Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-08
SERVED MANY YEARS.
Cornelius Moelchen Recently Released
From the Penitentiary.

cornelius MOelchen Recently Released
From the Penitentiary.
From Wednesdays Daily.
IEon.sA. WI Buchanan, representative
in the house from this district, was on
the committee to recommend the par
don of Cornelius Moelchen, who had
Bseryed for twenty years in The Anamc-
sa penitentiary. for a crime which it is
believed he never committed. Mr.. Bu-
chanan gives the Courier the facts
as they were presented to the commit
tee thru the efforts of a guard in the
peni1entiary who had heard and be-
lieved the story of the convict. The
guard became convinced that there had
been an awful mistake made and he set
about to secure the pardon of the con-
Wet. So strongly does the guard be-
lieve in. Moelchen's innocence that he
has taken him to his home in Monte
yuma and will care for him the rest
of his days. The story reads like a
romance.
| In the latter seventies Cornelius
Moelchen came to America from Ger
many and took up his residence with
his uncle, a Dubuque county farmer
John Moelchen by name. The uncle
had been married but his wife had died
about five years before and at this
| TINT he was living with woman not
his wife. The old man had driven all
the family away and when the neph-
ew arrived they had trouble in the ma
ture of family rows. About six months
4 after Cornelius came. the old man was
found dead. He had had occasion to
go to Dubuque and rode an old gray
mare which he had always used. When
near home he had evidently been killed
! by some one as a wound such as would
produce death was found to have been
inflicted on his head and was of such a
nature as could not have been made by
the horse. The animal was found qui-
city grazing near the body. The neph-
CIV had occasion to go to Dubuque over
the same road on the same day. Blood
was found on his clothing and he was
very vehemently accused of the crime
by the woman with. whom the uncle
had been living. The young man did
not understand a word of the English
language and evidently did not realize
the serious position he was in. He
was tried and convicted while the eS-
element was at fever heat and SEN
1 fenced to the penitentiary at Anamosa
4 for life. 1t was shown afterwards
| thaa the. blood on the nephew's cloth
ing had been received while killing
hogs ON the same day the old man was
found dead.
1 AT the time he was sentenced he was
I36 Years of age and when pardoned
had served for twenty years. In all
that time he had not had black mark
against him for bad conduct. Time
passed on; until a young man was APP
pointed as guard in the prison. To
him Cornelius related his story. 1t
was always the same, denying any
completely in the murder of his uncle,
4 and seemed to be SO straight that the
4 guard became Interested. He served
the state in his capacity as
Waterman for eleven months
i He became convinced of the truthful
ness of the convct's statements and
was anxious to have him liberated. He
set about getting the facts together,
for the convict had TO friends or rela.
u tises in, this country. ana after getting
, things in shape presented the matter
10 the governor and the legislature and
! agreed that if a pardon was granted
4 he would take the convict home ard
care for, him the rest of his days. The
4 Legislative committee to whom the
| matter was referred were much i'm
pressed By the earnestness +of the now
eN--guard, especially the promise to
care for the convict and taking all
things into consideration recommend
ed that pardon be granted under
those conditions which was done.
1 Cornelius Moelchen is now Sc years
of age, broken in health and unable 10
work, yet one man with big heart
has offered to see that he does not
II want for the rest of his life. 1t seems
to be case where justice after TWEEN
|ty years. has transferred the weight
i to the right side of the scale.