The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-05-07
A scAREcRow GALLONS.
Redwood County has one for Sale at .
sacrifioe-Holden Goes to saltwater.

A SCARECROW 0AIIOWS.
Redwood County has one for Sale at .
sacrifioe-Holden Goes to saltwater.
Last Saturday came the announce
ment that Gov. Merriam had commut-
ed the sentence of Clifton Holden to
Imprisonment for life. The news was
not received in Redwood Falls with
universal joy and approval. Quite the
contrary. A minority were perhaps
better satisfied to have Holden impris-
oned than executed but they we're few
and far between who approved of the
reasons published as having influenced
the governor,which we're thus recount
ed Saturday in the Pioneer Press:
Again Gov. Merriam has been visited
by delegation of citizens, who are
anxious to have the sentence of Clifton
Holden committed. Yesterday after
noon Judge Baldwin, who was Hol-
denis attorney, Judge Wilson of Roch-
ester, ex-Deputy Sheriff Lower of
Lamberton, A. T. Stebbins of Roch-
ester, and the Hon. Albert Shelter met
the governor at his rooms at the cap
itol. William l.. Holden, brother Of
the convicted man, was also there.
1t seems that five of the jurors who
brought in the verdict in Holden,s
case say that if they had supposed that
he would have been sentenced to death,
they would not have brought in that
verdict. The names of the men are
Porter, johnson, Martin, Halver John
son and Redford. A sixth juror, Jas.
Smith, says that the jury would never
agreed to verdict of not guilty, but
that he would rather have Holden
committed to imprisonment for life
rather than to have him hanged. The
afhdavits of these jurors show that they
supposed that their recommendation of
the prisoner to the clemency of the
Judge would mitigate the severity of
his decision.
It is upon these views of the jurors,
Judge Wilson says, that the friends of
Holden found their strongest claim for
Communication, but there is besides, in
the way of new testimony, the affidavit
of man named Lampher, of Renville
county, who says he examined the
buggy Holden was using Immediately
after his return, and that there were at
that time no spots of blood to be seen.
1t is claimed that the buggy was used
after Holden used it and before the
time of it's official examination, by men
who were going chicken shooting, and
that in this way the spots of blood
came to be found there.
Every argument was brought to
bear on the governor, Mr.. Shelter
Judge Baldwin and Judge Wilson each
speaking at length, and with apparent
deep conviction of the merits of the
case. The governor listened with his
usual patient courtesy, but stated very
succinctly his own position when he
said that the case had been decided by
the court; that he had looked into il
very closely; had consulted with Judge
Webber and with the judges of the
supreme court, and had been convinced
that there was no reason why he should
interfere with the decision of the court
and that he now saw no reason to do so
The delegation was unwilling to accept
this as final, and one of them made al
appointment with Gov. Merriam fol
to-day, although he received no en-
couragement to believe that the com
mutation would be granted.
Friday the governor listens to the
afidavits and arguments with his us
ual patient courtesy but is convinced
that he has no reason to interfere with
the decision of the court; Saturday
he interferes. The court is nowhere
but is left to appeal from the Merriam
of Saturday to Merriam Friday-fron
Philip drunk to Philip sober.
The same paper, in it's Sunday issue
gives it out cold that Holden ma,
thank Albert Scheffer for snatchins
him from the gallows. If this wer
true it would be simply disgracefu]
1t would imply that the governor hae
thrown over courts, jurors and counse
and yielded on personal or politica
considerations only. This is a littl
too much to charge up to our govern
or. Certain it is, even admitting tn
communication to be just, that the gov
ernor has done the right thing in tn
wrong way. The action should hav
} been taken long ago, if at all.
Judge Baldwin, as junior counse
for Clifton Holden, says that he ha
no apology to make for what he ha
done for his client, but that he doe
object to being held responsible fo
!: the statement in Sundays Ponce
, Press, which is credited to him. Th
statement contains several rank lies
and we are not surprised that tn
Judge refuses to father them. Th
story that our county attorney ant
sheriff conspired with F. L. Warner
abuse Holden after his arrest, by tax
ing his clothing away, plying him wit
liquor and extorting him to sign
statement written by Warner, is gros
perversion as to the real efforts of GU
county officials to do their duty in fel
reting out the crime Immediately ate
it was enacted. The Judge states thu
M. Wilson, the senior counsel, prepare
and read the statement to Gov. Me-
RAM, and that all he claims credit ft
in that connection was obtaining tt
a66davits of the jurors, and that ft
this he asked the governor to stay til
execution last month. In his opinion
, the whole basis of the governors la:
! action was these affdavits.
The Pioneer Press representative