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New York Times; Feb 14, 1905 MRS. EDWARDS'S PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 13. -- Unless the Board of Pardons, which meets in Harrisburg on Wednesday, recommends the commutation of the death sentences of Mrs. Kate Edwards and Samuel Greason, colored, of Berks County, the woman and her accomplice will be hanged on Thursday of this week in the Reading jail for the murder of John Edwards, her husband. The case came before the Supreme Court finally to-day on two petitions, one by the woman, in which she held Greason blameless of the murder of her husband, and prayed that a new trial be granted to him and another by Greason, in which he asked for a reopening of his case on the ground of newly discovered evidence. Both petitions were refused, only three of the seven members of the court voting in favor of the petitions. There was no opinion filed, the papers simply being indorsed "Refused." The newly discovered evidence referred to in the Greason petition was the confession of Mrs. Edwards, in which she stated that Greason had no connection with the crime; that she killed her husband, and that her daughter Mary assisted her in throwing her husband's body into a cistern. Mrs. Edwards's prison born child was taken to Washington to-day.
New York Times; June 17, 1905 MRS. EDWARDS CLEARS HIM. READING, Penn., June 16. -- Samuel Greason, colored, was to-day acquitted of the murder of John Edwards. Mrs. Kate Edwards, wife of the murdered man, whose testimony convicted Greason three years ago, completely exonerate I him to-day. Edwards was murdered nearly four years ago, and Greason was arrested several months later. His death warrant was issued ten times, Mrs. Edwards is under sentence of death, and it is expected that the Governor will fix the date for the execution of the sentence soon. It was postponed several months ago so that she could be used as a witness at Greason's trial. |