| Show SWEDISH MINISTERS MINISTER'S APPEAL I IFOR FOR HillSTROM REJECTED I W. V V. V A. A Ekengren minister ut of Sweden Sweden Swe Swe- den appealed to Governor Spry last night to grant a n reprieve did on the ground that the evidence dou doubt t not prove pro beyond a reasonable that hit lIm killed tho thin Morrisons MorrisOn to Governor Spry was wa wasas wasas HI Ills Us telegram as follows Bar Harbor Maine 1 September 28 g l His Hie Excellency the Governor o of Utah I Salt I Lake ake Utah Please accept m my thanks for tor your m message of ot yesterday ester av received d today I I have read read tl the caM case of or Hillstrom In Inthe Inthe inthe the Pacific Reporter Report r an and J must of my opinion that hat while the Jibe he procedure pro pro- ce ure might ha have hae e been perfectly regular the evidence on which the state base Ja its HH case cane is too weak to warrant ex execution cution of or capital punish punish- merit ment The evidence I Is at beat best on only circumstantial and arid though I r know now that there thelo have have- been Jeen cases where convictions conviction of or capital crimes have cen made on jus jU jUst t such evidence 1 consider it very grave to do It it As Ali 1 understand it it it Is a states state's duty ut to prove pro b beyond ond doubt the guilt of ot an accused In this instance It looks a as If the burden ot of proof were on oil the tho accused as aa a. a if It he ho must prove where he received hits his wound etc His refusal to take the tha stand on his own behalf seems to ha have ye actually while not expressly Ish operated I against him with both court and jur jury Question of Motive Further even If It it in is proven that Hillstrom was one of the two men who entered red the store It IB is not proven It seems to me that It was he ho who dl did 1 the shooting lie He ma may have ha been Inthe Inthe in inthe the store and yet neither fired a a. shot nor had any Intent to do so The Theother Theother Theother other party part ma may have fired all of or the shots shot The question oC of motive leaves room for tor serious consideration too What motive moU could Hillstrom have o had It appears that he had been In Salt SaIL Lake but hut a 0 short time and arid could hardly have made such enemies that he would shoot and kill kUl them out of ot pure puro malice From the Information that I have on hand about the man I 1 draw the lie conclusion that while he might be radical and haughty he ho ha has led lod a comparatively ely honest hone t life lIto pr previously and ro robbery bery an as motive for lor the crime would not seem any moro more reasonable than pure malice Today I have been telegraphically I Instructed d by government to endeavor to secure cure a n new Investigation in the case and on their b behalf halt and In my myown myown myown own I 1 a. a ask k you ou again vcr very earnestly arne to consider ai nt le least let t a a. postponement of ot the execution I beg to assure you that 1 appreciate el very fully tho the letera letters letters let let- era and appeals written by a lot ot of emotional people in various parts of or orthe the tho country ca cannot b ti q rated r very highly Nevertheless e It seems to 0 be beI I a vel very serious thing thine to 10 take laka a u mans man's life if if there I is a 1 shadow of doubt as Uti asto asto to his guilt W V. r. A A. A GRI Swedish h Minister tet Governors Governor's Reply In refusing ing th the request of or the minister min l ister tel of or Sweden Governor Go Spry sent the following me message In ln your you our last telegram you indicate the lie evidence in case is too w weak ak to warrant capital punishment and amid express ess doubt of his guilt We Vc submit that the thc court an and jur jury who heard beam the thie evidence and the supreme enie co court rt who reviewed and the lie board of or pardons who con considered the record evidence in iii it its entirety are In a better better better bet bet- ter position to Judge of that bat than on one unfamiliar with s the record or OJ the tho real facts of ot the case You 81 say the tho evIdence evidence evi evI- dence Is hut but The Thio HU- HU nie prenie court in its opinion pointed to dirt direct evidence of or guilt You say a even If It It i is proven that Hilb om was ono cue of the two men InCh who entered th lit store It Is not proven it to me that it was he who dill did the shooting lIe He ma may have been In th th the store and yet neither fired fireda d da a shot hot nor hud hind any intent nt to do llo so The other party may ha have fired all of or orthe the shots That Thal Statement Is not I supported by either the facts or the lie law of the ca case e. e Confessedly two men with masks over their faces an and I guns unS in hand in tho the night time an anfor and I for the tho purpose c of or murder or robbery entered the deceased's store and de deliberately deliberately deliberately de- de shot him and his son to death In Iii the one of the as assailants assailants as- as was shot idiot b by the tho deceased's son ion States State's Evidence The state by eye witnesses ad adduced adduced ad- ad testimony to show that one of or the lie assailants was as Hillstrom that he lie shot eliot and killed tho the deceased and that he was waR the he active perpetrator of tho the crime ci and further proved that he he two hours after the commission of ot tho the homicide was waR suffering fluttering from a a. afresh afresh fresh tresh and serious gunshot wound through the chest cheNt and applied to a no doctor for tor surgical aid ald Against that proof Hillstrom offered nothing Ho He Hoort ort offered ed led no proof to show where ho lie was or what ho did that night or where or how he lie received his wound After an of or tho the jud judgment ment by the supreme court and on a he hearing hear ing In- before tho the board of or pardons for tor a commutation of or sentence Hillstrom rn m mand and his friends were vero given fiven every op opportunity op op- to show ghow either b by himself or anyone anyon else ehe how or where he received the wound or where he was or what he ho did on the night of ot the homicide or any other matter mutter of ot fact or thing in his favor avor He lie refused to show or orlo orto orto to lo offer otter anything or to be Interrogated gated by his own couns counsel l or by any member of or the board and declined to give ivo the board an any Information or orto orto orto to make an any statement whatever l and his since declined to give Ji an any but has stated that It was waR no Si-ni ones one's business business business' busi busl- ness ness neBS how or he lie was shot Governor Investigated In rn pursuance to your prior tel telegrams tele- tele grams that a Mrs Stephens 1 and a Miss lIss I I I I I Bolin claiming to know ow something about the case caSl had wired you ou for tOl in intervention intervention intervention in- in and of ot a cablegram sent b by Arnol Arnoldson son and amid Larson of ot this lila city It to the time burgomaster hur of ot Stockholm we e caused them to appear before the board nn and on Inquiries made of them they slated stated that the they did ld not know Hillstrom om Im knew w nothing of or his past life lire and nothing that could bo be pre- pre by hy them or anyone Iso else in favor on a further hearing hear heal lug ing of the case All stated the they had hadnot hadnot not heard the evidence c or read end It ex except cx- cx E pt one who claimed to have ha read a a. a portion of or It and the briefs of ot Hlll- Hlll tromM stroms counsel One of th them m stated that he lie asked Hillstrom's discharge whether he lie he be guilty guilt or 01 Innocent an another aim aim- I other that the time he be sentence commuted ted tI tb lio Jio matter mattel how revolting re the I crime wa was or 01 how conclusive Hillstrom's Hill Hill- I stroms strom's guilt and two others s who not noton noton noton on all the evidence but a portion of ot it and on reading the briefs of HillStrom's Hill Hill- Stroms Strom's counsel el expressed doubt of his guilt You have heretofore been fully a ad advised advised ad- ad that om Hillstrom hind had a fair fall trial thai lint he lie was represented d by J counsel of his own selection that he lie was re regularly regularly regu regu- u- u I Jarly tried an and convicted in accordance accordance accord accord- ance with the laws of ot this thin state and that no rio disinterested person peron familiar with the lie record an and the hlf e evidence n p had any doubt of or his guilt Execution Justified Tho Thin local Swedish Consul who also Is a lawyer at your rum request examined th the lie IE records and proceedings of ot the lie case caso and nd advised nd you after arter such ex examination ex- ex that hint Hillstrom was r represented pre by hy counsel counRel that lint the lie evidence c was vas sufficient to show hl his hIli guilt that he hp had hind a t fair tall ti ml that hint he lie had hind several several sev sev- eral erol interviews ewt with Hillstrom and that there was sas nothing nothIng- made t tt to appear appear ap ap- p pear to ju Justify interference with the ju Judgment gm nt In our last telegram to you we atc assured ur d lyou ou oti that the role CUSP had re received received re- re cl pd our mH most l earnest E cun consideration and amI that lint thus Mi- Mi nothing had Imd b been en made macle to appear to ju justify Interference with the time ju judgement gEment and stated that lint if it you know of ot anything or 01 could di direct di- di I- I us to anyone p ss long knowlI knowledge knowl knowl- f edge e of or anything len lending to lo justify coin commutation mutation w we would be hc pleased to I consider the question of oC further postponement postponement post post- I of or tho the execution You have hac rushed furnished hed us nothing except arguments gu am-gu- I ments from the briefs of ot Hillstrom's counsel Ve We submit that If It Hillstrom Is a u Swedish subject more can be ac accomplished ac- ac hed by IW your appeal to him and his friends fi s that If Ir there Is Itc any anything anything thing timing to Justify commutation that the they make It hi known and la lay it before the board for tor consideration Though every er opportunity was afforded them I the they thus far fal have refused to show any anything thinK Signed WILLIAM SPRY I Governor of ot Utah |
