The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-13

The state board of pard )ns, Irnsis+-
ing of Gov. Clough, Attorney General
Childs and Chief Justice Start, Of the
supreme bench, held a three-hour ses-
sion yesterday afternoon. There were
forty applications to come before the
board, but only the case of the Young
ers was considered, and at o'clock,
when Gov. CIough announced an ad-
journment until this morning at 9
o'clock, there were still several parties
VINO desired to be heard in favor and
in opposition to the pardon.
Warden Wolfer President O'Brien,
of the prison board; J. J. McCafferty,
State Auditor Dunn, eX-Sheriff Barton,
of Rice county, and J. H. Lloyd, of
Faribault, addressed the board on be-
half of a pardon being granted. Those
who spoke in opposition to this action
were F. w. Anderson, president of the
st. Paul National bank, of this city;
Mayor Noble, Prof. Goodhue, Hon. D.
F. Kelly and G. P. Carpenter, of North
field, and Mayor A. D. Keyes, of Fari-
bault
c. P. Carpenter, editor of the North
field Independent, presented to the
board numerous affidavits from eye
witnesses of the raid and murder at
Mortified, which riddled the state
ment recently given out by Cole Young
er as to the detail of the crime. These
were entirely unexpected to the per-
sons interested in securing a pardon
for the Youngers, and without doubt
will have considerable to do with the
action of the board on the question.
1t was after o'clock when Private
Secretary Hartley announced that
those interested in the petition of the
Youngers for a pardon would be heard.
Nearly 100 persons filed into the private
office of the governor and ranged them
selves around the room in as easy a1ti-
tudes as was possible. The seating ca
pacity was limited to half a dozen
chairs, but SO Interesting were the pro-
ceedings that all those who entered re-
mained during the afternoon and were
reinforced by score of others.
President O'Brien, of the prison
board, said he had attended, not to
make any remarks, but, so far as the
members of the board were concerned,
he would say that the Youngers had
been exemplary prisoners, and would
doned. He was willing, as one of the
members of the board, to go on record
as saying that if pardon was granted
the men would be honorable and re-
spectacle citizens. The board of which
he was president was of the opinion
that the men had served long enough
for the crime of which they were con-
victed or had pleaded guilty. He was
of the opinion that the board of par
dons should not at this time consider
the question of any other crimes of
which they had been charged He wish
ed it understood that it was the unani-
nous recommendation of the prison
board that a pardon be granted to the
Youngers.
Attorney General Childs inquired as
to how many prisoners serving life SEN
tence in the prison had been pardoned.
President OBrien said he was not pre-
pared to say, but that Warden Wolfer
would be able to give the data desired.
During the eight or nine years he had
been connected with the prison there
were two life prisoners who had been
pardoned that he knew of. Gov
Clough asked Mr.. O'Brien if he was
speaking for the entire board as to the
recommendation for a pardon, and was
informed that this was the fact.
Warden Wolfer followed Mr.. O'Brien,
stating to the board that he had a
few thoughts on the subject and as
he made this statement he drew from
his pocket several pages of type writ
ten manuscript and read as follows
AS warden of the state prison, I feel it a
duty, as well a privilege, to say some
thing in behalf of the Younger brothers par
don For the past five years I have care
fully studied the character and makeup OF
these men. The crime for which they were
convicted and sentenced to prison. was a
terrible one. Ordinary men convicted of such
a crime should remain in prison for the term
of their natural lives. | believe, however
that in this case when the history of their
some Of the circumstances connected with
the commission of the crime for which they
were sentenced and their subsequent conduct
in prison, that there are just and equitable
grounds for their pardon.
1 contend that their early lives were cursed
by such unfavorable associations and environ
ment as to make the pressure upon them
very strongly in favor of evil. 1 do not eX-
cuse any crime they ever committed, but l
do believe that had they been given a reason
able chance for character development in
early life they would never have been guilty
of crime 1 boldly assert that hundreds Of
crimes have been charged to them of which
there is not a particle of proof to substantiate.
Is 1t right, is it just, to hold them responsible
for these alleged crimes and misdemeanors?
While technically guilty of murder at North
field, neither one of them were guilty person
ally of participating in the taking of human
life, and from my knowledge of the men
and careful analysis of their character
am free to say that l do not believe that it
was their purpose to take human life
Twenty-one years in prison is a terrible
punishment-one of the most severe punish
ments possible to be inflicted
To my mind there Is only one punishment
that can be inflicted upon a human being that
is more severe, and that is to prolong penal
servitude beyond that period of time. The
average life of convict under a life SEN