Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-07-24
AZ INTEBEsrINo CASE
ne state Board Of rardons in a ouanaary
Orer EEilIlsEa b I.enn.r.ll- 1910.

The State Board OF faEClona I'm q ouandsry
oyer " iIIlaEl Ez. Leouard'l Petition.
ToPEEA, Kan, July 10Th, 1856.-Ths state
board OF pauGo4l nov in session in this city
has case before il OF a very mysterious and
romantic nature. In GcLoesr Of 1883
William B. Leonard, then 8 prisoner in
the Missouri state penitsntiaEFs minated
20 The otlGeE5 OF that Institution That If
q pardon was granted him for the ohenss Of
Of which he was then C0ufued-horse steal
ing-he would give information that would
effect the arrest and conviction OF ths gang
who robbed the Santa Ee train and muir
dered Engineer Hilton, at Coolidge. q small
town Just this side Of the Colorado line in
September 1665- After some parieying
the officials or the Santa Fe were called 10
} effeEsOu City, and the matter laid before
them. AS q result the pardon was granted
Leonard, who refused to do or say
anything until scot free" After re-
ceiving the pardon from Governor Mar
maduke5 Leonard positively refused to keen
che promises he had made TO gain his free
dom. Hs was then arrested, charged with
completely IA the Coolidge affair and taken
to that place. where he was tried. Here it
was proven as supposed, beyond q possibiii-
ty Of doubt that he was one Of the party
of train robbers and was identified as the
murderer Of Engineer Hilton. Prominent
citizens of Coolidge testified that they had
seen him on the streets Of Coolidge the day
of the robbery. The result Of the trial was
Leonard's conviction for murder IN the fret
Tertiary for one year, when he was, at the
governors orders. to be hanged. After his
conviction, Leonard stated to the sheriff of
Einney county that he was entirely innocent
Of the crime for which he vas
said he could prove beyond doubt
that be was confined in 5ail at Yankton
OAK, at the time the Coolidge robbery was
committed. Ihs sheriff upon receiving this
information while not believing it, tele-
UrauheQ TO the sheriff of fauktOu relative tn
the matter and received an answer to the
eject that Leonard vas confined in the
4anktOn county Jail during the month OF
September 1888 and vas there at the time Of
satisfied with the telegram, the sheriff pre-
vailed on Leonard to dictate an a6idavit
stating IN substance that he vas in Jail at
4anktOn at the time, and Identifying him.
With the affidavit was sent a photograph Of
the prlB0ner-precautiOn being taken In the
meantime to SO arrange that TO change the
picture WOuld be impossible. A couple OF
weeks elapsed, when the affidavit was re-
turned to the tlnney county officials, sworn
to by the clerk, sheriff, deputy sheriff and
jailor of YanktCn county. This proved be-
yOnd doubt that Leonard was confined at
YanEtOn at the time the robbery and muir
der occurred at Coolidge, for which he was
convicted. Not only this, but Leonard re-
lated incidents connected with his cOnhne-
meut IN Dakota which are exhaustive in
detail. He now comes before the state
board OF pardonss presenting his case IN all
OF It's singular details, and asks pardon.
The members of ths board are In a guam
dairy, not to say mystifed. At the trial, in
Elnney county, the evidence was so cOnclu-
sIVs that no possible doubt prevailed as to
LsOnard's guilt. One witness identified him
from the loss Of one finger others sWOre
positively that they recognized him as the
man who shot Engineer Hilton. As the
case stands, the board will further investi-
gate before acting.