The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-01-30
DELIGHTED DRAPER.
A Life Man From Greene
County Pardoned After
Serving Seven Years.
he Talks With q BazOo Reporter,
And Tells of HIS Many
TribulatiOns.

Lie - ever fuil Oh strange viclsSituJes
and each individual heart Is a world with
in itself. There are tides o. feeling which,
at times, rush in y torrent to- the snriace.
and without plan ar premeiitalion compel
US to commit acts which may shadow all
our future.
Al least such seems To- have been the c.se.
with Mr. Oscar y. Draper. who, In 1876.
was sent from Greene County TO serve a
life sentence for mBr, er IN the peDiten,iary
at Jefferson City In q moment OF mad
ness, superiDiuced by the too tree u.s. oi
liquor, ne had slain las fellow man. and
was convicted and sentenced ~ above. A
petition. imploriug his pardon, hsd been
presented To the governor. herring the sig
natures of snch men as PrssideD; Garfield,
Ex- President HAYES, Roscoe Conkling and
large number Ut other equally proni-
nent individuals The petition testified to-
the young mans standing and character
previous To the difficulty which led
20 his incarceration. and as he vas really
guilty Of no legal crime, and had already
received a seven years punishment, Gov
ernor Crit,enien last Thursday, gave him
his freedom. The reporter. who WAS on
the train going west, FRIDAY evening ON
which he was u passenger, happened To De
thrown in his company, and truly. the most
calious hearted must have sympathixed
with him in his great JOY. He was AZ Tree
as were other men around him; he sas
free TO converse; free Ia come and GU SIS he
chose. The hateful prison was no longer
the farewell oi his nights and the greeting
Of his mornings. Once more he dared To
lift his eyes to meet Gods sunlight, and
feel himself man among men.
"Ah," said he, 81 can hardly realize il.
life was SO barren. and now il is. Orce NOR,
thank God. full of promise. am yonng,
and with strong friends BY me, shall vet
atone for those lost years.
His fine face flushed as he spoke. and DO
one hearing him but could believe he was
bravely in earnest His family is said to be
one Of the finest in New York, and he
gives evidence oi culture and refinement in
his whole bearing. After brief visit with
friends in Kansas City, he will visi, HE
relatives in the east. and from thence again
return to Kansas City, where he will al
once embark In business. lie speaks hope.
fully OF his future, and as there Is but lit.
tie doubt that he has been more stunned
against than SHINING. il is to be devoutly
hoped thst the broken thread Of his years
may yet be woven into web which shall
have rectitude for lis warp and truth and
purity for Its wool.
In the above connection the following
dispatch, received last night, will prove Il
additional interest:
special 10 sedaIia BAzoo.
SPRIN9FIELD, Mo-, Jan. II
O. =. Draper, just pardoned by Gov
Crittendeu. killed T. l.. Gilbert in Joplin,
July 22j, 1876, under cruel and atrocious
circumstances. He was indicted i'm Jas
per county, Sept. IA, and change Vi
venue vas granted Sept 18th, following
He was tried for murder in the circuit
court Of Greene county June, 1877, found
guilty of murder in the first degree and
sentenced to be hanged.
The supreme court reversed and re-
manded the case. May 9th, 1878, he was
rear rsigned before the circuit court OF
Greene county, when he pleaded guilty Ia
murder su the second degree and was sen
fenced to ninety-nine years Imprisonment
in the penilentiary. While IN Jail here
he was divorced from his wife, charging
her with adultery.
Draper has wealthy and influential
friends in New York, who have been
active in their efforts to secure has pardon
They used all their Establishments upon
Gov. Phelps and failed The pardon is
denounced BY judge, jury and people OF
this city.