Evening journal., 1894-02-15
THE PRESIDENTS PARDON.
WILMINGTON FRIENDS oFfP. T. e.
SMITH ARE WORKING FOR IT..

They Have Urged Senator Gray 20 Use
His Innueuco- o-Ex-Councilman Blake
visited smith
Ex City Councilman William H. Blake
William Lawton and l. Trimble Quigley
sre working TO secure pardon for p T
E. Smith, who, when paying teller Of the
First National Bank, at Fifth and Mar
ket streets, defaulted to the extent Of
$50, 600,
lie was tried in the United States Cir
cult Court last spring. convicted and
sentenced 20 seven years Imprisonment.
For two or three months before the trial
he was confined In New Castle jail and
hoped TO serve his sentence there, but
an order from Washington transferred
him 20 the Kings county penitentiary.
New York, about three weeks after con-
yicHon.
Messrs Blake. Lowton ard Qu'gley
have conferred with Senator Gray urg
ing him to use bis influence upon p esi
dent Cleveland to procure pardon
MIR. Blake has visited Smith In prison.
When interviewed by an EVENING jour
NAL reporter this afternoon, he said
II found Smith very low spirited He
was glad to see me, laid his arm around
my neck and wept bitterly. He inquired
eagerly about affairs at home, and said
that II he didn't get out Of there before
long be could not live his time out.
AT the time / visited him he was In
prison garb His work was sewing waist
bands aud buttons on trousers. Since
then he has been employed in clerking
for the warden. which is more congenisi
TO his taste and inolinations When
saw him his fingers we're all torn up by
the needle.
"He told me that after be got through
with his trial and got settled In prison
be bad big load of his mind.
"The warden told me that Smith
wanted too many favors That the best
thing he could do was to make uD bis
mind that he would have 10 be treated
the same as any other prisoner He
must remember that h. is not In New
Castle jail, but ia a penitentiary where no
partiality can be shown. The sooner he
made up his mind 10 that the sooner he
would feel tier contented. The war
den continued by saying that he did not
want TO see Smith depressed in spirits
What will be the communication OF
sentence for good behavior asked tbs
reporter OF Mr. Blake.
'eHe was sent there for seven years.
/ Good behavior will reduce the sentence
60 five years. There was an ice cooler in
the room in which / conferred will
Smith. l walked over to it and helped
myself to a glass of ice-water asked
Smith il he would have a drink
he said he would like 20 take
one but he was afraid 10 would
be an infringement Of the rules
| I Immediately went 10 the ware den anC
asked him If might give Smith some o
the ice water Why. certainly, he replied
'qivelhim all there Is in the cooler if he cal
drink It, The warden treated me Will
the utmost consideration telling me
could keep Smith with me until 6 o'clocl
If / wanted TO. The unfortunate fellow
urged me TO stay and | spent three hour
and half with MIN. Much Of the con
versation was concerning the times be
fore trouble overlook him.
when the keeper went for him b.
thought l had brought him the pardon
for which he is always looking
Do you know Of any movement fer
pardonY
Yes; William Lawton, l. Trimbl
Quigley aud myself have talked wit
Senator Cray about II,
How does Smith bear his condnC
ment2'
He looks very bad You woul
scarcely know him. The visits Of mem
bers Of his family aud friends cheer. hir
up wonderfully, but he cannot becom
reconciled TO prison life and is CONSTANT
expecting a pardon.