Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-26
A HUMANE ACT.
Governor and Council Pardon
G. B. Young Of Ellsworth.
Other Matters Attended to at Satur-
days Session. New York Trip.
Governor Powers Leaves Tor Boston, Salur.
day; Others on Sunday.


unconditional pardon to George y
: Young of Ellsworth who has been
serving on four years sentence in
State prison since the fall of 1894 On
account of good behavior at the jail.
the term was shortened and OF the
sentence there was just about a year
left for him to linger in prison.
1t was one of the most interesting.
and certainly unique cases that has
been presented for consideration fot
some misunderstanding because Of the
Ievident combining of circumstances to
make the prisoner unjustly afflicted.
both in the length Of sentence, and,
more poignantly than all because of the
undoubtedly peculiar temperament
with which he has to contend-one that
would make q month in prison for him
worse than a year to the usual run Of
men. due TO his high nervous disposi-
ton.
His counsel in the plea for his pardon
John a. Peters Of Ellsworth, the judge
of the municipal court in that town
made plea in his behalf that was elo-
quent and convincing and which for
about an hour held the closest atten-
ton of the Governor and Council. His
story was in substance as follows:
In 1899, George B. Young was charged
with assault with intent to kill upon
Mrs. Frances Young, his sister-in-law
The assault was presumed to have been
committed in Trenton. in September Of
that same year, on the farm of Charles
Young, the husband of the woman. Al
When in that state he was a trouble
lsome felloW-about as troublesome then
as he was orderly and intelligent under
iordinary conditions. a few days after
the alleged assault, he was charged in
the municipal court and plead guilty,
| but under the understanding that his
sentence would be only that he leave
| Ellsworth. Having gotten into trouble
ON account of his drinking, he. under
standing that the charge was one of
simple assault, had agreed to plead
guilty.
| Much was YouhgHs surprise to learn.
lwhen brought before the court, that the
/ charge was not a simple one of as
sault, but of assault with intent to k;ll.
! He had no counsel. Naturally enough,
on the presumption that it was all
| the same" to him, the sentence having
been intimated to him. he plead guilty.
He was ordered to leave town, ana To
| stay away. He did so and for some
| time was out of the State. lie later
went to Belfast and stayed with some
relatives. His daughter, n beautiful
girl of about IL years old, heard of his
hercabouts. and she wrote him to
come and see her. He could not resist.
and went to be arrested and brought
before Judge Emery. and. on the
strength of his having plead guilty to
lut St VI al assault ~ hiiis ''' 49,
previous occasion, he was sentenced u
| the four years Imprisonment.
After introducing the case, Mr.. Peters
gave an exhaustive account of the pro-
! oeeding. 1t was on an August day that
| Young drove to the farm of +. H.
;, Greeley, and then, while intoxicated, to
! the adjacent farm of his brother
I, Charles Young, whose wife, Frances. it
was alleged, he had assaulted with d
pitchfork-the charge at that, not 10
come up until several days later Mrs
Charles Young, whom he was alleged
to have assaulted, has since denied
that he ever came near her and the
only difficulty that he had with any
one on that day was with a man in the
barn, who had opposed Young's taking
away a horse, and who, by his own
testimony, had a scythe and a rake in
his hands ready to meet Young. They
never met, or perhaps Young would
have needed no sentence.
A letter was received from Judge
Emery stating that, at the time he
: sentenced Young, the case was not
heard, and that the previous pleading
of guilty had been the cause of the sem
tence being imposed. Judge Emery
stated that he hoped the man would be
pardoned.
e. H. Greeley of Ellsworth, who has
known Young for years, appeared in
his behalf and in q few words told the
story of the case in a most interesting
way, concluding with a description Of
Young's temperament: "When he was
drunk he was rough. But when sober
a man of keen perception, and of great
constituencies. l believe further i'm
prisonment will make him desperate.
But, if he is pardoned, l believe he will
return with a new view of life, and
am sure he would receive a pardon
with an appreciation which would pe
I-,an oil hie life