Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-02-11

There were strong objections raised
to the disappointment of some of
the University regents, but in con
sideration of the present board hav-
ing begun the erection of the
science hall buildings, authorized
by the last Legislature, the Governor
deemed it best that the same iudi-
viduals should continue until the
completion of the work, as then
they could be held accountable for it.
On Friday executive pardons were
granted IL two cases so peculiar that
they attract special attention. In
the summer of 1884 two men named
Kirby and Edwards were arrested
for burglary in this city, found
gully and sent to states prison. At
their trial Mrs. Rebecca Merraot and
Mrs. Margaret M. Cooley, of Bara-
boo, sisters of the wife of the bur
glaf Kirby, appeared as witnesses,
and sought to prove an alibi for him
by swearing that he was in Baraboo
at the time the burglary was com
mitted in Madison. Subsequently
is was learned that the women,
Merraot and Cooley, had sworn
falsely at the solicitation of their
sister, Mrs. Kirby. Last May the
perjured women were arrested,
pleaded guilty, and were sentenced
to two years in the penitentiary. At
the time of their trial and sentence
each of the women appeared in
court with a young child in her
arms. Great sympathy was felt for
them, as they had committed the
crime in hopes of serving their
sister, not realizing its enormity.
In view of these facts, and strong
petitions, the pardons were granted.
On the same day appeared in the
papers a dispatch in substance as
follows:
McGREGoR, Feb. 5.-Iast night the house of
Albert Cooley, two miles south of this town,
was destroyed by fire, burning Cooley, his wife
and two children, and a neighbor woman, all
that were in the house. The fire originated
from pile of hot ashes placed against the.
house Neighbors arrived while the house was
yet burning, but too late to be of any service.
Ia the evening of the same day,
and an hour or two after the Gov
ernor had signed the pardons, he
received dispatch from the aged
mother of the unhappy women as
follows:
Please, if possible, sign Mrs. Merraot's and
Mrs. Cooloy's pardons Their sister, husband
and three children were burned to death last
night, Funerals to occur on Sunday"
The Governor rejoiced that the
pardons were signed before this last
touching appeal reached him. 1t is
hoped that neither of the released
mothers will find her child to be
one of those burned, but there is
reason to fear otherwise, as the chill
dren Of the erring women were con
ided to a sister at the time they
were sent to prison.
the announcement that ]. G.
Gregory has been recommended by
Villas for postmaster Of Madison,
while not surprising anybody, de-
velops much bad blood among Dem
ocrats here. John IL. Clark was a
strong candidate for the position,
and had much greater following
than Gregory. No one well ac.
quaiuted in this community will
dispute that Clark is preferred to
Gregory by an overwhelming ma
jority of the Democrats, and has all
the requisites to make a good post
master. The old soldiers of the city
generally endorsed Capt. VIM.
Charleton, crippled veteran who
goes on crutches, for the place, and
some were foolish enough to hope
that the Democratic administration
would respect the law which pro-
vides that disabled soldiers should
have preference over civilians for
places of honor and emolument
But, as in other places, the hope
proved to be vain. 1t now trans
pires that Gregory had the Office
under promise from Villas for
months, and that's what gals the