The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-20
Governor Portsr's vision.

Governor Porter practically comp!et-
ed his official work as governor last
night, although Governor Gray will not
be inaugurated until noon tomorrow.
The last official act of Governor Porter
was the pardon of Peter Crawford.
known as "Jack" Crawford, convict
in the Michigan City prison, where he
is serving life sentence for a murder
committed sixteen years ago. When he
had signed the pardon ths governor
said: II feel as though I had done an
act of justice" Then speaking to his
private secretary, lie added: IT want
that pardon forwarded at once, and
here, Mr.. Blackledge," taking $50
from his purse, enclose this with il.
Tell him that I especially request him
to keep me advised Us to Ills future
movements" and the governor gave q
story of most romantic interest. He
said: "The case of that man has
worked on my mind more than all the
other applications for pardon that have
been presented to me during my entire
term. first became acquainted with
the man three years ago when he was at
Jacksonville. Warden Howard called
my attention to him while I was on q
visit to the prison. He had just made
an attempt at suicide, and had a fright
full cash in his throat. / asked him If
he had any friends who might interest
themselves in his behalf, and the ques-
L. -
he did not know a soul in the world
outside the prison, where he had been
for thirteen years. There is one man,
said he, sadly, who might remember
me if he is living, but he is
the only one ] know The man
is a big, fine looking fellow, not
having the expression or look of Grim
inal at all, and I became greatly i'm.
pressed with him. He told me Of the
crime for which he was prisoner, and
referred me to the man mentioned to
substantiate Lis story. He had been EN-
ployed on . railroad contract, and,
while resenting the abusive treatment
of the man in charge of the set in which
he was working, he used q small pen.
knife with fatal effect, but without any
intention of killing his adversary. He
was utterly friendIess, while the man he
killed was we'll known, and the case
was prosecuted with vigor by the ables,
lawyers in Clark county. The result,
was his conviction, and for sixteen
years he has been prisoner. He wa.
littls more than boy, and in time was
lost sight of entirely, and probably nc
ono outside the prison ever remember.
ed that he ever had an existence. Ihai
him removed to the Michigan City pri'
son, and took the trouble to hunt up thu
man whose name he had given, finally
found him. and from him heard
the story of the killing ever
more favorably than Crawford
had told me himself. There wa,
no one to apply for pardon for him
but the case appealed to me so strongl.
that for three years I have been con
sidering whether it was not best to se
him free in the absence of any petition
never had any case work on my mine
as this one did, and it seemed almos
impossible to drive it away. The othe
night, as I lay doing fitfully. but una
BILE to sleep, that mans figure appeare'
at the foot of my bed, and could Sc
his face Us plainly as I see yours now.
closed my eyes and tried to think o
something else, but when opened then
again, there stood Crawford, the mos
beseeching and reproachful look imagi
nable on his face, and there it RENAME,
until I made up my mind. Il will ia
sue that pardon I cried, and the sppar
ition, il appsrition it was vanish
ed. Nothing ever made such an i'm
preston on my mind as that vision.
am firmly convinced that manhas sui
fered enough, and therefore I set hir
Free"