St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-05
SET FREE AT SALTWATER.
Gov. Merriam Pardons Willie Riley, the
Boy Murderer.
STORY OF HIS CRIME.
Farmers Consider the Feasibility Of
Organizing Company to Make :
Starch from Potatoes.

leased from StaCe prison When he aC-
tanned his majority, he will be dis
charged to-day, having reached his
twenty-frst year last week. He would
have been released last Saturday, eX-
cept for desire on the part OF Warden
Stordock to first look into some pro-
vision for his future. If put alone upon
the street now, with no guide or chance
of proper instruction, he would be as
helples as a child. which he is, in fact,
so far as any knowledge of the world or
its ways are concerned. The strange
circumstances attending the commits
sion of the crime for which Judge Sew
erance. five years ago sentenced the lad
to life imprisonment are tolerably fresh
in the minds of those who read the Min
nesota papers. Willie and his sister,
about his own age, lived, mOtherless.
lonely life with their dissolute and
cruel father. in an isOlOte part of No
bles county, near WOrthington. After
ment from the drunken father, the two
children plotted his death, and the boy
carried out the conspiracy by shooting
his father through the head, as Riley
ST.. lay asleep in bed. To conceal the
murder, the children carried their
fathers remains to neighboring straw
stack. in the top of which they exca-
waited hole. in which they concealed
the body, and then attempted to burn
the stack. and so consume all evidence
of the murder. The straw was
so ladened and dampened by
snow, however. that it failed
to serve as funeral pyre,
the dead body in the strawstack was
discovered and the crime fixed upon the
children. The boy confessed as to how
the killing was done. and appeared to
think that he had acted in righteous be-
half of himself and sister. The boy
was sent to the sta tie prison and the girl
was afterWard placed with the sisters in
Catholic asylum in st. Paul, where
she still remains. During great part
of his imprisonment, the boy was en-
account of seriously impaired health,
has been in the hospital. He has been
tractable and gentle and had enlisted
the interest of Chaplain Murphy, Arch
bishop Ireland and Secretary Hart, of
the board of charities and corrections.
The communication of sentence was
mainly in compliance with the request
of Judge Severance. Judge Long, who
was county attorney at the time of
Riley's sentence, has also been an in
terested friend of the prisoner. The
latter was unable to read or write when,
at the age of sixteen Years. he came to-
the prison, and he had mingled with
the world outside his home not at ALL
So that, though exceedingly bright nat
urally. he was wholly ignorant of the
worlds ways. The warden will accom-
pany him to st. Paul to-day. first to call
upon the sister. and then to see what
best can be done for the boys future.
Stormy weather. the most disagreea-
BILE of the winter. prevented a large att
tendance of farmers at the mass con-
vention yesterday. called to consider
the matter of establishing potato
starch factory, but great interest was
manifested and such steps taken as will
undoubtedly lead to the consummatiOns
of the project. S. W. Powell, of Oneta,s
was chosen chairman, and Charles NJ.
McCluer. of this, city, secretary, after
which S. Richardson, a gentleman Of
large experience in starch manufactur-i
ing and in the raising of potatoes for
starch making. gave his views, facts
and figures bearing on the subject. He
favored the organization of
stock company of $4,000 capt.
tai. divided into LOO shares.
and the stock controlled by farmers,
who should sign an agreement to plant
certain acreage of potatoes. which
product is to be delivered at the factory.
and that for each acre planted the
farmer receive one share at 225 each.
President Powell favored giving the
controlling stock into the hands of the
farmers. so that in case, for instance. a
potato famine in some state should
bring up the price to so cents per bushel,
the farmers could shut down the factory
for the season, and put their produce on
the market. Mr.. Richardson. in an
swering queries as to what price could
be paid for potatoes for starch
purposes, said the figure could
not be fixed arbitrarily in advance
but would not likely go below or be-
yond Is Or 20 cents per bushel. The
matter of east-bound freight, the cost of
raising potatoes and the general attend
ing expenses were discussed by Mr..
Richardson, j. l.. Sturtevant, Y. c.
Seward, E. c. ,Northey, E. F. Barrett,
A. d. Roe, G. NJ. McCluer and others,
and it was agreed that with the favor
ing conditions of soil, etc, here IS cents
would be remunerative price. The
potatoes would need no sorting, lar ge
and small, even coarse ones could be
used, and partly rotted potato would
not be entirely lost. Mr.. Northey said
that he now sold his best potatoes at 80
to IS cents per bushel, but he added:
You can go right on and sell all you
can at the factory for starch and you
would not hurt my trade at all.
and besides l would have all my
small and imperfect potatoes still left to
sell at factory prices" The result of
the discussion was the appointment of
a committee, composed of S. W. Powell.
S. Richardson, Ed .Jackman, NJ. Pheian
and Patrick Whalen, to prepare and
solicit signatures to paper by which
each farmer agrees to plant certain
acreage, he to receive one share of
stock for each acre planted. Should it
be possible that all the stock should not
be taken in this way, there is abundance
of capital ready to make up the deficit.
to be called by the president On vote
being taken majority of the farmers
present voted to raise potatoes for the
factory. and a majority of bust
ness men present agreed to take
stock it necessary. though the
unanimous opinion is that the enter
prise should be controlled by the farm
erS. The latter see that no monopoly in
the hands of spectators or city men is
contemplated OF wanted. but that the
common interest of Saltwater and the
neighboring country is to be sought.
j. c. Hening is at Superior to attend
the funeral of his sister. Mrs. William
Banks, who died Saturday. The re-
mains will be taken to New York for
interment.
The primary department of the state
prison school started yesterday in the
deputy warden's Office with twenty con-
Wet pupils. There is a total enroll
ment of fifty pupils.
A. ID. Blackeney, superintendent of
the union station, is confined to his
room by illness.
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