Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-31
NOON PETITIONS
Occupy Share Of Session
Of Governor and Council.
An important Law Question Brought
Out IN the Chadboufne Case.


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lissss csMmississes ~ lsssss Assst-
The closing days Of an executive council
are Always busy enes There are accounts
TO be gone over, bills 10 be settled. old and
new pardon cases 70 he considered in the
closing hours.
Much Of the attention Of the t,syeruos
and Council at the meetings Friday were
TAKEN up with txo pardon cases.
The ars Of these was the Benjamin
fha3bournc case and the hearing vas begun
in the forenoon.
In the course Of this hearing many Of the
details in that frightfsl murder case we're
brought 90: very wildly. Hon. Josiah
Crosby Of Dexter, appeared for the petit
TONERS, assisted by his son J W. Crosby
Col. ]. Is. Peaks Of Dover. county attorney
at the time of the trial u this case and
County Attorney Mcintosh opposed the
granting of pardon. Mr. Crosby argued
that the testimony At the time Of the trial
did not slsor that the old man was guilty.
that be believed biHa innocent Of the crime
and he was thoroughly familiar with the
ease to which I've bad given more time than
he ever had done to case before IN his
professional life. He entered iato detail TO
show why be- regarded the elder man inno-
cent Of completely in the crime.
Nearly everyone living IN the STATE in the
summer Of 1881 will recall the murder 4
brief mention IL that man BY the name Of
Alvin Watson sas fosnd ene June morning
In tba town Of Parkman, dead IN his door-
yard, with 50 wounds IN bia
body. seven Of which we're abso-
iateiy fatal wounds. The cbadbournes,
who ~erc neighbors, were Benjsnin Chad
bourne and wife and two sons, Walter, nos
IN State prison Wit, his father for the crime
and a son who was a mute. who was found
with blood on bis person. IL vas argued
by the defense that the mute committed the
decd. II wac shown however. that Walter
the other son. had probable cause for
Jealousy on account of relations SAID To
exist between Watson and Walters wife.
The theory Of the prosecution was that the
whole Chadbourne family including
the wife of BENJAMIN and
mother Of the boys were parties to
the crime. Since going 10 States prison
Waiter has said that his father was inn0-
cent of the crime. The mute was sent
away to a school to be educated by the
State, and it was thought that at some time
he nigh, be able To communicates the story
of the tragedy but he died in few months.
some time after the famous trial, the
mother, who was not arrested died sud =
denly. The prosecution claim that they
were to have had her arrested
for completely in the crime AMI
that she took poison. Mr.. Crosby
made as strong plea az possible
before the Governor and Council yesterday.
The two opposing lawyers as strongly OBJ
iccted to a pardon being granted. They
argued from the evidence that the old man
thadbourne was guilty, aud they dwell at
some length on the enormiiy, the brutality
of the crime, showing two knives That they
claimed were used, a big Jack-knifc and
dirk anil the eoecyx bone of the victim
and through which was the place where one
Of the knives was thrust hy TIE murderer or
mHrierers.
one marked feature Of the hearing was
the objection made by Col Peaks, He ar
gaed that tho case was not properly before
the Governor ami Council, as the law OF
1876, which abolished capital punishment,
and under which Chadbourne was con
yicte,I. requires that when applications for
the pardon of criminals convicted of muir
der in the first degree were made, the petit
tons should he addressed to the supreme
court, who shond, if new evidence was
discovered, apply to the Governor and
Council.
Notwithstanding THE laws since passed,
Col feaks argued that this law under which
the Chadbournes were convicted had never
been repealed. The Governor and Coun-
ell had no more right To pardon him than
they had to execute him Mr. crosby re-
Piled that the revised statutes we're the law
Of the lanl ~ regards partloniug power and
that under the present law the ,,oycrnor
and Council ha,i a perfect right 10 grant the
pardon. AS God is nay Judge believe
Bcuiamln Claiborne inuocen. of the
crime" he said He believed it would be
an act Of mercy 10 grant a pardon 10 the
old man who has now nearly reached his
three score and ten. The man Watson had
never been mourned. The murder how
ever was NOT 'ae WORK OF sane man anu
II VAS unreasonable to suppose that the Old
man Ind hand in il.
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Maitocks appeared IN behalf of libhey-
Mr.. Moulton claimed that i.ibhev At the
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