The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-19
ABUNDANCE OF CASH GIVEN THEIR LIBERTY
Three Convicts Set Free BY Board
of Pardons.
FATHERS PLEA FOR BOY
PATHETIC SCENE AT YESTER-
DAYS SESSION.
Edward Webb Receives Clemency
After Serving Six Months of a
Two Years Sentence-Others For
Whom Prison Gates Were Opened
We're w. E. league and T. Lacy.


Whom Prison Gates Were Opened
We're W. E. league and T. Lacy.
"Mebbe I'm little bit prejudiced.
gentlemen, but you see, he's my boy
The speaker was a tall, gaunt man
with a grizzled beard. His eyes were
full of tears and his voice was choked
with emotion. for he was making a
fathers appeal to the board of pardons
TO set free a son. The men who held in
their hands the power to open wide the
prison gates to Edward H. Webb were
outwardly unmoved by the old mans
talk. but every one of them felt the
pathos of the situation.
A Pathetic Scene.
The scene was indescribably pathetic
The elder Webb told the board what
good boy his son had been. He told
how, when Edward heard that his
brother had been accused of stealing
some cattle in Willard county (which
he himself had disposed of, he came at
once from Idaho, where ne had gone
to buy beef. The officers of the law
were put to no trouble, because the
suspected man had no doubt that he
could establish his innocence.
At the trial Edward showed a bill of
sale for the cattle which were alleged
TO have been stolen The writing on
it looked very much like his own. but
at least one expert testified that il was
not the work of the prisoner. The jury
believed differently, however. and the
defendant was sentenced to serve two
years in the penitentiary. This was in
December, 1897. The case went to the
supreme court, where, six months ago,
the judgment of the lower court was
affirmed and the young man was sent
to prison
Protested His Innocence.
Throughout he protested that he was
innocent, and in all his trouble his
father stuck to him. Recently a move
ment to secure his pardon was inaugur-
ated. Yesterday some strong petitions
and recommendations were presented,
but none was stronger than the fathers
plea. In executive session the board
decided that the request should be
granted, and ordered that the pardon
be endorsed as, granted because of the
recommendation of the judge who tried,
and the attorney who prosecuted the
case; because the showing made leaves
it in reasonable doubt whether he was
guilty: and because of applicants pre-
vious good character and good conduct
during imprisonment"
Another interesting case in which
pardon was granted yesterday was that
of Thomas Lacy, who was convicted or
burglary in Ogden in November. 1896,
and sentenced to serve seven wears in
the penitentiary. Since his incarcera-
ton Lacy has given evidence of seri-
Gus desire to reform and make useful
citizen of himself. His reformation was
put to d severe test about a year ago,
and he stood the ordeal successfully.
Lacy Refused to Escape.
A number of convicts were at work
in a ditch outside the, walls OF the
prison. Among them were some hard-
ened criminals and in some way one OF
them became possessed of revolver
He leveled it at the lone guard and in
vited his fellow prisoners to make their
escape. Lacy was offered a chance TO
go with the rest, but he not only de-
clined to depart, but urged his comrades
to remain also. Several conyicts did
escape, but they were all subsequently,
recaptured.
This performance of Lacy's was
strongly in his favor when his case
came up for a hearing yesterday. In
granting the application the board or
dered ibis good ,shehayior@ 10 be noted,
and stated thattife pardonsTas granted
for this reason, and because of Lacy's
evidently sincere reformation
Pardon For league.
William league, sent up from Tooele |
for seven years in September, 1896, for
grand larceny, was also pardoned.1
There was some doubt as to the defend
ants guilt, although ne made a con-
fession and threw himself on the mercy
of the court. After being confined
league claimed that he had been IN
trusted with the cattle he was charged /
with stealing by the man who had !
really stolen them.
He sold them on n Saturday evening |
in Salt Lake, receiving $50 on the pur-
chase price and agreeing to return on |
Monday for the balance. When he, went |
back as agreed he was arrested. A
brother of the man league, who, 1t is |
said. sso nro ,r 10 give his family sa5
per month if he would plead guilty and |
take a term in the penitentiarv.
This was agreed to by the defendant, |
and in pursuance. of the contract he |
pleaded guilty under the impression |
that he would get off with a light SEN |
tence. When he was given seven years |
he weakened. and almost ever since has |
had his friends working for a pardon |
for. him. In the papers yesterday were /
from the presiding |
Judge and the prosecuting attorney that
the pardon be granted