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#Post#: 2483--------------------------------------------------
Turning A Blind Eye? Robert Gordon Butler In 1901
DIR By: HowBrown1953
Date: February 10, 2024, 4:26 pm
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Robert Gordon Butler:
One-time reporter for the New York Sun ( 1891 ); one of the
reporters who were present at the scene of the crime on April
24th, 1891. Involved in the pardon campaign to see Ali released
from prison. An employee of the Sun on May 1st, the day the
sketch of 'C. Kniclo' appeared in that newspaper. May have been
responsible for writing that particular article.
July 1st, 1901, he accompanied George Damon, along with Ovide
Robillard, to the Mulberry Street police station, according to
the July 2nd affidavit provided by Damon.
"Upon inquiring of the officers in charge, WE were informed that
no picture of 'Frenchy' had been taken at that time or placed in
the 'Rogues Gallery'. That one of the officers in charge whose
name I do not know, stated that he well remembered 'Frenchy', as
he was one of the detectives working on the case, at that time;
he described 'Frenchy' as a man about five feet eleven inches,
with sharp features, with a long and thin nose, dark complexion
with quite a heavy mustache".
-George Damon, July 2, 1901.
Is it likely that Damon, upon being told Ali had a heavy
mustache and going on to swear in an affidavit that his hired
hand did not have facial hair, would not have commented on the
difference
between Ali and his hired hand in front of the two men who
accompanied him to the police station?
The odds are that he did. Why wouldn't he mention the facial
features of his hired hand in the presence of Robillard and
Butler after being told by the police officer and that they
differed from Ali?
There'd be nothing to prevent him from mentioning it.
This means, if true, that both Robillard and Butler, both by
this time quite involved with the fourth pardon campaign, would
have had to not pay attention to what Damon had said or that
they both recognized the difference, according to George Damon,
between the hired hand and C.Kniclo regarding facial features.
Had they mentioned the disparity to DA Philbin, this might have
put an end to that pardon campaign. Every reference to C. Kniclo
in 1891, from the testimony of Mary Miniter to the all-points
bulletin issued by Inspector Byrnes ( conveniently not contacted
on this issue) is consistent on C. Kniclo having a mustache and
a heavy one at that.
Butler was the former reporter who dug up the May 1st, NY Sun
which contained a sketch of C. Kniclo, and gave it to the
District Attorney shortly after the July 1st trip to the police
station with Damon.
On July 10th, DA Philbin contacted Governor Odell and said:
"And a statement of Mr. Robert Gordon Butler, one of the editors
of the N.Y. Sun, who furnishes the enclosed clipping from said
newspaper relating to the date of Frenchy's arrest
In December, attorney Robillard sent this to Governor Odell:
Hon. B.B. Odell, Jr.
Governor of the State
of New York, Albany, N.Y.
Sir:
I respectfully call to your attention an old clipping of the New
York Sun
which forms part of Frenchy's record, dated, I think, April
25th, 1891 and
describing the key of room 31 as being a brass key with a brass
tag, which I
specifically underlined with a blue pencil.
As I have before stated, Frenchy will be taken care of as soon
as pardoned
and sent back to Algeria. The French Benevolent Society informs
me that
the steamer of the Fabre's line plying between New York and
Marseilles
stops at Algeria during the winter months, the home of
'Frenchy'.
Yours respectfully,
Ovide Robillard
This is the clipping Butler provided DA Philbin.
Is it believable that he did not notice the difference between
the sketch of the suspect from his former newspaper and what
Damon most likely related to him and Robillard on July 1st?
Markings on the clipping are from 1901.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/sROrrM8.jpg
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