Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-07-26

Jeff Harrison, a United States pris-
ouer who was serving a ''double-life'
sentence in the state prison at Ana
mosa, Iowa, for train robbery, mas
been pardoned by President Mckinney.
Harrison's case was n OF the most
peculiar and remarkable OF its KIND IN
the criminal annals OF this country.
A life convict is nc uncommon thing
in any penal institution, but a "dou-
ble-life" man, one upon whose lie the
law has placed we liens, is rare. IL Is
the first time in the history OF the
Anamosa ~penitentiary where the a
den was commanded by W separate
commitment TO hold the person OF
one individual until death should in
~terfere. The action of the president In
giving executive clemency to Harrison
commands the approval Of every one
who is acquainted with the man.
Harrison was received at he Ana
mosa prison on the 18th day of May,
1898, from the United States court for
the northern district Of Alabama. The
marshal in charge Of the prisoner sur
prised the penitentiary officials by
handing them two commitment papers,
in each of which the warden was com
uanded to keep Harrison at hard la
Dor during the period Of his natural
life.
Two Life Sentences.
Harrison was nc ordinary prisoner.
For several years he occupied the
gloomiest prospect for future free
dom of any convict in life row." He
did not go into decline and give him
self over to despair like one without
hope, but fortified himself in the be-
lief that all wrongs must be righted,
| and that It would be the chief aim of
his life to rectify the great miscarriage
Of justice, which he claimed had de-
prived him of his liberty.
Was Convicted of Train Robbery.
The charges upon which Harrison
was tried and convicted were two
stage-coach and train robberies, tn,
former alleged to have been commit
ted at Birmingham, Ala, the latter
near Huntsville. in the same state.
He always stoutly maintained his in
nocence, but circumstances, combined
with a so-called confession of a con-
federate, Jim Brown, a brother-in-law
Of Harrison's, who was offered lenien-
cy by the prosecution, convinced two
juries in the United States court that
he was guilty. Brown got three years
for his participation in the affairs and
served the same in the Anamosa
prison.
Harrison's prison department vas OF
the best. He was an exemplary and
industrious prisoner, putting in his
spare time in the manufacture OF
trinkets from shells. He soon became
acquainted with the quality of the diff
ferent shells and often made purchases
OF fancy shells from the markets n,
Japan and other remote places. These
trinkets he disposed OF to visitors
passing through the prison. With the
proceeds { these sales he paid the ex-
penses OF an appeal TO the Upited
states Supreme court in the Birminp-
haE case. and after a two years strup-
gie~had the satisfaction of having the
sentence for train robbery set aside
by the highest judicial tribunal in the
land. The Law stin demanded ;nnris
onment TOT bis natural life" for the
stage robbery.
Harrison was rot downcast. His
money was gone. and the time for TAX
Ing an appeal in the Huntsville case
expired by Limitation, owing to his in