Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-26
STATE HOUSE.
An Excellent Time Reported
BY Rangeley ExCursionists.
Governor and Council to Count Re-
turns Of Second District Today.
Two Pardon Cases Are Also Assigned for
Hearing This Afternoon.

Ject OF the meeting is to look over the
returns Of the congressional election in
the second district one week ago and IN
give orders for the issuance Of a certifi-
cate of election to Hon Charles f LII
| tlefield
Besides this there will be two pardon
hearings or at least there are two as
| signed for hearing though it is not
| known whether both win come off or not.
The first case is that of j. Howard
| Parker of I.ubec. This case has been en-
tered about year and has from time /,
time been taken up, but never had n
hearing. At the last meeting, A. d. Nc
Faul of Machias. the attorney for Park
er, said he should be present at this meet
| ing and present his case
Parker, it will be remembered. was con-
Victed of burglary in the night time. ana
sentenced to ten years in State prison. he
now having served six years Most peo-
pie remember when John Black ana his
sister Ann Of Lubec were robbed BY
Parker, ana a man named James Nc
! lsaacs, who entered their house the night
| of June u, 1892, attacked and beat them
and robbed them. as charged in the in
dictment, of 800 in silver and $210O IN
work and deprivation.
Mr.. McFaul, in a communication to the
governor, says that Parker claims that
the amount Of money taken was only be
tween $50 and 800, and that McIsaacs got
most Of il. lie denies that his client as
saulted John and Ann Black, but say. his
pal committed the violence planned the
| matter, knew where the money was AMI
was on intimate terms with the Blacks.
The attorney further wrote that Parker,
| if pardoned, would probably go direct to
| the place where his mother resided in
| Iowa, and his liberation would be a bless
| ing to his poor old widowed mother ans
| his two mOtherless children Parker's
| wife has died while he was in State
prison. Had Parker any money he
would willingly return to Ann Black ev-
cry cent he stole from her.
\ letter from Parker's smother Mrs
| Charlotte J. Phillips, asking for pardon
was also submitted Among the petition
ers were Luke Byron and 50 others Of
| Campobello, n. r., % residents Of Deer
Isle, n. B.. 20 Of Lubec. 1O3 Of Jonesport
ana 80 Of Lucas, Ia. The Iowa petitioners
declared that during his residence with
| them, Parker was an honest, industrious
and well-behaved citizen.
But there is another side to the ques-
ton appears from the representations
of County Attorney Campbell of Wash
ington county and the remonstrance of
Thomas f. Vose and 1870 others of Lubec
Mr.. Campbell writes that the sentence of
Parker and McIsaacs was not excessive
for such terrible crime which resulted
in the loss Of the earnings of lifetime,
the Disagreement OF the sister and xhe
suicide Of the brother.
The one hundred and fifty citizens Of
Lubec in their remonstrance speak plain
~. They review the story Of the crime
which shocked all Maine. The burglars
not only robbed the old people bur IN
mercifully kicked ana bruised them while
they We're lying on the hard floor gagged
and bound. The life of Ann was de-
SPARED of for several days; it so dis
turbed the mind of John that he COM
mitted suicide by hanging, August Sth
1898
I'VE oppose this pardon" they declare,
! because this was most heinOus crime,
because the sentence was not excessive
and the enormity Of the crime demands
its full execution, because 1t would be 4
travesty of justice to grant a pardon,
because of the prisoners bad character,
who with another confederate of his had
this whole section wild with excitement
and fear through their maraudings by
night a>few years ago" They say that 4
large percentage of the people who signed
| the petition did not know the whole sto
ry.
Rufus Brown of Athens, FOR whom %
| petitioners ask a pardon was sentenced
To six months in the county jail a the
| March term of the supreme court At
| Skowhegan, for maintaining a nuisance.
| They assert that Brown is a man of weak
mind and was not any more responsible
! for the alleged dsorderly conduct on his
premises than many others j. #. Hol-
man, who sent in the petition, writes that
Brown is too poor to employ counsel. lie
| thinks ii is too bad to shut Brown up all
| summer. as that is the only season when
| he can earn anything. He was good
soldier. Mr. Holman knows, and served n
| thc 5th Maine battery nearly four years
His petition is signed by the board of Sc
Iectmen of COrnville and the chairman Of
| the board of Athens.