The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-20
GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL.
Pard ons Asked for Charles r, Brown
and Charles e. Prescott.
Special to the Press.l

AUGUSTA, July 19.-At the meeting of the
Governor and Council today, petit
tion, signed by the Selectmen of Nor
way and Judge of the Municipal Court, was
presented, asking that Charles G. Brown of
Norway be pardoned. He was convicted
and sentenced to the State prison for two
years, at the last February term of the Ok
for County Court for forgery. 1t is alleged
in the petition that the forgery was an en-
dorsement upon check for the amount of
$12; that said endorsement was written by
said Brown when in state of intoxication.
and under circumstances which showed no
criminal intent except that produced by the
frenzy OF intoxication. The length of his
sentence was regarded by the petitioners as
disproportionate to the crime.
Another petition of some two hundred
names was received, asking that pardon be
granted Charles Z. Prescott, who murdered
one Williams and carted his body about the
streets of Portland. he is under life sem
tence in the Stale prison, and it was repre-
sented that he was lying sick with consump-
tion, with no hope of recovery; that he
must die within very short time, "and it
would be humane to allow him to die with
his mother and sister, who live at Bar Mills,
in the town of Buxton" He was an inof-
fensive fellow, the petition says, of no great
degree of intelligence, and there is doubt
whether or not his greatest part in the crime
was burying the body of Williams; and
Williams being of quarrelsome disposition
was party in quarrel in house of i'll
fame, and was killed by someone other than
Prescott" This is his story, and may be
true
The Governor and council have decided to
make their annual eastern trip, visiting the
Passamaquoddy Indians, etc.. departing one
week from next Monday. On their departure
they go direct to Thomaston, where they
will be Tuesday, taking the steamer east on
Wednesday, from Rockland.
c. ii. Morrill, of Wisconsin again came be-
fore the Council and continued to press the
petition for the pardon of his brother, Elmer
ID. Morrill,, in the State prison under life
sentence, for performingia criminal opera
tion, the patient. Miss Matilda Cook of Lew
ton, dying. AT the previous hearing, it was
not denied that Morrill, committed the crime,
but pardon was asked ON account of his
youth and lnexperlence, and on the ground
that the sentence was much in excess of
what should have been given for the offence.
Tonight. the brother from Wisconsin pro-
ceeded on the theory that Elmer did not per-
form the operation at all. but that Diston,
the girls lover, was the one.
Private letters from the convict to his
brother were read in which he denied that
he ever had any instruments or had anything
to do with the operation but was simply
called at late day to try and save the girls
life. DR.. Scott Hill. of Augusta, was called
in as an expert who testified that Miss
Cooke could not have died of blood poison
ing which was the cause of her death, three
days after the instruments were used 1t
was proved that the young doctors first visit
was not over three days previous to her de-
cease. A portion Of the testimony given at
the trial by DR.. Garcelon, who performed the
autopsy. was introduced. The Council vot-
ed to commute Morrilps sentence to five
years. the vote standing four in favor to
three opposed.
1t was voted to adjourn to August 18th
which falls on muster week.