Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-07-29
Prisoners Released.

Prisoners Released.
Gov Alger has pardoned Freeman Car
gin "lifer" at Jackson. He was sent to
state prison from Saginaw county on the
2Sth of December, 1o16, for murder. In
giving his reasons for granting the pardon
the governor says substantially believe
the prisoner to be guiltless OF the crime.
The man was convicted largely upon the
testimony of a woman who was the wife
of Smith, the murdered man, who swore
positively that Cargin and Mrs Cargin as
sisted in committing the crime, the wom-
an Smith being also tried and sentenced
for life for completely in the same murder.
She died in the Detroit house OF correc-
ton Aug. z, 1880. Her deathbed con-
fession has been told in print
several times, and is familiar to the public.
The confession was to the effect that her
testimony against Cargin and wife was
absolutely false, and was given because
she expected by so swearing TO free her.
self from the charge of murder. On her
confession Gov. Begole pardoned Mrs.
Cargin, but for some unaccountable rea-
son left Cargin in prison.
The board of pardons took hold of the
case in April last, having done an enor-
nous amount of work on IL since, and
have used every means to obtain tran
script of the testimony given on the trial
of the case, but have been unable to OBJ
tain it, the stenographer who took IL hav-
ing removed from the state and no one
else being able to decipher his shorthand
notes. Gov. Alger, therefore takes the
matter in his own hands, and concludes :
believing, as lido, that the statement Of
true, cannot, as | said before, longer car
ry the responsibility of keeping this man
in prison."
The governor has also committed the
following sentences: James ID. Cannivan,
sent from Muskegon September, 1873, to
Jackson for life for rape; committed to
20 years form sentence. At time of ar
raignment the prisoner had already been
shot and wounded in jail by the girls
father, and the militia had to be called out
TO save him from hanging. Under this
state of public feeling he was advised to
plead guilty thinking he might save his
life. Believing that the extreme penalty
opinion and too severe when compared
with sentences throughout the state for
this crime the pardon board recommends
modification. Thomas Kelly, sent from
jackson, December, 1888, to state prison
for four years for larceny; sentence COM
muted TO expire September / next, con
ditional on abstaining from using intoxi-
cants and from keeping bad company.
Kelley is but 81 years old. The governor
thinks that release under restraint VIII
make a man of him. Thomas McLain, sent
from Tuscola, December, 1882, TO Jackson
for life; rape; sentence committed to five
years from date of sentence. At the trial
there was more than reasonable doubt
that the crime had been committed. The
testimony of the girl was unsupported by
the usual and probable circumstances sur
rounding such crimes, and corroborated
the prisoners statement that no force was
used The sentence was disproportionate
with the case and with other sentences for
like offences. George W. Nixon, from
Pontiac, sent to Ionia, December, 1856, for
tod TAYtnrn tod 70
two and one half years from date of sem
tence. The prisoner weighs about 100
pounds, is a mental, physical and moral
dwarf; his alleged victim is much larger
and stronger than he, and any degree of
resistance on her part would have render
ed the crime impossible. All the commu-
tations were recommended by advisory
board,