Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-07-16
PARDONED.
An INNoCENy YOUNG MAN RELEASED FROM
PRISON

The Board OF Pard0ns yesterday pardoneC
William Madden. a Young man who was con
victed of robbery at Reno several months
since, in company with man named George
/ Gardner. The circumstances of Maddeni
alleged crime were as follows: Madden is
printer, who at one time was employed on The
Eaterprise, but his health was SO poorly as tC
preclude him from following an indoor Occu
patton He got employment in the North
Con Virginia mine for while, where he met
Gardner, and the two became fast friends
considering their short acquaintance. Some
months ago the force at that mine was re-
duced, and among the discharged ones were
Madden and Gardner. Subsequently Madden
received letter of recommendation from Col.
Sam Curtis, with whom he had been acquaint-
ed, addressed to mining superintendent at
Paradise, whittier he and Gardner went.
Their stay there was of short duration, Mad
den returning to Virginia, where his family
lives, and Gardner went t. Reno. In April
last Madden visited sister who resides III
Reno, and on the night of the 9th of that
month, while stroling along the railroad track
he met his Quondam friend Gardner, i'll who's
company he remained for some time. That
same night, before or after meeting Madden,
Gardner robbed a man of So and railroad
ticket He was arrested on suspicion and
subsequently identified as the perpetrator of
= N,11,,,, ha,-i,,r, bna,, SaaY, in the
robbers company about that time, he was ar
rested as an accomplice. The lawyer who de-
Tended the two men did not possess sufficient
acumen to have them tried separately, but
permitted both to be tried at once. The over
whelIning testimony against Gardner carried
poor Madden with it, and while the for
mer was guilty, the latter was convicted on
purely circumstantial evidence, the strongest
point in which was that Madden was seen in
the guilty mans company on the night of the
robbery, which resulted in the sentencing of
both Of the men to the State Prison for five
years. When the Judge was pronounclng
sentence, Gardeners better nature asserted
itself, and he said, Judge, for Gods sake
don't sentence that boy, pointing to Mad
den, " for he is innocent he had nothing to
do with the robbery But the Court had no
discretionary power in the matter, and Mad
den was taken to the State Prison. 1t has
since been established beyond any question of
doubt that Madden was really innocent of
the crime of which he was convicted, and the
evidence adduced before the Board of Par
dons yesterday more fully confirmed that fact.
The yonng man had never before been i'll any
trouble whatever, and had always conducted
himself in an upright and honorable manner
The worst that can be said of him is that he
was found in a bad mans company, and in
this particular, he most probably did not fully
understand the true character of his cOmpan-
ion, for Madden does not look like a man who
delights in the society of bad people. His
mother and sister were here yesterday when
their son and brother was restored to them.
Mrs. Madden is a fine, intelligent, matronly
lady, having in all respects the appearance and
bearing of class who do not raise bad or dis
honest men William Nadden's experience,
although bitter, will teach him to learn the
character Of his associates hereafter There
are many young men in this city to day, not
really bad themselves, who make it practice
If seeking low companions they ought to
profit by Madden sad lesson.