The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-10-10
CRITTENDEN'S CRITICS.
What Sedalia's Prominent
Citizens Think of the Pro-
posed Pardoning of
Frank James.
Mum Der Of Representative
Citizens Interviewed on the
All Absorbing Topic.

Frank James To Governor Crlttenten.
being the slLabsorbing topic of converse
| ton on the streets and In stores, Offices and
wherever two or three men CHANGED to
meet, BAZoO reporter yesterday started
out to feel the pulse of public opinion in
reference to the generally anticipated act
OF Governor Crittenden pardOning the
noted outlaw. The question propounded
by the reporter WAS, what DO You think Of
the ACCESSIBILITY or wisdom of Governor
Crittenden i'm extending pardon 10 Frank
James, provided he sl,ould be convicted ?
Or. do Won think it will be wise precedent
To set? Quite a num6e OF our prominent
citizens were approached by the scribe
during the day, and that there is consid-
cradle diversity of opinion on the questi IN
will be shown by the interviews published
below:
PRESIDENT BOsERMAN
of the city council, said i'm answer to the
questions Of the reporter: 81, for one, am
not in favor of the governor pardonirg
Frank James. Let him be treated as any
other criminal. / think il would be an
extremely bad precedent, for the governor
to set, by pardOning him.
ALDERMAN THOMAS.
I Think that Frank James has acted the
man In giving himself up, and ought not
to be punished, as he has already been
punished enough. think he ought to be
plrdoned and then used to assist in put
ting down outlawry in the state do no
think that he is half rs bad man as he is
accused of being.
J.R. WEBER.
/ think it would be advisable to pardon
him as long as he has given himself up,
and has expressed desire to become a
good citizen. he sho lid be assisted and
think that after he is once convinced, that
instead OF being clamOrous for his blood,
the people show confidence in his expressed
intention Of becoming a good citizen, it
will 60 far towards making him such
Besides the outlaw is man O: family.
having wife and child, and ! do not see
where the interest OF law and order will
be suhserved, or any good accom- plished
by condemning him to a felon's cell. He
is not to be considered in he same light
as an ordinary criminal l think that
Governor Crittenden has studied this
matter carefully, and i'm all OF its phases.
and has taken the step he deemed wisest
and best
ALDERMAN ILG ENFRITz.
think he should nave a fair and Impair
tiai trial, and il found guilty, punished
lst as any other criminal should be.
]. H. boutwell,.
thought, and am, therefore, not p, ePared to
express any opinion.
CAPT II. NJ. FRAZER.
l have no opinion now to express in ref
erence to the matter of pardon / think
it is too early in the day. / would prefer
to wait until l see W hat the evidence is on
the trial.
SQUIRE A. d. FISHER.
think he has acted wisely in surrendering
and having expressed his intention of be-
coming a peaceable, law.sbidipg citizen /
think it would be right and advisable to
pardon him.
G. b. sIMONDs.
l think he ought to suffer the full penalty
of the law. The precedent which would
he set in psrdoning him would be a bad
one, and would have bad tendency and
BOYS o. the land, by the authorities SEEM
ingly TO wink at and tacitly encourage out
lawry and crime. II he is. guilty, by all
means let him pay the penalty of his
crimes.
MAYOR MEssERLY.
The surrender of Frank James, with a
plea for mercy, comes At rather late day,
and it can hardly be called a voluntary
act, for he knew that the day of his cap
tue was last drawing near, and an uncOn-
ditional surrender was his last resort.
Frank James should have a fair and i'm
partial trial by jury of his countrymen,
and. If convicted, should pay the extreme
penalty Of the Law. His prospect for ex-
ecutive ciemency is not favorable, for the
experiment of making good and useful
citizens out OF such material would prove
a fsilure, and the precedent thus establish:
ed would he bad.
MARSHAL Shy.
think Frank James ought to be treated
inst as any other criminal. II be is con-
victed of murder, he ought to be hung, or,
If he is proven guilty of highway robbery,
he should be sent to the penitentiary. OF
course he ought to have q fair md i'm
MAJOR VIM. BECK.
/ think that Frank James is being
liouized entirely too much, and that the
moral effect of this is yerv bad. He ought
not to be pardoned, because it will estsb-
lish very bad and dangerous precedent.
The law should take its full course. / arm
of the opinion that he surrendered because
he knew he could not hold out much
longer against the authorities.
ALDERMAN LANDEs.
think that he ought To nave fair and
impartial trial, and If found guilty pun
;shed just as any other criminal is. l think
that he knew that the meshes of the law
we're closing around him, and he surrender
ed, knowing that either his capture or
murder Was inevitable at no distant day.
I do not believe in this thing of liouizinR