The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-01
The ParAon Of Crawford.
ICoFfs:Pohdshcs AhAm6sa EufsKa.I
Drs MONIES. March I'd, 1875.

DEs MoINEs, March I'd, 1875.
Edieors Eureka While in youI
section Of country and while passing
through Cedar county, l heard not :
little censure bestowed upon Gov
Carpenter for his pardon Of the con.
vict Crawford. The pardon Of such
. criminal - Crawford deserves cen.
sure, but when the circumstances
that led to his pardon are known
think the censure will not be heaped
on the Executive. The Governor ID
mortal and, therefore, not omnipres-
ent. He cannot be in oil the State
institutions 1t once, and at the same
time, and even to visit them all would
occupy nearly al his time to the ne.
glect Of ell other State business. Ger.
tain it 10 that Crawford has been
pardoned out Of the penitcntiary and
while regret much that the Gov
erner signed such pardon ! can.
not eensure him, knowing Is dc
now, the circumstances that led te
such IN aot. will here state them
q briefly - possible.
Crawford had been in the Ft. Madi,
son prison but . short time when he
made . proposition, covering four
pages Of foolscap, to the warden, S
81. Craig, to the effect that he va.
we'll acqusinted with the Iowa train
robbers and tha, on condition of be-
ing pardoned he would be the mean,
Of having them captured. He gave
their full history from 1869, when be
6rst became acquainted with them
He told Of tho many banks they had
robbed, and how the robbsries were
secenplished and the different points
they had visited. He stated also
that he had been in the penitentiary
in Minnesota, and that he had been
released on condition that he would
. I'd to the capture of the Wasec,
bank robbers, and oil he asked to cap
turc the train robbers was his pardon
What other recommendations, if any,
we're made to Mr.. Craig relative te
this matter, l cannot say, but he
(Craig) wrote . letter to the Sheriff
Of Steele county, Minnesota, upon
the subject and received an answer
covering three pages Of legal cap, in
which he corroberated the statement
made by Crawford in reference to
his release from prison in that State,
and 20 the part he took in the cap,
tare Of the Waseoa bank robbers.
The sheriff spoke very highly of how
Crawford full6lled his promise and
carried out his plans in following the
robbers till their capture. and, in the
strongest terms, urged his release on
bis proposition to capture the train
robbers. He spoke of him very high
" and said that business men Of Min
nesota would give him any amount
of recommendation. The statement
was signed BY NJ. J. Toher, sheriff Of
Steele county, Minnesota, and his an
swer to Craig was written from Owa-
tonna.
The following statements also
came with tho Sherif's answer -one
signed Amos Coggswell, attorney,
who prosecuted and convicted the
bank robbers, verifying the state
ment of the sheriff; also one to the
same effect signed by w. H. Kenyon,
President lst National Bank, Owa.
tonna; also certificate from N. NJ.
Donaldson, Judge of the court who
tried the bank robbers, stating that
what had been said Of Essex, alias
Crawford, by the sheriff and Coggs-
we'll WAS correct.
These papers were sent to the
Governor BY warden Craig, but ii
seems his Excellency did not act
with sufficient dispatch to suit the
warden, which delay led to the fol-
lowing letter dated Fort Madison,
July Goth, 1874.
Dear Sir IL have everything all
ready for VIM. Crawford. We have
the places designated to commu.
ulCStO lEOtu ttubC w tihC' Wleu
you would send papers at once.
Yours truly.
s. n. CRAIG.
Tho Governor not complying with
his request immediately, the warden
become impatient and sent the fol.
lowing telegram July 23d, 1874:
ain Crawford's case leave of ab.
ssnoe one year. Conditions, good
faith % was talked between you and
mo when there. Send two papers
one for him and one for me. Send
soon. S. H. CRAIG.
About the time this dispatch wal
recsivsd the following certificate
from tho surgeon of the penitentisry
was alse recsivsd.
"This 10 to certify that VIM. Craw.
ford, . convict in the Iowa State Pen.
itsntiary, il under my care and treat.
msnt 10 the Psnitentiary Hospital fol
chronic diseases of the frontal bone
involving the frontal sinuses, tuber.
ated bones, and nasal passages, which
makes life . burden, and the nscessa.
rily restricted diet, together with the
close confinement peculiar to prison
life, has tendency to aggravate ths
disease and to jeopardizs his life.