Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1885 — Pleading for a Murderer’s Life. [ARTICLE]

Pleading for a Murderer’s Life.

I Keeneb, Ind., May sth; 1885. Editoli Republican:—ln .a recent issue the Indianapolis jburnul says: Mr. F. W. Babcock, of Rensselaer, was in the city, yesterday, endeavoring .tn. a commutation of the.sentence of VVeibreu Partner, condemned to hang on t]:e loth inst, to life imprisonment. Wa'tner is an ignorant Ge’mah, who located jin Jasper corp ty About a year ago, nnii on the Bth of Irvt October murdered John Dreger iu a most brutal manner, lie • confessed the crime, and was sentenced to hung, i’iie eircum-tanees of the murder and tlip conduct of the condemned . man, have led' many of the citizens of Jasper county to believe that he is not of sound mind, and Mr. Babcock i- therefore endeavoring to have tne sentence commuted to life imprisonment. All of which is true, except a few very important.Wartner is von an ignorant German, but ism Hol lander, who in mental ability, will yank equal to the average of his countrymen, “That he is npt of sound mind”, is something that was never heard of, or even thought of, until after he received the death sentence. If Partner is a “crapk” why did Mr. Babcock, who defended him, advise him toqilead guilty? Why not defend him upon that issue? If his “conduct is Audi that many citizens of Jasper county believe he is.of unsound mind”, his able and eloquent attorney ought to have been able to have convinced twelve good men. that such was the fact. Is it not the ti uth of the matter that the evidence was SO strong and convincing against his client that he d-tred wsubmit his case to a jury, but advised him to plead in hopes that the presiding Judge of ’ this circuit, would allow his official action to be influenced by his private, personal convictions, regarding the infliction of the death penalty? Some other important facts not given the Journal are that no? are single person, man, woman or child, living in thd* morthern part of Jasper county, where the crime was., committed, signed' the petition for commutation of the sentence; and that signers of the petition do not live in this county and me. of them are acquainted with all theyoc/'-, *. which constitute the evidence of his most inexcusable and cold-blooded crime. The accused pleading guilty, andpnly a little of the evidence was submitted to the-court. That the members of the Jasper county bar nearly all signed the petition, was a matter of course. They always do sign everything of that kind; it is a chronic complaint with them; the public long since came to the conclusion that the lawyers are “cranky ”wn criminal matters. Had not the facts concerning the crime been misrepresented, there is no doubt, but, that that slim petition, would have been a good deal thinner than it was. As proof that this is so, 1 again repeat that in the whole of Keener township, where the people knew both the murderer and his victim, and all about the terrible nature of the crime, not one person can be found who weuTd sign the petition. You cannot get around that fact by saying “that the people up there are all blood thirsty and full of vengeance and excited”. The people there are net all ignorant, weakminded and excitable;'on the contrary, their conduct through the whole matter, since the first discovery of the murder, has been characterized by cool, intelligent and most commendable action. Had it been i otherwise and our people were “Kdi: as blood thirsty and vindictive as they are accused of being, Partner’s case would have been settled long ago.

Tne argument used in his behalf, that he was driven to it by his extreme poverty and that his children were suffering for food, is entirely false; and ev\ ry one wl o was present at court, and heard Wartner swear that such was the case, knows that he committed perjury; for it was proven by half a dozen of the best men of Keener, that he was paid money for saw logs, and fish, and that he bought llour, meat and coffee at the store in DeJiotte, all in the forenoon of the very day upon which he did his bloody deed. Aon iiau ii. bicu tru i that his childten were, suit rigg for Ived,- n > one But , v\ artuer wuu:d h»ve been to Kame, j He was a strong able bodied man, but Would ir,t work >r . As lo the 'egii points rawed, rcg.ardi”o Na* tri ii, probably -.iu lawyers wlic much talking; know th -re is notitii.ig.jn them and are t.uiv using tiieni tor>tb j purposo ul infiuo .erg ite (i ivern >r, It there is anytiiir.g n> thyiu, why did They n u t go to the Suj.reu e Dourt wiiff li.em lung ag..? is ’ rhert> i;; should be decided, lift) uiguiucln is. “vhut bec.use the p<> <] guilty, the Judge crubl “‘•t 1 g.iiy s-mcoev h:tu to tne de.th penalty, Lu'; ; h .-u.d h ve c,tlh d a jnn”. deli u t'biff is g».od taw, wiut t,b

khow.it, anil ,if the immortal Blackstone and his many who have adminirtered law in ithe good old days when “hanging was out in Lndiinrt,” were so brfdly off on so plain a point ns that, we cornnion folks rom the Sand Bicges, will of course be excueed httm it.

R. W. MARSHALL.