Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-18

but kindness from you during nv
months of imprisonment. I can rot
say that my trial was not fair one.
| lid no fault with the judge or jury,
and my counsel wer2 untiriDg in there
efforts In my behalf Yet, repeat
and this is all that is left me now
that, as God hears me-that great
judge, before whom am soon to stand
i am innocent
The poor man staggered like one
blind. and sank to the deck. Never
shall forget the agony depicted upon
his upturned face at that moment.
His earnestness and his solemn words
impressed me with awe. could no
longer doubt his innocence. ard 1
then made a vow that I would do all
In my power to save him from the gal
lows.
Il delivered him, with the other
prisoners I had in charge, to the ward
en- of the prison, with papers of COM
mitment. | could make make no
stay, as the coach was waiting my re-
turn to the steamer. hurriedly babe
him good by, and to be brave, that I
would not forget MIN It wa spitlful
to see that strong man cling to me,
weeping like a child, until he was
forcibly removed By the turnkey.
u Don my return to Portland, I at
once conferred with the county attor>
uey, and communicated to him nay
exoerience. and my firm belief in Mr..
Mills innocence. He hesrtily second
ed my efforts, and we soon had a peti
ton s'g@ed by the judge who presided
at the ttial, eleven of the jury who
comp ,sad the trial panel, the county
attorney, and nearly all the county
and cty officers, with large number
of prominent citizens. The prayer of
the petition was that the governor
commute his sentence to imprison~
ment for life. 1t was presented to his
counsel, the governor granted the
prayer, and the poor mans life was
saved.
Some five years later, at o'clock
in the morning, white haired man,
weighed down with sorrow, came into
my office and inquired for nae. An
apparent stranger stood in the door
way. He looked earnestly for a mo-
ment, and, seeing no recognition in
my face, with sad, tremulous voice,
he said: Is it possible that you have
| forgotten meg Not until then did |
know that he was the same man who
five years before had beea sentenced
to death for a crime he never CONS
mitted. Noticing my establishment at
seeing HIM again in Portland, and at
| liberty, he at once explained that the
warden had received a telegram from
the governor ordering his immediate
and unconditional release.
In explanation of this &C ion by
the executive committee, will simply
state that some years after Mills con.
viction a notorious character was ar
rested in the city for highway robbery,
for which he was indicted, tried, con
victed, and sentenced to thirteen
years at hard labor and was confined
IN the same penitentiary where Mills
had so long suffered.
''His dlssipated habits had already
destroyed his health, consequently he
soon broke down under the rigors Of
prison discipline. Death was fast ap
preaching him; its terrors aroused his
scared conscience to right terrible
1 wrong. hdFluS SsLL IOF lac "dI0eU,
the dying criminal confessed that il
was he who set fire to the dwelling BY
throwing a roll of cloth saturated with
petroleum through the window and
under the bed of the sleeping oceu,
pants; that he was melted to infiict
this cruel wrong upon Mills in re-
venge for an old time grudge and
| enemisy against him.
''The saddest part of it all was that,
after having endured all these years
of punishment he came back to find
his daughterand only child dead, and
his faithful, loving, devoted wife
totally blind.