor of Illinois, by the authority in me vested by the Constitution of this State, do by these presents commute the sentence of the said Samuel Fielden and Michael Schwab to imprisonment in the penitentiary for lite.

GOV. OGLESBY.

Samuel Fielders Michael Sc[?]