The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-10-28
TIE ROMANCn OF A PARDON.
How a Man Became Convict to
Save a Woman's Reputation.
rom the Louisville Courier-Journal.

garding pardon which the governor
has refused to grant. In fact, he
decides against granting pardons
every day, but these do not usually
get into pin. One of them, however,
which he did grant some months ago
has never been published, nor did ne,
as is usual with him, print the reasons.
They would not now be allowed to be
given, if there was any probability
that the actual names concerned, or
even the places where the incidents
occurred, should be correctly given.
The story is true romance, probably
seldom eoualed in the most emotional
fiction.
Early last spring young man,
name for present purposes Smith, was
employed as a gardener by a very
wealthy gentleman to be called for the
present purpose Mr.. Jones, who lived
we will say on the Hudson, near New
York. He was discovered one after
noon by Mr.. Jones, on his unexpected
return from the city, in the very act
of stealing from Mrs. Jones room
with some of her jewerly in his
possession and her bureau drawer
opened and rifed. He was seized and
charged with burglary, and, after
vain endeavors to escape, admitted
his guilt and was imprisoned. Mrs.
Homes was greatly distressed when she
heard of it, and begged hard that he
be not prosecuted, as he was great
favorite, being a youth only IS, of a
very handsome presence and rather
we'll educated. She pleaded so strong
" with Mr.. Jones that he sought to
hush the matter up, but other ser
wants had been witnesses to the dis
turbance at his detection and they
began to. talk so freely OF young
Smiths guilt that the authorities COM
PEELED him to enter a complaint
Smith was lodged in Jail, had an early
trial, promptly confessed his guilt,
and was sentenced to five years in
Sing Sing. Mrs. Jones was so over
come with grief that she was too SICK
to attend the trial even to identity
the iewelry. After he had been In
Sing Sing few months, Smith was
transferred, at his own request, to
Auburn.
A few months ago a lady, heavily
yelled, called to see the governor,
and was received by him at his public
desk. Without unvilieng, she said
that she came TO see him about a
pardon. He asked her the particu-
lars of the case, and she stated that
of young Smith, as above narrated.
"On what grounds do you ask for a
pardon?" said the governor.
"He is innocent" she said, family.
"Can you prove that ? Nothing
more is needed than proof to that
effect" answered the governor.
"Yes-I can prove it J"
"Then could possibly grant him a
new trial, but that would be the most
I could do. Ifyour new evidence is
sufficient, that will be all you want.
What evidence have your
.He did not take the jewelry."
"If I remember rightly, he pleaded
guilty"
But he is not guilty, governor
indeed, he is not guilty"
.sAre you a relation of his r
"Yes, sir" she replied. 81 am his
sister,"
swell, we'll p said the governor,
somewhat bluffiy, "You see the dis
trict attorney, lay your evidence be-
fore him, and on his sending it to me
I will consider the application"
The lady fingered, and, in tremb-
ling voice and low tone, said:
"Can / not speak to you alone
upon the NATTER?
Somewhat perplexed, the governor
escorted her into an inner room, when
an astounding story was told him by a
beautiful woman in great mental
anguish. She, too, was guilty. She
loved the handsome gardener, and she
was the wife whose jewels had been
stolen. Upon the verge OF discovery
of their secret by the husband, no
means of egress for the young lover
which would not be seen and excite
suspicion if not be proof, g. she had
hastily hidden herself in closet while
he had broken open the drawer of the
bureau and seized the jewels just ID
time to give the astonished husband a
wrong clew to the meaning of his
presence there. The lady told her
Story with her face buried in her
hands and trembling violently.
For all these months" she said at
last, getting down on her knees, ''he
has been suffering there for me, and
/ can do nothing but beg for him.
II was many moments before the