Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-10-26
The Gamble Pardon.

OF Governor Fairchild, in his speech
here on the evening OF the 18th, up
on the charges made against him by
portions of the Democratic press, ]
that he had corruptly used the par
doning power in the Gamble case
THIS portion of his speech was taken
cer6dt'm from bis lips by Mr. Sawyer,
the short hand reporter for The Dis
trict Court:
| Il hold in my hand a portion of
the Milwaukee Nesos. In one col
umn there is long important state
ment. | will not read it all to you.
1t is the alleged release of con-
victed murderer that an attorney
| might receive 81, 900 foe. You in
Oshkosh have heard of it frequently.
The charge against me by the Dem
ocratic papers in this state is, that |
had conspired to release from prison
by pardon, one Gamble, convicted
for the murder of his wife, in order
that friend of mine might receive
fee of 81 600 | never answered a
newspaper statement since | have
been in political life, and | thought
| never would. do it now at the
request of friends. / know that the
people of this state, who have always
known me, will not believe such
charge as that against me. | know
that no one will accuse me OF tam
pering wiz the pardoning power of
the state, J. [ didn't know it, |
would sink Wi shame into my
grave. The Ne.0S, in another col
umD, comments upon that--treats it
with fairness it is true, but very
cunningly. 1t SAYS: we are not
prepared to believe that Gov. Fair
child accepted bride for the pardon
OF murderer. The facts stated do
not necessarily lead to this conclu-
sion but this statement, until re-
futed, does show that the Governor
is surrounded by men who do not
scruple TO use their political and
official influence with him to barter
with crime and compromise public
justice for pay.
In answer to ali these charges |
have but few words to say. Any
man that doubts the justice of that
pardon, | refer to the Senate Journal
of 1868, in which he will find my
printed report, made in accordance
with law, giving the reasons for the
pardon of Gamble. This charge
, made against me will be spread by
the Democratic papers, but when the
report was made to the Legislature
by me no man in this land dered 90
to that Legislature and bring those
charges there for investigation. The
Legislature is the only tribunal in
the state authorized to investigate
{ the official conduct of state officer.
/ Why did not they prefer the charges
| last winter? There has been no
t Legislature in this state which would
J allow Governor to so abuse the
) pardoning power, and L hope to God
. there never will be. No breath OF
Q it was heard until | again came be-
t fore the people as the nominee of the
3 Republican party for Governor
t Then it is rehashod in the Democratic
| papers for campaign purposes.
> In answer to these charges that /
have tempered with the pardonin g
t power-but not receiving bride, ne
| man dare charge me with that-the
: state ment that | refused the pardon
} to one of the attorneys, and did grant
3 it when application was made by
r e. w. Reyes, in order that he might,
f with my knowledge, receive 81 900
, fee from the criminal. / have only
to say that | never heard E. W.
= Keyes' name mentioned in connection
, with this petition, until | heard it
) some days after the Issue Of the par
} don in connection with these charges.
He never spoke to me directly or in
directly on the subject, and | never
: knew that he was an attorney for
Gamble. Neither Col. Spooner nor
any other man ever asked me to
J grant that pardon as personal
, favor. Nor did any person ever re-
quest me to grant any pardon as a
, personal favor. No man who knows
| me will ever dare to. | never knew
the circumstances in the case as re-
ported by the papers, until days af-
ter the pardon was issued, and now
only know them by newspaper re-
port, | never heard of fee OF any
amount being paid to any person
had no knowledge of any such
transaction. The pardon was Justly
due to the man, and was granted
upon the merits of the case. as shown
| nv hn IL a.
, tive office. My action would have
been the same had Mr.. Williams, the
} original attorney, made the last re-
quest me to look over the case with
the additional papers then put on
: file. | court the fullest investigation
of the case"
The following is copy of the re-
port in the Senate Journal of 1868,
referred to in the ABOVE:
pardon granted Michael Gamble
on the following grounds The Judge
before whom he was tried, in recon-
mending pardon, states that the evil
denee left very strong doubts in his
mind as to the prisoners guilt of
the crime of murder. Nine of the
jury who brought in the verdict, the
other three not being found, unite
in asking a pardon, and state that
upon the trial the evidence estab-
lished many palliating circumstan-
ces in favor of the prisoner that he
was at the time in state of intoxi-
cation, and was enraged by acts of
violence committed upon him by the
diseased, and that as a compromise
of their conflicting opinions they
finally agreed upon and rendered
verdict ofguilty of murder in the sec
ond cegree, in the hope that at the
proper time he might be come a sub
iect of executive clemcncy. The iu-
ry and many citizens of Jefferson
county represent that the prisoner
was when sober, q harmless. iroffen