The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-03-13
IN re HOLDEN:


PAXTON. MAR. 11TH, 1880.
Ed. GAzErrE.-I saw in the st.
Paul Globe of the 10th inst an afh-
made by Orlando Gray, of Three Lakes
in which he swears that he saw Frank
Dodge alive and we'll on the streets OF
Redwood Falls on the night he was
murdered. Now it looks little queer
to use mild term that he should be
so sure after the lapse of so much
time of something of which he was
not sure at the time. I had long
talk with Mr.. Gray about this, on the
day of the examination before the
coroners jury. He said at that time that
while he thought the man he saw on
the street and the dead man lying in
the rink were the same, he was not
certain enough to swear to it. Now
Mr.. Gray told his little story to Wilson,
Holden's Attorney, and if he had been
as clear in his mind at the time of the
trial as he is now, it is strange he was
not called to testify for the defence.
It is now two weeks or more since l
learned that Gray was going to make
this affidavit and he has thought about
it so much and talked with those who
are interested in procuring it that he
has perhaps come to believe it is true.
F. f. KINNEY. '.>
Talk about Clifton Holden's case
was renewed the, past week. by the
publication of the affidavit ~ orlando
Gray, certifying that he eaw.Ethe muf-'
dered man Dodge and Holden on the
streets of Redwood Falls the night
before the murder. The affidavit may
have some bearing on the theory of
the prosecution, but we fail to see that
it is a vindication of Holden, or that
it is likely to be SO considered by the
Governor, who is the only power-ex-
cept Death-that can now interfere
with the carrying out of Holden's sen-
tence. The legal status of Holden's
conviction was we'll stated by a disin-
terested attorney few days ago, who
protested that he hadn't heard the
evidence, but that he thought it took
deal of nerve to set up an opinion in
defiance of twelve good jurors and q
bench of six supreme court justices
who had heard or reviewed the evil
dence, and certified that it sustained
Holden's conviction.
Yesterdays Minneapolis Journal
contains letter from one who signs
himself as Alias Coon, written to Mrs.
Dodge, claiming that he (Coon) muir
dered Frank Dodge and that Clifton
Holden is innocent and had nothing
to do with the case. The letter has
caused quite stir at Redwood and
purse has boon raised to Investigate
the matter. The seduction of Coon's
sister by Dodge is claimed to be the
cause of the murder.-Rochester Post.
The above refers to dispatches print
ed in the Evening Journal and Daily
News, which were stamped here rs
frauds as soon as they appeared, and
the origin of which has not been
ascertained. Saturdays Globe Dis
posed of the bogus letter from "Alias
Coon,' with dispatch from Fairfax,
where Mrs. Dodge lives, stating that
she had not received such letter or
any other from "Alias Coon.' The al
lodged dispatches from Redwood Falls
claimed a popular clamor here for an
investigation in regard to this confess
sion, whereas as matter of fact there
was no popular knowledge of the econ
fession" here at all until it appeared
in these fraudulent dispatches, and if
any purse was raised, it was done by a
very select few and without public
knowledge. The whole matter appears
to be an in-judged attempt to misrer-
resent the popular sentiment here, the
only object of which would be to preju-
dice the pardoning power.
Under the heading "A Fake Letter."
the New Ulm Review prints the
"Alias Coon" letter, and thus COM
ments:
"Later-Mrs. Dodge denies that she
ever received the letter containing the
above confession. The whole business
has the tone of fake, and will prove
worse for Holden than if the matter
had been kept quiet. 1t was probably
gotten up in order to secure signers to
q petition asking for the Communication
of Holdens sentence"