Evening star., 1900-06-08
GOES FREE AT LAST
Remarkable Case Of Jeff Harrison,
Doubla Life Convict.
PARDONED BY TIE PRESIDENT
He Was Sentenced for Two Life
Terms in Prison.
TRAIN ROBBERY CHARGED

CHICAGO. June S.-A special to the
Times Herald from Anamosa. Iowa, says:
Twice sentenced to life Imprisonment at
hard labor the terms to be served concur
rently Jeff Harrison is at liberty and
has gone to Chicago. The United States
Supreme Court relieved him from one SEN
tence and President Mckinley, exercising
his right of pardon took the final step
necessary to swinging open the prison
doors.
The case Is without parallel in criminal
annals During the seven years and TWEEN
ty days during which Harrison has
been confined here he has been known
as the man sentenced to penal
servitude during his natural exist
ence as well as for the life to
come" As such he has been an object of
curiosity alike to his fellow convicts. the
prison officials and all visitors. Curiosity
has always been blended with sympathy.
though as he has stoutly maintained his
innocence at all times and withal has been
a model prisoner.
Sentenced by Two Courts.
Harrison received his unique sentences
from two United States courts. One was
for alleged completely in a train robbery
near Birmingham. Ala; the other was for
| a stage coach robbery near Huntsville. Ala.
From the time of his arrival here, May II,
| 1888 Harrison has been persevering in his
effort to regain liberty. To do so he need
| ed funds and he therefore turned his at
| tention to manufacturing trinkets from
shells and selling them to visitors. By so
doing he raised enough money to pay the
expenses of an appeal in the train robbery
| case. with the final result that he was de-
clared innocent
.tyII oplyjct in
Huntsville case. Harrison had used all his
| money in prosecuting his appeal in. the
Birmingham case, and when the decision
! in his favor was finally given the time to
appeal the Huntsville case had expired by
| limitation. Then Harrison turned to his
| friends and to the prison officials for help.
A petition to the President asking for Har-
rison's pardon was drawn up by the prison
chaplain and received the signature of ev-
cry officer and employe at the Institution.
| Then, with the proceeds of his labor Har-
rison employed people to make house-to-
house canvass for signatures in Rome, Ga.
| his former home. Hundreds of personal
| letters directed to the President were Sc
cured In the same manner. With all this
work accomplished the papers were finally
| submitted to the President
Waited Two Years.
For more than two years Harrison pa
tiently waited for the nations chief execu-
tive to take action. Finally. a sister living
| at Fort WORTH Texas, intrusted with the
| last of the prisoners money to defray her
expenses. journeyed to Washington and
secured an audience with the President.
The papers were called for. and they so
Impressed President Mckinley that execu-
tive clefnency wds Immediately decided
upon. -.
Harrison Received thssFlad news by tele-
gram last Friaa ay. bf the papers did not
arrive until yesterdaK Last night he step
ped forth from The !pek kitentary free man
He at once left for Chicago. He will re-
turn to his sousl lern home after a visit in
the Illinois metropolis ana begin life over
again.