American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-03-25
Was it a Crooked Pardon2

In the House, on the 18th inst,
Mr.. Tucker, of Chickasaw, moved
to investigate the conduct of Mr..
Parsons, of Adams, in procuring, or
aiding to procure the pardon of one
Alexander Smith. on the 18th inst.
Mr.. fuckers statement before the
House was in substance "a follows {:
That on Saturday last, one Alex.
Smith, being convicted and SEN
fenced to the penitentiary for life,
for outraging girl of ten years OF
age, in Chickaea~ county, had been
pardoned out of the peniteptiary.
That Smith had no friends in Chick
asaw county, and had resided there
but few weeks prior to the offense.
That he had Inherited about 90, $50
from deceased relatives in Germany
since conviction, which amount had
been sent him through Green's
Bank, and drawn therefrOm by Col.
Noonan, Superintendent of the Pen
itentiary. That the pardon had
been issued through the exertions
of Fred Parsons, member of the
House, from Adams county. That
a petition, signed by Parsons, Hus-
eey, Jacobs, NoOnan and others,
none of them being citizens of
Chickasaw, but all from South or
West Mississippi, setting forth that
the case was Q meritOrious one, had
been presented to the Governor.
That there was also with the papers
a letter from Parsons to the Cover.
nor. saying that he (Parsons) had
been informed by a citizen Of Chick
asaw that the person outraged was
a lewd woman, and that he Tuck
cry had made a statement to MIR.
Parsons to the same effect. Mr..
Tucker did not know who the citi-
zen referred to was, but the state.
as to himself was false. What he
had said to Mr.. Parsons when asked
about it was exactly the reverse !;
that he did not know at the time
that Parsons was in the pardoning
business; that on Saturday evening,
SO far as he could learn, Parsons
and Packer went to the penitentia-
ry, had consultation with Smith,
giving him the pardon, and a ticket
to Cincinnati: and at about twenty
minutes to five o'clock 1.-THE north
bound train leaves at five o'clock
Smith was released and went on
his way rejoicing; that while
it was customary to let the
foreman Of the prison shops
leave the Psnitentiary at 4:30 p. M.
when the prisoners were put in the
prison building, upon this evening
they were kept in the prison walls
until after 6 o'clock. That Colonel
No0nan had made two different
statements to the Penitentiary
Committee before which an inform
al examination had already begun !;
first, that all of the o.. $50 had been
paid to Smith in one hundred dol
lar bills, except $500 which was
paid to Parsons, and some other
small amounts for incidentals, etc. !;
second, that $3.50 was paid Smith in
money, 500 to Parsons, and for the
balance he had given Smith his
notes running for, several years.
The House then
Resolved, That q committee of
I'VE be appointed TO Investigate the
conduct Of the H0u. Fred. Parsons,
In connection with the pardon OF
Alexander. Smith, with power to
send for persons and papers, aud
that sold committee be instructed
to lay the testimony taken on this
subject, with their conclusions
thereon, before this House, at as
early day as practicable; adopted;
Me.srs. Powell, Huddle-
ston, Dabney, Bell and Brown.