Evening star., 1895-06-27
A PARDON DENIED.
The President Declines to Release
James Carroll. HOusebreaker.

inc ffeS1uent DcchneS HeleaSe
James Carroll, HOusebreaker.
The President has denied the application
for pardon in the case of James Carroll.
convicted in the District of Columbia of
HOUSEKEEPING, and sentenced January 10,
1894, to ten years Imprisonment in the AL
bany county penitentiary. The application
in this case was favorably indorsed by the
warden of the Albany penitentiary, who
wrote a personal letter to the Attorney
General saying that Carroll has been a
good prisoner, and that at the time the
smallpox broke out in the pententiary he
volunt nteered to act as a nurse in the pest
house when it was very difficult to obtain
men for such duty. The warden reco H.
nended his pardon on the condition that if
again guilty of crime he forfeit all time al
lowed him.
The Prisoners Appeal.
Carroll made a personal appeal to the
President for clemency on the strength of
his services at the pententiary during the
smallpox epidemic. ION the 10th of April,
1884," he said, suddenly and without
warning, that dreaded disease, smallpox
broke out in the prison. Eight cases were
discovered almost at the same moment, and
about twenty more suspected of having it,
causing a panic among the 1000 prisoners
The cases and the suspects were at once
removed to an outer building, and an heroic
effort made on the part of the officials TO
stamp out the disease and prevent it
spreading which they succeeded well
in doing. But who were to risk their lives
in nursing and taking care of the cases
already discovered? Request after request
was made to different prisoners, men who
had been formerly prisoners, and, in fact,
any one who would try to be nurses and at
tend the poor unfortunate men and try TO
save their lives, or at least relieve their
suffering. But no one responded, all be-
ing afraid to risk their own lives and catch
the disease. l volunteered the superin-
tendent my services. l never had the
smallpox and was as afraid of it as any
man, but l felt that something must be
done to help save the men. So 1, with but
one man to help me, who had once had the
disease, went at once to the pest house and
took charge of the same, and from the 10Th
of April until the 9Th of July, when the
cases were disposed of, 1 worked night and
day to save and help my unfortunate fel-
low prisoners, with no help from any one,
except that afterwards furnished by two or
three of the men who We're sent over as
suspects, but did not eventually take the
disease. There were in all nine deaths.
l have firmly resolved hereafter to
lead an honorable life in any event. had
death brought too near me not to learn the
advantage and wisdom of living right
knowing not the day or hour when the
dread messenger may call for me. In the
winter of 1885 and 1886 the typhus fever
broke out In this prison, about the same
number Of cases as in the smallpox epi-
demic. At that time two life prisoners
pike and Herndon) volunteered to nurse
them, and upon your being made acquaint-
ed with the matter, you promptly pardon
ed them. I ask that the same mercy and
consideration shown them by you be shown,
as under the same circumstances, to me-"
His application is strongly indorsed by
the warden and the physician of the peni-
tialy; by DR.. Lewis Balch, health officer
of Albany, and by DR.. Chas. E.. Davis,
physician who was called in to attend the
SMALLPOX cases.