Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-25
CHRISTMAS PARDONS
PRISON DOORS OPEN FOR NINE
WESTERN CONVICTS.
REMARKABLE OKLAHOMA CASE.
UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STOLE TO
FEED HIS HUNGRY FAMILY.
The Victim of IL Crushing Series of
Acknowledgement His Christi
mas Prcsent-Ben
of KANSAS and MissOu-
ri Glrmency.

Guthrie. o. T.. Dee. 24.-(SpecisID The
story OF A. w Foote. one of the oklaho-
ma prisoners granted a Christmas pardon
this evening by Governor Barnes. is "A
very remarkable one. showing how a con-
tinuous train of misfortune seemed TO fol-
low the man and drag him down. Foote
Is a graduate of the Nebraska state uni
versity and his petition for pardon is
signed by the governor OF Nebraska. all OF
the faculty of the Nebraska state univer-
sity. professors in Leland Stanford uni
rersity. senators and congressman and
many other prominent men. He left home
at the age of 20, worked his way through
the university and graduated with honors.
Soon after graduating he married col
lege girl. He prospered for 4 time and
three children came to gladden. their home
and swell the expense of living.
Then came adversely ard in the fall of
1892 he determined to better his fortunes
In Oklahoma and came TO Guthrie, land
ing here with his family and 81 in cash.
He was unable to get money TO ship his
household goods from Lincoln or to pur-
chase others and for weeks they lived in
a small house without furniture of any
kind, sleeping straw on the floor.
Later he bought little furniture and was
getting his family comfortable when his
parents and sister and husband arrived
from Nebraska The mother at once took
sick and died in a month and the funeral
expenses took all of Foote's money. A
month later he fell from d scaffold and
was unable TO work for months. He then
secured a country school and provided the
necessities of life for his family again. but
in short time his father was parayZed
and lay at their home for many months
absolutely helpless. While the father was
laying there. a sister came In on them and
soon died, and they had her funeral eX
penses to pay. Other brothers and sisters
who had secured all Of the parents prop
erty refused to care for the paralyzed
father or 10 help pay the expenses and his
sickness soon exhausted the Foote purse
as well as strength of Foote and his wife
haustion in caring for the father. was
afflicted with spinal trouble and became
bedridden.
With a helpless father and wife. with
three little children and suffering from
his own injuries Foote struggled. along
for year. existing on what he could earn
at odd jobs, but desperation finally drove
him to crime and he stole to keep his
loved ones from starvation. A series of
months until one night Foote was caught
leaving n house with stolen articles. He
was arrested and confessed and part of
shown that he stole only as "A last resort
10 keep his family from starving, but
the courts knew no mercy and he was sem
His wife and children were sent to her
parents home in Ray county, Mo-, but
they were too poor TO care for her and
sent her on TO a sister in Valparaiso Ind
She made this trip on a cot in the bag
gage car, but when they learned that her
husband was convict they shut their
door In her face and sent her back to
Ray county on the same cot. Here she
was put in the poor house where she died
last May and was buried in a pauper's
grave. The youngest child is with its
grandparents. but the two little girls are
thrown upon the world with nobody to
care for them. and Foote asked to be par
doned or paroled on any condition or
terms simply to give him a chance to work
and care for them. The pardon was grant
ed by Governor Barnes as soon as the
facts were presented to him and was to-
night telegraphed to Foote at the peni-
tentiary as a Christmas present.
Beside the pardon to Foote, Governor
Barnes this afternoon issued Christmas
pardons to Clyde Hartsell aged Il. serving
two years from Canadian county. for burg
larry: Glenn Rogan. serving two years from
Oklahoma county for burglary. and James
w. Kidd, sentenced to pay. 500 fine and
costs in Canadian county for pointing
gun. Foote had served out two years of
his sentence and Hartsell and Rogan each
one year. but all had earned good time and
were reported exemplary prisoners.