The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-19
THE BOARD OF PARDONS,
CLEMENCY EXTENDED TO ELIZA
cRETzER, A DEAF MUTE.
It Is Said, However, That He Is
Wanted In Colorado-Frank De
Camp, Who Figured In the Great
Railroad Strike, Liberated-R. T.
Adams Goes Free.

Eliza Cretzer, the deaf mute who mas
been serving a sentence of one year
in the Utah state prison under a con-
viction from Judge Rolapp's court for
grand larceny, should congratulate
himself that there was no unnecessary
delay in officially informing his keep
ers that his application for pardon
had been granted by the state board OF
pardonS yesterday.
When considering Cretzer's petition
for freedom, the board weighed the
fact that he was deprived of the use
of his senses of hearing and speech;
that he had been an exemplary prisoner
and that nothing derogatory appeared
as to his character before committing
the theft for which he had nearly paid
the full penalty. The trial judge and
the prosecuting attorney recommended
the pardon.
After the pardon had been granted
and the board had adjourned, an Of
ficer from Weber county made the
startling announcement to Clerk Hills
that he had information that the prls-
oner soon to be liberated was wanted
at Buena Vista, Colo, on a charge of
grand larceny. The officer had no war
rant nor recuisition for the fortunate
deaf mute, and. of course, the prison
officials had no right to hold the man
minute after they knew he was par
doned.
Cretzer was released late in the af-
ternoon, a happy man, although he
was not supposed to know that he was
wanted in Colorado. If the Buena Vista
/ authorities desire his capture, it is not
thought there will be much difficulty
to accomplish it, if the proper machin-
cry OF the law is invoked.
TWO OTHERS LIBERATED.
Aside from extending clemency to
Cretzer, the board granted pardons to
| two other convicts. Both cases were on
! rehearing.
Frank De Camp was a prominent fig
ure in Ogden after the great railroad
| strike in the summer of 1894. He was
! tried and convicted of attempted muir
| der, the specific act charged being that
! he attempted 10 wreck a passenger
train. De Camp was sent up for Il
| years. The boards mercy was shown
to him on account of his previous good
J character, his excellent conduct in
prison; because the ends of justice re
quired no longer Imprisonment, and be-
! cause it was shown that mitigating
J circumstances surrounded the commits
sion of the offense. From the papers
on file, it appeared that De Camp, with
J
he had been inveigled into the commits
| sion of the crime while intoxicated, al
the instance of a railroad detective
named Wootton.
The third recipient of the pardonine
boards favor was Robert T. Adams, q
young man who was sentenced to 9
term of ten years at Ogden, in 1898, or
conviction OF rape upon an old lady
] The application was endorsed by the
prosecuting attorney, trial judge and
jury, and the board deemed that the
ENDS OF justice had been subserved.
Since his conviction some doubt has
arisen as to the identity of Adams as
the guilty one. His conduct in prison
has been exemplary.
DENIAL AND POSTPONEMENT.
The application of NJ. Marcellus Mel.
son, the lawyer who is serving a sen
tence of four years for having stolen {
watch from a client, for a rehearing
was denied because no substantial rea
sons were advanced.
Consideration OF the cases of j. w
Sawyer, under sentence for incest, an(
Charles c. Clausen, an adulterer, were
postponed until the January meet
ing.