The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-11
A NOCTURNAL VISION.
The Strange Apparition Seen by Governor
P0rter-The Case of Jack Crawford.

'There, feel as though 1 had done an act of
justice" said Governor Porter yesterday, as ne
handed an official document to Secretary Black
ledge. It was a full and unconditional pardon for
Peter Crawford known as 'Jack" Crawford, a
prisoner at the Michigan City penitentiary,
where he is serving life sentence for murder
committed sixteen years ago. II want that
pardon forwarded at once added the Governor,
land here, Mr. Blackledge taking $50 from his
purse), inclose this with it. Tell him that
would especially request him to keep
me advised as to his future movements"
do you know" continued the Governor, turn
ing and addressing his remarks to the Journal
reporter, that the case of that man has
worked on my mind more than all the other ap-
plications for pardon that have been presented
to me during my entire term? I first became &C.
quainted with the case three years ago. when he
was at Jacksonville. Warden Howard called
my attention to him while was on visit to
the prison. He had just made an attempt at SUI
icde, and had a frightful cash in his throat
asked him if he had any friends who might in
terest themselves in his behalf, and the
question surprised him. He answered
that he did not know q soul in the world
outside the prison where he had been
for thirteen years There is one man. said he,
sadly, who may remember me, if he is still liv-
ing, but he is the only one know The man
was big, fne-1ooking fellow, not having the
expression or look of criminal at all, and be-
came greatly impressed with him. He told me
of the crime for which he was prisoner and
referred me to the man mentioned to substan-
tiate his story. He had been employed on a
railroad contract and while resenting the
abusive treatment of the man in charge of the
set in which he was working, he used small
pen knife with fatal fleet, but without any in
tention of killing his adversary. He was utterly
friendless, while the man he killed was we'll
known. and the case was prosecuted with
yigor by the ablest lawyers in Clark county
The result was his conviction and for sixteen
years he has been prisoner. He was little
more than boy, and in time was lost sight of
entirely, and probably no one outside the prison
even remembered that he had ever had an exist
ence had him removed to the Michigan City
prison. and took the trouble to hunt up the man
whose name he had given finally found him, and
from him heard the story of the killing even
more favorably than Crawford had told me him
self. There was no one to apply for pardon
for him, but the case appealed to me SO strongly
that for three years | have been considering
whether it was not best to set him
free in the absence of any petit
ton. | never had any case work on
iAAiAN 40 1ulo ou0 Ulu, duu III SEEMED lnpOSSl-
BILE to drive it away. The other night as lay,
doing ftfuly but unable to sleep, that mans
figure appeared at the foot of my bed, and
could see the face as plainly as / see yours now.
shut my eyes and tried to think of something
else, but when opened them again there stood
Crawford the most beseeching and reproachful
look imaginable on his face. And there it re-
manned until made up my mind 81 will issue
that pardonl | cried, fully resolved to do so, and
the apparation, if apparation it was, van
ished. Nothing ever made such an impression
or my mind as that vision. / am firmly con-
WINGED that that man has suffered enough and
therefore set him free"