Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-10-28
from the o.hk osh Daily Northwestern, October
lath, 1869.
The Gamble Pardon.


ON the evening Of the 18th, upon the
charges made against him by portions OF
the Democratic press, that he had corr
ruptlv used the pardoning power in the
Gamble case. This portion of his speech
was taken perbatm from his lips by Mr.,
Sawyer, the short hand reporter for the
District Court:
al hold in my hand a portion of the
Milwaukee Meas. In one column there
is long important statement. ! will
mt read it all to you. 1t is the alleged
release of convicted murderer that an
attorney might receive 81 900 fee
You in Oshkosh have heard of it fie.
ouenlly. The charge against me 10y the
Democratic papers in this State is, that
had conspire0 to release from prison
by pardon, one Gamble, con icted for
the murder of his vile, in order that
| friend of mine might receive fee of
$1,000 never answered n newspaper
statement since ] have been in political
lie, 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 II
charge MS that against me. know that
no one will accuse me of tampering with
| the pardoing power If the state. IL |
| didn't know it would sink with shame
into my grave. The Ne,cS in another
column comments upon that-treats 1t
with fairness, it is true, but very Gun,
| ninglv. 1t SAYS: We are not prepared
| to believe that Governor Fairchild ac>
cepted Il bride for the pardon OF MUIR
! derer. The facts stated do not neces-
sariy lead to this conclusion; but this
statement until reiuted, 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 jasticc for
pay
In answer to all these charges | have
but u few words to say. Any man that
doubts the justice of that pardon, refer
to the Senate journal of 1863 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 10y the
Democratic papers, but when the report
was made to the Legislature by me no
man in this land dared 80 to that Legls-
lature and bring those charges there for
in, estigation. 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
Legislature in this State which would
allow ii Governor to so abuse the par
doning power, and | hope to God there
never will be. No breath of it was heard
until again came before the people AS
the nominee of the Republican party Tor
Governor Then it is rehashed in the
Democratic papers for campaign pur-
poses.
In answer to these charges that ! have
tampeIed with the pardonlng power
but no receiving ii bride, no man dare
charge me with that--the statement that
refused the pardon to one OF the att0r-
news, and did grant it when application
was made 10y H. " Reyes in order that
he might, with my knowledge, receive Il
thousand dollar lee from the criminal,
have only to say that | never heard F.
W. Reyes name mentioned IN connection
with this petition, until heard 1t some
days alter the issue of the pardon in con
pectiou with these charges. lie ncycI
spoke to Inc directly or indirectly upo'
the sui loot, and never knew that he
was an attorney for Gamble. Neither
Col Spooner nor any other man ewes
asked me to grant that pardon MS per
sonal favor. Nor did any person evel
request me to grant any pardon AS per
sonal favor No man who knows me WI
ever dare to. ne er knew the circum'
stances in the case as reported 10y th'
papers, until days after the pardon wal
issued, aud now only know them b,
newspaper report never heard OF I
fee of any amount being laid to any per
son - had no knowledge OF any sucl
transaction. The pardon was justly du
to the man. and was granted upon TIL
merits OF the case, rs shown by the pa
pers on file in the Executive Office NJ
action would have been the same hn'
Mr.. Williams, the original attorney, mad
the last request for me to look over til
case with the additional papers then pu
on file. court the tulles1 investigate
of the case.
The following is copy of the repo
in the Senate journal OF 1868, reie ere
to in the above:
Pardon granted Michael Gamble {
the following grounds: The Ju6ge b.
fore whom he was tried, in recc mmen,
ipg pardon, states that the cvid .ence le
4 very strong doubts III his mind US to Il
, prisoners guilt Of the crime oil murde
Nine OF the jury who brought in verdi,
II the other three no, being 10 and, unite
asking Il pardon, aud state that upon Il
trial the evidence establish many pr
liatug circumstances III favor oil q
pr,oner; that he Was at the time IN
: state OF intoxicatior., and was enrag
y ~ a NJ N