Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-25
MURDOCH AND
CLIFTON FREE.
Two Men, Formerly Convicted Of
Murder, Will be PardOned,
FOR SUFFICIENT REASONS.
Ncw Evidence Wa. Adduced- Tho Ap-
rlcnuons Of ui.souin aud pf.
ucCoi are Denied.

The following action Of board u par.
dona occurred at todays session.
Alma Murdoch. who was convicted OF
murder Ia the first degree. Ia isgi az
Manti. was pnrdoned. Tor thr following
rcasonHs
l-lrcnuHc ~ now evidence iutrn-
duced which was not introduced nt Tho
thai, strongly showing that the aft
was committed IN self-defousc.
s-hccaufr of the recommendation of
the attorney who prosecuted tho cnsr.
and evidence tending 10 show that
Judge blackburn. who tried M case.
had Expressed his intention uf recon-.
mendlng n pardon.
i-TcfilmOny as 10 applicants good
character aud reputation Tor being a
peneeablc ana quiet citizen prior 10 the
nnensc and good conduct while In pris.
on.
The APPLICATION FOR pardon by c. =.
'Nfton, contlncted ~ murder In th.
second degree ON the 10Th " March.
1874. and sentenced 10 thirty ,eurr' i'm
rfisonfucut BY Judge ~. W. smith. was
granted Tor the following reasons.
lirtauH' " eNidenr" touilnE 10 show
that the act was uuo % luHtinahle
homicide. rather than that ~ murder.
ana was committed only after REPEATED
indiruitlcH and assaults made upon APP
nllcnnt ana WIS IN Resistance 10 an
Immediate assault. and also because or
ihe Recommendation Of the prosecuting
attorney.
The application ~ John Mlrsoula and
~ Robert Atwood was denied That ~
pr. VIM. Mccoy was postponed fof one
month
THE CASE or MURDOCH.
The state board 81 rarIo1n had a long
Feallon this forenoon.
The ruhenfing uf the trial " Alma
Muriiurk. sentenced to lie imuflson-
ment Tor the murder ~ Ernest Odds
AZ Mnnu IN 1891, was held.
Important evidence has been found
since Mufdnck was convicted. Attor-
ney =. \. klnE appeared FOR Muriock
and gave lengthy review Of the case.
lie said that Judge blackburn had en-.
dufHrd the application of the defend
ant FOR pardon. \ petition for his par
don. signed by over one hundred citi-
Gems % Manti, including thu probate
judge and the prominent ofiiclalr Was
submitted. Another petition was shown
| from ~ citizens ~ Wanatch county.
Including the county officials and tho
| probate judge OF that county. Ten %
the juforr that convicted Murdook also
| recommend the pardon. the other two
JufurH boiling out OF the state.
The citlLenH of sanpete county prti-
| toned IN Murdocks behalf. saving that
the man killed was q desperate char
ncicf. ana had threatened 10 Kill Muir
| dock ou different occasions. that II was
not known who wns the ngFrvasor. that
new evidence had bcrn discovered.
ana that Murdoch had q good rrputa-
| tlun, and that his conduct while
IN the state prison was good. Thirty
/ HiN members ~ the last I.agialAtufe
also pctiti1ncd that Murdoch be par
doned; the leading pcraonH In getting
I 49,
| nNeil ana clyde and senator Alder.
| The new evidence referred 10 con-
HistH ~ uiildavits which told ~ threats
made by Ernest oidE. Ia which Olds
said h. would kill Murdoch. Anidayits
we're also read testifying 10 the gund
reputation OF Murdoch and 90 his pop
| umrity among the young puuplr also
others teHtifyinE ~ the bad character
and reputation 81 Ernest Olda.
| AIT, \, Hatch Of Iieber city and Hep-
reHrntntiyo O'Ncli testified before the
board 10 the good character of Muir
| dock these gentlemen knew him dur
ing his whole life.
MlssoutA FAILS
John Mlsspula. who was sentenced In
November, 1895, 10 six years impnsln-
ment FOR robbery, committed In Salt
Lake city. potltioned Tor a pardon. be-
cause ~ his present poor physical COM
dillon. brought On by chronic rhcuma-
tlHm. \ representative m the woman's
| Temperance Union appeared In his be-
half, She stated that through the cf-
forts of the mans fellow prisoners and
from contributions made by others, a
| fund has boon raised with which he
might De taken a. some hot springs In
Arkansas Tor treatment The case was
taken under ndyiHement, nnd the ap-
pllcntion was denied.
ATWOOD FAILS.
Robert a. Atwood sentenced IN April
1895, 10 six years Imprisonment for
grand larceny In rintnh county, PEE
uuuncd Tor communication % sentence.
The ease was taken under ADJUSTMENT.
and later was not granted
CASE OF CLIFTON.
in the ease OF g. g. chiffon aged 90
who has served hVc Year, In the stat.
prison under a sentence ~ thirty yeara
for murder Mr. Peterson of Moab
county appeared before the board aud
testified that the man Woods killed by
Clifton had threatened o. NH several
citizens and was the nFgrsra0r In tho
case. Alr Peterson considered that
Clifton had killed Woods In srlf-de-
fenHo, Cllnnn's right name ~ pavcn-
port, ~ tho conclusion OF the testimony
the application was granted,
The Cnse Of Dr. Mccoy Htntrnced 60
prison in November M 1876 was cputin.
used tlll the next meeting OF the board
beginning Aprll 'rd,