The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-28
Romantic Story Of o Wife's Effort to
Prove Her husbands Innocence.

Prove Her husbands Innocence.
From the Philadelphia Record
PrTTsBURG, Pa, Dec. 24-lf Frank A.
Aldrich Of Stanford, Kan, hangs up his
stocking at the Western Pennsylvania peni-
Tertiary tonight, he will find that
Kris Kringle has put in it a pardon from
further imprisonment. The state board of
pardons to-day decided that Aldrich was
an innocent man, and recommended that
the governor release him from the more
than five years of seven years. term which
he had to serve.
Almost three years ago John K. Lemon,
an aged and wealthy ciliZen OF Allegheny,
was drawn into a bunco game. He drew
the grand prize and from bank secured
$4,000 cash to show that he was a substan-
tial citizen. The buncoers promptly knocked
Mr.. Lemon down, seized the $4,000 aud
fled.
Mat Pinkerton of the Chicago agency
soon after proposed to capture the sharpers
for 81 900 and expenses. Lemon accepted
the terms, and the result was the arrest of
Aldrich, at Windsor, Canada.
Aldrich gave Pinkerton stiff legal fight.
but was finally brought to Pittsburg on
March 20, 1889. After much delay, he was
tried for robbery. Upon Lemons positive
Identification he was convicted, though
Banker Frank Cox of Stanford, Congress-
man Anderson of the Fifth Kansas district
and other republican citizens testified that
Aldrich was in Kansas when the robbery
was committed. Judge Collier sentenced
the accused to seven years. imprisonment,
and he was taken to Riverside penitentiary.
Throughout all his troubles Aldrich's
yourg and handsome wife persisted in de-
store worth 5000, jewels to the value of
81, 500, and an amount OF pluck aud per-
eVerence worth many times the value of
her material p sessions. She retained At
torney John Marion. and gave up all else
to set her husband free. Tho pardon board
had assigned fifteen minutes to hear the
case at Harrisburg to-day, but the story
told them was so romantic and convincing
that for two hours they listened to It's re-
cital.
Letters were produced from Mat Pinker-
ton to Superintendent of Police OMara OF
this city and Warden Wright Of the peni-
Tertiary, tending to show the Pinkertons
knew Aldrich to be innocent. There was
also letter from United States Senator In
gals of Kansas affirming his personal
knowledge Of the credibility Of the Kansas
witnesses who came here TO prove an alibi
for the accused man. United Senator
Quay also became convinced Of Aldrich's
innocence, and wrote letter in his behalf
as did Congress nan Anderson, Warden
Wright, Superintendent O'Mara of the
Pittsburg police and others. Mrs. Aldrich,
in addition. secured q letter from Lemon,
the buncoed man, who seems not to have
identified Aldrich until Detectives Pinker-
ton and Quinn Of Chicago talked him into
the belief that Aldrich was really the man
who had robbed him.
Aldrich's faithful wife has labored untir-
ingly day.and night for two years. and has
arpandpd all her meQUa 0atharlnQ togo her
every scrap of testimony tending to prove
her husbands innocence. She had the case
so complete that there was no doubt in the
minds Of the augu't mombers Of the pardon
board, and on Christmas day Aldrlch will
be free.