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| John Truck. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Thursday, April 10, 1902.
REPRIEVE FOR TRUCK.
Governor Odell Extends His Time Till Aug. 12.
WILL BE EXAMINED AGAIN THEN.
Then if Found Insane He Will be Sent to the Asylum for Insane Criminals at Matteawan—This is the Result of the Examination by Dr. Talcott and Dr. Pilgrim.
Albany, April 10.—Gov. Odell has granted a reprieve in the case of John Truck who is under sentence of death for the murder of Frank W. Miller of the town of Virgil, Cortland Co., until Aug. 12. The reprieve is granted upon the report of Dr. Talcott and Dr. Pilgrim that Truck is insane and was insane at the time that he killed Miller. If Truck shall be found to be insane on Aug. 12 he will in all probability be committed to Matteawan asylum for insane criminals.
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| Gov. Benjamin B. Odell, Jr. |
PAGE FOUR—LEAD EDITORIAL.
Decision of the Alienists.
The two eminent alienists appointed by Governor Odell to examine into the mental condition of John Truck, convicted in Cortland county on March 16, 1900, of the murder of Frank W. Miller of the town of Virgil, this county, on the night of March 14, 1899, have decided that he is insane, and it is expected that Governor Odell will probably commute his sentence from electrocution to life imprisonment at the Matteawan hospital for the insane. This decision comes as an utter surprise to the people of this county who knew of the circumstances of the case and who followed the trial in detail. No layman would of course presume to oppose any idea of his own to the decision of the eminent specialists, and the supposition of course must be that the two years of solitary confinement in the condemned cells must have brought about the mental change. It must be a surprise to the attorneys who defended him upon the trial to know he is insane for they frankly owned before and after the trial that they chose insanity as a defense for the reason that they had no other line of defense because the evidence of guilt was so conclusive.
It must be a surprise to Attorney McCrahon who argued his case before the court of appeals, because he had been in constant communication with Truck for nearly two years past, personally and by letter, and if he is so hopelessly insane it would seem as though this must have been apparent to his attorney, whose privilege it always was to secure the appointment of a commission to examine into the mental condition of his client, and if he was insane and could be so declared there would be no good reason for carrying the case to the court of appeals.
It must be a surprise to Warden Mead of Auburn prison, for if he or his attendants had ever suspected that the prisoner was insane they could at once have set the machinery in motion to cause an examination to be made as to his sanity, and it was their duty so to do, but they seem never to have even thought of it.
The public of course are surprised who remember how Truck shammed insanity on the trial and then went down to his cell and told the other fellows how he was fooling them upstairs and how the trial was advancing.
But the two years of solitary confinement must have done the business and now he is legally insane. There is one comfort about it, however, if insane he will doubtless go to Matteawan and the head of the Matteawan asylum is Dr. Allison who examined Truck in Cortland before the trial and whom he couldn't deceive and who will fully appreciate the kind of man he has under his care.
There surely would be no disposition on the part of any one to electrocute an insane man, and in fact there are many who do not believe in the death penalty anyway, but the majority of these people probably feel that if the punishment of death still remains a law of the state it should be visited upon a man who would commit such an aggravated crime as did Truck, if he is sane, and not let him get off with any lesser punishment. If he is insane, he will at least be kept in a safe place.
But in any case justice has been vindicated in Cortland county. A terrible crime was committed here. The guilty party was arrested, tried and convicted, and the court of appeals has declared that he had a fair trial and was fairly convicted and that he should not be granted a new trial, and that the sentence pronounced upon him was a fitting one for the crime.
If now the state steps in and through the two alienists appointed by the governor declares the man insane that is no affair of the county. The responsibility is on the state and the state is abundantly able to bear that responsibility and it is the duty of every one to be satisfied.
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| Ellen Maria Stone. |
MISS STONE INTERVIEWED.
She Was Captured on Market Day Which is Usually Considered Safe.
New York, April 10.—Miss Stone, who landed in this city from the Deutschland this morning said she had a very rough trip, and suffered much from seasickness. The effects of her captivity, she said, had worn off. Speaking of her capture she said the day she was captured was market day and one which is considered safe to travel. Our party, she continued, consisted of ten people and three drivers. While traveling we were suddenly surrounded by armed men who sprang from all sides shouting "Dour," which means "Hold on." Mr. Silka was the only one armed and the women persuaded him not to shoot. Only Mr. and Mrs. Silka and myself were taken. The others were left behind. Who our captors were I never knew, but they were Albanians, Greeks and Turks. I haven't the least idea what they are to do with the [ransom] money.
BUSINESS IMPROVING
And City of Cortland Seems Steadily Growing.
JUDGING FROM THE POSTOFFICE.
General Receipts from Office Over $2,000 in Excess of Preceding Year—$16,000 More Comes to the City Through the Office Than Goes Out in Money Orders—General Statement of the Year's Business.
The state of business in a community is very largely to be judged by its mail. If the mail is steadily increasing it is quite safe to believe that the place is in a prosperous condition. And especially is this true if there is a balance in favor of the town in the matter of its money order business. The report of the Cortland postoffice for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1902, shows a net gain in the receipts over the previous year of $2,022.95. In the money order department $16,302.99 more came into Cortland than went out through the office. The conclusion is therefore, that the business of Cortland is steadily growing and that the town is in a satisfactory condition.
But it should be remembered that the large manufacturing concerns do very little of their financial business by money orders, using checks and drafts instead. The money orders are used by the masses of the people and largely in small amounts, so that it becomes evident that the prosperity thus shown is not confined to the large corporations but to all the people.
The detailed report of the postoffice for the year just closed is as follows:
Death of Mrs. Chapman.
Mrs. Sarah Chapman, once the wife of Rev. H. R. Dunham, for fourteen years pastor of the Presbyterian church of Cortland, died at her home in Ovid, N. Y., Tuesday night. She is survived by her husband, Mr. J. B. Chapman, and by two brothers and one sister, Hon. Jared Sandford of Mt. Vernon, N. Y., Mr. Montgomery S. Sandford of Geneva, N. Y., and Mrs. A. L. Benton of Montrose, Pa.
The funeral will be held in Ovid tomorrow. The remains will be brought to Cortland for burial, arriving on the 9:40 Lehigh Valley train Saturday morning, and being taken at once to the cemetery.
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| Ferdinand E. Smith. |
THE SCIENCE CLUB.
Statement of its Purpose Concerning a Museum.
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.
Plans to Include Associate Members—Several Offers of Exhibits for the Museum—Desire for an Industrial Display of Articles Manufactured in Cortland—Curator to Have Charge.
The board of directors of the Cortland Science club met last night for the first time since its incorporation to appoint committees and arrange for the new field of work. It was deemed best to unfold from time to time through that popular medium, the newspaper, the work and projects of the club.
It is now nearly three years since the club was organized to promote the study and diffusion of science. Meetings are held bi-weekly ten months in the year, twenty meetings in all. It is the duty of every active member to give one lecture or provide for one each year. To this end thus far only twenty members have been admitted, in order that there should be no excuse for shirking this obligation. All but four lectures have been given by the members, and it is but justice to say that both from a literary and technical standing they were of the highest character. They were worthy of a wider audience and it is proposed under the new order to admit associate members, who for a nominal sum may have the privilege of attending the meetings, serving on the board of directors, but not be required to present papers. This will also provide working members for the museum which the club desires to establish.
But why were we incorporated? To be able to legally receive, hold and convey property. The objects are thus set forth in the certificate. ''First the objects for which the proposed corporation is to be formed are the acquisition and maintenance of a museum and library, co-operation, in the study of science, art, history and literature, and generally the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge."
It is proposed to make the museum educational, to have the exhibits classified, scientifically arranged and one to be proud of. Mr. H. C. Higgins of Cincinnatus, an ornithologist, has offered a collection of the birds' eggs of North America, labeled and classified, which has been accepted by the club. Other private collections have been offered which will now be considered by the committees. It has been proposed that we have an industrial exhibit of the city of Cortland by asking the various manufacturers to contribute a cabinet of portable articles such as they would send to the Pan-American. Friends who visit us could then be taken to the museum instead of traveling all around town to see what we are doing.
The museum will be in charge of a curator who acts for the board of directors and the following committees:
Acceptance—Dr. F. W. Higgins, Superintendent F. E. Smith.
Classification—Prof. W. M. Booth, J. W. Orr.
Finance—H. L. Smith, A. J. Murray.
Soliciting—Dr. G. H. Smith, W. H. Clark.
Cases and Fixtures—Prof. E. C. Cleaves, A. P. McGraw.
Secretary.
BREVITIES.
—A regular meeting of Canton Cortland, No. 27, will be held this evening at 8 o'clock.
—The residence of Mr. H. T. Newell was connected with The Home Telephone exchange today.
—The date for Cortland of the play "Are You a Mason?" has been changed from Thursday, April 17, to Friday, April 18.
—The rehearsal of the Grace church choir will be postponed from tonight until Saturday on account of the new water motor which is being put in.
—Mr. Elbert Hubbard of East Aurora, N. Y., will speak at Normal hall on May 2 under the auspices of the Philamathean society. His theme will be "The Work of the Roycrofters."
—By invitation of the pastor and session of the Presbyterian church representatives of the Salvation Army will take part in the prayer meeting at that church this evening.
—New display advertisements today are—City Cycle Co., Pierce bicycles, page 4; Glann & Clark, Rubbers, etc., page 8; F. Daehler Clothing, page 8;Buck & Lane, Plumbing, etc., page 8; Sam Katzen, Tailoring, page 6; McKinney & Doubleday, Wallpaper, page 4; Sager & Jennings, Drugs, etc., page 7; W. J. Perkins, Beef, iron & wine, page 7.
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