No. 45.
Mr. West to
Earl Granville.
[Extract.]
Washington, March 28, 1882.
(Received April 10.)
I have the honor to inclose to your lordship herewith, copy of a letter from
one William Lane, an alleged British subject, in prison at Detroit, Mich.,
as well as copy of a note which in consequence I addressed to Mr.
Frelinghuysen, requesting information as to the alleged statements made
therein, and I have now the honor to inclose copy of the reply thereto.
[Inclosure 1 in No. 45.]
Mr. Lane to Mr.
West.
Wayne
County Jail, Detroit,
Mich., March 22,
1882.
Sir: I am an Englishman, a native of Bristol,
Gloucestershire, and claim your assistance under the following
circumstances:
On the 18th June last I was arrested on a charge of attempted murder, and
have since then been held in jail awaiting trial, which I am utterly
unable to obtain. I have been taken into court eight or nine times, and
always remanded on some pretext or other. I can easily prove my
innocence if I have half a chance, but as I have no relations and no
money I cannot get it. I have written to judge, prosecuting attorney,
and the papers to demand the trial that I think I am entitled to, but
this is such a free country that they do as they like, and do not like
to give me one. A week ago I was in court and the judge promised to
discharge me to-day if the prosecution would not go on with the case,
but to-day 1 went down and was again remanded.
I am 20 years of age, a printer by trade, and have been four years in
this country, coming to New York in January, 1878. I have never even
been arrested before, and always bore a good character. The holding of
me so is contrary to the laws of Michigan, and grossly unjust anyway.
Will you please put a stop to this sort of thing as quickly as possible.
If you write a line to the judge I think he will discharge me directly,
and I would sooner it was done quietly, but anyway get me out of this.
The judge’s name is Chambers, Wayne circuit court, Detroit, Mich.
Hoping to have an answer by return, I remain, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 45.]
Mr. West to Mr.
Frelinghuysen.
Washington, March 24,
1882.
Sir: I have the honor to state to you that
information has reached me respecting the imprisonment of a British
subject named William Lane, in Wayne County jail, Detroit, Mich., from
which it would appear that the arrest took place on the 18th June last,
and that since that date Lane has been held in jail awaiting trial,
which he asserts he is unable to obtain.
Under these circumstances I have recourse to your good offices, in order
that inquiry may be made respecting this case.
I have, &c.,
[Page 260]
[Inclosure 3 in No. 45.]
Mr. Frelinghuysen
to Mr. West.
Department of State,
Washington, March 28,
1882.
Sir: I had the honor to receive on the 25th
instant your note of the 24th, in relation to the imprisonment at
Detroit, Mich., of a British subject, named William Lane, who, it is
stated, has been hitherto unable to obtain trial on the charge under
which he has been held since the 18th June last. I immediately addressed
a telegram to the attorney-general of the State of Michigan, acquainting
him with the purport of your note, and expressing the desire of the
President to learn the facts of the case, and to have the best exertions
of the State authorities used to secure to Mr. Lane the early trial
which he asserted he was unable to obtain.
I am now in receipt of a telegram of yesterday’s date from Mr. J. J. Van
Riper, the attorney-general of Michigan, who, it seems, at once went
from the capital of the State to Detroit, to investigate the case in
person. The facts, as very fully reported by Mr. Van Riper, are as
follows:
William Lane, the accused, had formed an attachment for the wife of one
George W. Allen, also a British subject. On the 16th June, 1881, Lane
and Allen were out together in a boat. Lane prepared in a cup a drink
which he represented to be lemon juice, but which contained a large
quantity of morphine, and gave it to Allen, who swallowed the liquid.
Violent vomiting ensued, which saved Allen’s life, although his recovery
was long despaired of, and he has not yet recovered from the effects of
the poison.
Lane was arrested on the following day, 17th June, 1881. He made a
written confession that he had poisoned Allen, adding that his intention
was, when Allen should have become unconscious, to tip him out of the
boat. He subsequently withdrew his confession, saying that he did not
know what he said or wrote. Mr. Van Riper has seen this written
confession.
Lane was arraigned for trial on the 29th September, 1881. Since that time
repeated continuances have been had, but in every instance at the
request of Lane’s attorneys, and never on the application of the
prosecution. The case is, however, now on trial; it was begun on Friday
last, the 24th instant; was continued on Saturday, and was on trial
yesterday. The State’s attorney-general finds no blame attaching to the
authorities for the delay in bringing Lane to trial. The low state of
Allen, who was suffering from the poison, prevented the case from being
set down for trial earlier than the 29th September, 1881, in the absence
of the principal witness, while since that date the dilatory motions, as
before said, have come wholly from the side of the defense.
I have acquainted Mr. Lowell by telegraph of the investigation ordered on
receipt of your note and of its result, in order that Her Majesty’s
Government may see the jealous watchfulness which this government is
disposed to exercise when the inherent right of any accused person, and
especially a subject of a friendly state, to a speedy trial on the
charges preferred, is in question.
I have, &c.,
