The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-30
Governor Toole TO Be Asked for
Clemency TO Two Young
Convicts.
Tho Least Innocent Of Three Muir
derers Il the Heaviest
Sufferer.
In the Other Case the Only Fault Was in
tho BOY Keeping His Mouth
Shut Too Tight.

G0ntlAry. Inc COn6lQorntlOuS Wnlch Will
enter into the request for clsmency can host
be told In the stories OF the crimes for
which they are now undergoing imI rison-
ment. Sometime in August, 1885,, three
young men, Elmer Cannon, Eugene Farrell
and William Reilly, got hold Of a key of
beer and taking it TO the tailings at the
lower end of Main street in Butte, got
drunk on the contents. In a drunken freak
they took ii into their heads to ilitreat a
Chinaman named Opium Jim, who lived in
q dug out near the tailings. Two Of the
boys held the ChinRman while the other
cut him with q pocket knife, inficting
thirty wounds. II WAS never known which
one did the cutting, nor whose knife II was.
The Mongolian's cries attracted Constable
EnRle and some citizens, who arrested the
assailants. Engle had Cannon in charge
and the prisoner beat the officer terribly
while on the way to prison. The Cbinaman
lived q month before his wounds proved
fatal. and before his death recognized
Cannon, Farrell and Reilly rs the perpe-
traitors Of the assault. When the three
were brought into court in the September
following, Farrell proved Of great aid to
VAO FkOuOOAVA0A AN W10 RAAOWOA w HACUA
guilty to involuntary granddaughter. Judge
Galbraith sentenced him to five years. inn
prisonment. Cannon stood trial, was con-
victed, and the jury fixed his punishment
at twenty years in the p~enitentiary. Reilly
pleaded guilty to murder in the second
degree and was sentenced by the judge to
eighteen years in prison. When the three
had been at Deer Lodge about eighteen
months Farrelrs people, who were well-to-
do, came from Colorado and prevailed on
Gov. Leslie to pardon him. About a year
later Cannon's people, who lived in Illinois,
also secured his pardon from Gov. Leslie.
Reilly was q mere boy of 16 at the time of the
affair, and the others have since admitted
that he had the least of all to do with the
assault. But he had no relatives or fyiends
to plead his case, and in the absence OF an
application Gov. Leslie could take no &C
ton looking to pardoning the boy. He is
one of the best behaved Of all the prison
ers at Deer Lodge and some DISTINGUISHED
parties who have seen him there and know
of his connection with the murder have
taken his case in hand and will ask Gov.
Tools to pardon him.
James Campbell is the other convict in
whom people in no way related to him take
enough interest to nov for his release. In
the spring of 1878 a soldier of the regular
army was murdered by two fellow soldiers
back Of a hurdy gurdy house at Fort Ben
ton. The body was hid back Of the place
where the murder occurred until a wagon
could be secured to k it away. Campbell
and a friend named Thompson were given
$40 by the murderers to get a wagon and
carry the body on of town. The wagon
was secured, the body placed in it, and tn
party rode ont OF town. Reaching a convee
nient spot the body was unloaded by tn
two soldiers and thrown into the swift rune
ming Missouri. A chain of circumstantial
longed and the two soldiers were found
guilty and hanged. Campbell and Thomp-
son plead guilty to murder in the second
degree and were sentenced to Deer Lodge
for life. Thompson went crazy when
had been there about q year
now is. Campbell was only fifteen years
at the time of the murder n though
now 81. has never aged while in prison, and
all appearance he is still q boy. He has
claimed that he did not know what
he was hired to do or what it was the muir
derers put in the wagon, and has insisted
that his only fault was in keeping his
mouth shut after he knew more about it.
With the exception of one escapade Camp
bell has been a most exemplary prisoner.
The one exception was when two men con-
fined in the same cell with him cut their
way out, n the opportunity was too much
a life convict to resist. He was recap-
tur ed after a short liberty. The leader in
the escape was George Bell, a we'll known
criminal who was serving a twenty-five
years sentence. He was r~ecaptured. The
other convict went to Butte. where. n of
his feet having become frozen from
his tramp owes the hills, he went
TO Il hospital for treatment.
The physician in charge, DR.. Whitford. de-
to Nmputate the frozen member, and
moving the mans clothing recognized it
convict garb and notified the prison au-
The man was taken back to Deer
served out his sentence, was brought
later to do penanoe for another crime.
served out this sentence also, went to Dill
lon, where he killed a man, burned his vic
body, and hanged himself in the
jail while awaiting trial.
The gentlemen who have interested them
in the cases of these young convicts
it q hard fate that two boys, one
IF whom was the least guilty but the great
sst sufferer of a trio, and the other only an
ANYTHING accessory after the fact. should
serve, Reilly the best years of his life. and
Campbell his entire existence, among hard
,ned criminals. There was no state re-
'ormatory institution for boys at the time
hey we're sentenced, SO they had to DO sent
10 Deer Lodge.
The la t call for bargains at The Bee Hive. eB
ure and give them q call.
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