DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Carrie Brown : Murder In The East River Hotel
HTML https://carriebrown.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: 1901-1902
*****************************************************
#Post#: 2236--------------------------------------------------
Appeal To The Secretary Of State 1901
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: September 29, 2023, 6:28 am
---------------------------------------------------------
A little background:
Jules Gambon, 1845-1935, shown below, was the French
Ambassador to the United States at the end of the 19th century.
He had been instrumental in establishing a ceasefire in the
Spanish-American War:
I. The Armistice Protocol of August 12,1898
On August 12, 1898, Jules Cambon, French ambassador
to the United States, acting for the Spanish
government, signed the armistice protocol in Washington
that suspended the conflict. Its terms are listed below
(From For. Rels. 1898, 828-830). William R. Day,
Secretary of State of the United States, and His
Excel-lency Jules Gambon, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France at Washington,
respectively possessing for this purpose full authority
from the Government of the United States and the
Government of Spain, have concluded and signed the
following articles, embodying the terms on which the two
Governments have agreed in respect to the matters
here-inafter set forth, having in view the establishment
of peace between the two countries, that is to say: Article
I Spain will relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and
title to Cuba. Article II Spain will cede to the United
States the island of Porto Rico and other is-lands now
under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and also
an island in the Ladrones to be selected by the United States.
Article III The United States will occupy and hold the
city, bay, and harbor of Manila, pending the conclusion of
a treaty of peace which shall determine the control,
disposition, and government of the Philippines. Article IV
Spain will immediately evacuate Cuba, Porto Rico, and
other islands now under Spanish sovereignty in the West
Indies; and to this end each Government will, within ten
days after the signing of this protocol, appoint
Commissioners, and the Commissioners so appointed shall,
within thirty days after the signing of this protocol,
meet at Havana for the purpose of arranging and carrying
out the details of the aforesaid evacuation of Cuba and
the adjacent Spanish is-lands; and each Government will,
within ten days after the signing of this protocol,
also appoint other Commissioners, who shall, within
thirty days after the signing of this protocol.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/j85W0yE.jpg
--------------------------------------------------
Gambon approached the successor to Sec. of State, Day, John
Hay, with the following letter. Gambon, just like everyone else
and his brother, made several errors in this missive, which in
my view was more in line of a diplomat representing France
interests by working on behalf of a French citizen to obtain his
freedom than any other consideration.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/CptNXwA.jpg
Embassy Of The French Republic
In The United States
Washington D.C. June 27, 1901
Mr. Secretary of State:
Referring to the conversation which I had the honor to have with
you, I think proper to give you the following information
relative to the case of Amer-ben-Ali, commonly known as
"Frenchy", who was sentenced July 10th, 1891, in New York, to
imprisonment for life, for murder in the second degree, he being
charged with killing a woman of bad reputation, who bore the
sobriquet of "Shakespeare".
The unfortunate man had always protested his innocence, and I
have twice addressed the Governor of the State of New York,
though unsuccessfully, with a view to securing his pardon.
The evidence of his innocence now seems, at last to be
indisputable. Several depositions have been collected to this
effect. In the first place, Mr. George Damom, of New York, has
declared, under oath, that, at the time when the crime was
committed, he had in his service a man who looked like a sailor,
and that said person disappeared on the day following the
commission of the crime, leaving behind him a shirt covered with
blood, and a key bearing the number '31', which was the number
of the room occupied by 'Shakespeare' in the hotel where she was
murdered. Mr. Damon went that same day, with Mr. Breman (sic). a
friend of his, to the hotel in question, and there ascertained
that the key which had been found in his servant's room was
really that of the room occupied by "Shakespeare".
Mr. Breman declares, under oath, that these statements are true,
and Mr. John A. Lee likewise declares that Mr. Damon related
these facts to him ten years ago.
The fear of the vengeance of the real murderer, and the desire
not to see an honorable name connected with a case of this
nature, are the avowed explanation of the silence of these
witnesses.
Furthermore, several witnesses connected with the press, Messrs.
Jacob Reis, (Riis?), Frederick Barbour( sic), and Robert Butler,
editors of the Evening Sun, testify, under oath. that
immediately after the crime was committed, there was no trace of
blood in 'Frenchy's' room. Nevertheless, the presence of traces
of this nature in the aforesaid room was one of the causes of
the conviction of this French subject.
Mr. Henry Berbenich swears that on the day following that on
which the crime was committed, he heard several reporters who
were dining in a restaurant in which he was, boast of having
smeared the walls of "Frenchy's" room with blood, so that they
might base a "sensational article" on this circumstance.
Finally, Mr. Francis Coleman declares that, according to the
statement of Dr. Jenkins, the autopsy of the woman known as
"Shakespeare" showed that she had been killed at the time when
she was taking a meal, an hour and a half previously. Now, that
woman entered the house with a man who was not '"Frenchy". She
took a meal with that man before returning to the hotel, and
"Frenchy', himself did not return there until several hours
afterward. The death of the woman took place, therefore, before
'Frenchy" returned to the hotel.
It cannot be too deeply regretted that personal considerations
on the character of which it is useless to insist here,
prevented these witnesses from telling what they knew ten years
ago. The absolute ignorance of the English language of this
Algerian, who contented himself with asserting that he was a
Frenchman, calling himself "Frenchy, a common expression in
Algeria, did not permit him to defend himself. It is also to be
regretted that the local authorities did not take more care to
understand the language of this ill-fated Algerian. It is true
that this man had no social importance, as was remarked by
several witnesses, and that London was then terrorized by crimes
similar to that which the woman "Shakespeare" was a victim,
these crimes being known as the 'Whitechapel Murders. "The New
York police doubtless desired," says Mr. Robillard,
Amer-ben-Ali's awyer, to display greater activity than the
police of London, and it is possible that its desire to satisfy
public opinion was the cause of its precipitation." Be this as
it may, the unfortunate "Frenchy" had not been able to bear the
regime to which he was condemned, and has become insane. I do
not think it any less desireable that justice should be done to
an insane person than to one of sound mind, and I feel convinced
that it will seem to you, as it does to me, morally necessary to
make good the judicial error of which this French subject has
been a victim in America.
Governor Odell, of the State of New York, whose province it it
to pardon Amer-ben-Ali, has in his hands the various papers of
which I have given a summary above.
I should be glad if you would kindly call his attention to this
sad case, and join the intervention of the Federal Government to
mine, with a view to securing a pardon for Amer-ben-Ali.
Be pleased to accept, etc.
Jules Gambon
Honorable John Hay
Secretary of State of the United States
#Post#: 2237--------------------------------------------------
Re: Appeal To The Secretary Of State 1901
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: September 29, 2023, 6:31 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Finally, Mr. Francis Coleman declares that, according to the
statement of Dr. Jenkins, the autopsy of the woman known as
"Shakespeare" showed that she had been killed at the time when
she was taking a meal, an hour and a half previously. Now, that
woman entered the house with a man who was not '"Frenchy". She
took a meal with that man before returning to the hotel, and
"Frenchy', himself did not return there until several hours
afterward. The death of the woman took place, therefore, before
'Frenchy" returned to the hotel.
This is clearly a case of misinformation that Brown's last meal
was with C.Kniclo and that there was a significant gap in time
between C. Kniclo and Brown entering the hotel and when Ali
entered. That was anywhere from an hour to 30 minutes before,
not 'several hours' and the last meal was with Alice Sullivan at
4:30-5:00 p.m. at George's on Water Street.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is also to be regretted that the local authorities did not
take more care to understand the language of this ill-fated
Algerian. It is true that this man had no social importance, as
was remarked by several witnesses
One out of two ain't bad.
I don't think anyone will argue against Gambon's comment about
Ali not having any social importance, but the first part of the
sentence is just ridiculous and one of the prevalent major myths
in the case, as is the position that an anti-immigrant sentiment
was the reason for his conviction. Jurors were questioned in
advance of their selection if Ali being a French citizen would
affect their decision-making and they all denied that it would.
It also means that Court interpreter Constant J. Sperco, French
speaking police officer George Aloncle, Henri Martin from the
French Consul and Emile Sultan, who was brought into the case by
Count Paul d'Abzac, the French Consul in New York, were all in
the wrong line of work.
I feel convinced that it will seem to you, as it does to me,
morally necessary to make good the judicial error of which this
French subject has been a victim in America.
......join the intervention of the Federal Government to mine,
.....he being charged with killing a woman of bad reputation
P.S....Another low-blow against the murder victim, which is sort
of unbecoming for a government representative. But, after all,
Odell, Wellman, Smyth, and several others wasted no time in
making remarks of this sort. Even the convicted man trying to
get out of prison for the murder.
#Post#: 2238--------------------------------------------------
Re: Appeal To The Secretary Of State 1901
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: September 29, 2023, 7:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Needless to say, some of us on occasion make mistakes in
interpreting events or accepting things without peer review.
We're making goofs that we instantly, upon discovery, correct
because that's just what we do. None of us have a government to
represent or are appearing on behalf of a client.
However, the people in charge of making a decision that may have
released a guilty man ought to be held to a higher standard.
The letter from Gambon to Hay wasn't pushy but contained
misinformation that was believed by people involved in the
affairs of 1901, not the least of which was Damon's story
of his 'farm hand'. No one bothered to look at how C. Kniclo
was described ten years earlier and for that fact, it was easy
for Damon to slip the silly story of his farm hand by all those
involved. I think even if one or two 'in-the-know- people did
recognize the differences, they weren't about to shut down what
was their best chance at achieving their goal, backed by the
French Government by bringing it up.
Gambon does appear to emphasize the 'French' aspect for the
Secretary of State. Maybe he was hoping that since he was a
major player in the 1898 cease-fire, the US Federal Government
would intervene....you know the old saying: Scratch my back and
I'll scratch yours.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1