User:Afddiary/JohnSnowdenSandbox
The next article I plan to write will be on John Snowden, who was executed in Maryland on February 28, 1919, for a murder he definitely did not commit. Setting aside this special sandbox for that purpose. I'll collect links and organize an article eventually; I don't have tons of time lately, but I'll get to it.
Citations Created (see "References" list below)
[edit][1] - https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/013600/013632/html/13632bio.html
So far, one of the most valuable sources on Snowden's case. (Archived 2022-06-18)
(The below text is a direct copy+paste of the biography included in the link above. All of the info will need to be rephrased to avoid copyright issues.)
Biography:
John Snowden was born in Annapolis on June 10, 1890, to Henry and Anita (nee Jasco) Snowden.1 On October 19, 1917, Snowden appeared before the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, and was formally charged with the murder of Mrs. Lottie Mae Brandon.2 Brandon was murdered in her home on Second Street in Annapolis on August 8, 1917.3 Snowden, who worked on an ice delivery wagon in her neighborhood, endured hours of questioning and physical abuse at Baltimore City Police headquarters.4 Due to the publicity and controversy surrounding the case, it was moved to Baltimore County, where Snowden was convicted of first degree murder on January 31, 1918, and sentenced to death by hanging.5 Snowden was denied a new trial, and the Court of Appeals refused to overturn his conviction.6 Lawyers, including George L. Pendleton, appealled to the U.S. Supreme Court, who refused to hear the case.7 The community, including 11 of the 12 jurors from Snowden's trial, petitioned Governor Emerson C. Harrington to commute his death sentence, however, their efforts were unsuccessful.8 Snowden was hanged at the jail in Annapolis on February 28, 1919, with the city under martial law. Snowden was given one last chance to confess to the murder, but said "I could not leave this world with a lie in my mouth." He was buried March 2, 1919, at Brewer's Hill Cemetery.9 The following day the Capital published an anonymous letter claiming responsibility for Brandon's murder.10 A memorial was dedicated to John Snowden at his grave site on June 10, 2000.11 Citing inconsistencies in the Snowden case, Governor Parris N. Glendening granted him a posthumous pardon on May 31, 2001.12
1. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS (Death Record, Counties) John Snowden, 28 February 1919, Anne Arundel County [MSA S1179, 2-56-1-7]
2. ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Docket) John Snowden, Volume GW July-Oct 1917 Page 264 [MSA T1100, 1-5-11-17]
3. "Young Wife Found Murdered In Home." The Baltimore Sun, 9 August 1917.
4. "Negro Under Arrest In Murder Mystery." The Evening Capital, 14 August 1917.
5. BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Criminal Docket, Removals) John Snowden, Volume JB 1 pp. 98a-98b [MSA T692, 0-33-6-12]
6. "Snowden Refused A New Trial!!." The Afro-American, 17 January 1919.
7. "Snowden Case Goes To United States Supreme Court." The Afro-American, 21 February 1919.
8. "Governor Refuses Any Clemency For Snowden." The Evening Capital, 24 February 1919.
9. Mohsberg, Margot. "Honor At Last?" The Sunday Capital, 11 June 2000.
10. "Anonymous Letter Written Says He is Brandon Murderer." The Evening Capital, 3 March 1919.
11. Mohsberg.
12. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (Carl Snowden and John Snowden Memorial Committee Collection) Copy of John Snowden's Pardon, signed by Governor Glendenning on May 31, 2001, MSA SC 5389.
https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/013600/013632/html/13632images.html
Includes a picture of John Snowden taken in 1919, minutes before his death (minutes before he was led to the gallows enclosure where he was executed). The picture's copyright has definitely expired; it would fall under fair use by now. (Archived 2023-06-20)
[2] - https://www.capitalgazette.com/opinion/columns/ac-ce-column-carl-snowden-2021228-20210228-fefnn46pgbgpbnr3laba324ghy-story.html
Carl Snowden: John Snowden was hanged for a crime he didn’t commit, 103 years ago today in Annapolis | COMMENTARY
Capital Gazette, 2021-02-28 (Archived 2022-08-18)
[3] - https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1990-12-30-0503030307-story.html
Governor Could Clear Name of Man Hanged in 1919
Arthur Hirsch
The Baltimore Sun, 1990-12-30 (Archived 2021-06-19)
[4] - https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-03-13-9113002616-story.html
Investigator Rattles the Bones of an Old Murder Case
Arthur Hirsch
The Baltimore Sun, 1991-03-13 (Archived 2021-07-12)
[5] - https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3489316/snowden-v-state/
Snowden's unsuccessful appeal. (Archived 2023-06-20)
References
[edit]- ^ "John Snowden, MSA SC 3520-13632". Archives of Maryland. 2018-04-04. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-21 suggested (help) - ^ Snowden, Carl (2021-02-28). "Carl Snowden: John Snowden was hanged for a crime he didn't commit, 103 years ago today in Annapolis". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-21 suggested (help) - ^ Hirsch, Arthur (1990-12-30). "Governor Could Clear Name of Man Hanged in 1919". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-21 suggested (help) - ^ Hirsch, Arthur (1991-03-13). "Investigator Rattles the Bones of an Old Murder Case". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-21 suggested (help) - ^ "Snowden v. State, 106 A. 5 (Md. 1919)". Court Listener. 1919-01-16. Archived from the original on 2023-06-21. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
Categories:
1890 births
1919 deaths
20th-century African American men
20th-century executions by Maryland
Executed African-American people
Executed people from Maryland
People convicted of murder by Maryland
People executed by Maryland by hanging
People from Annapolis, Maryland
People who have received posthumous pardons
Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons
Wrongful executions