The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-21
LEM IS FREE.
Perhaps a Great Wrong Has
Been Righted.
At Any Rate the State Board of Pardons
Gives LEM the Benefit
of Doubt

The state board or pardOnS on Satur-
day evening decided to grant a pardon
to VIM. LEM, the life termer from
Blue Earth county whose case has been
before it for a year or more. The
news was contained in the Twin City
papers yesterday morning. To make
sure of it, w. E. Young telephoned
today to L. A. Rosing, private secre-
tary to Gov. Lind, and asked him
whether the pardon had really been
granted. He received reply in the
affirmative. Mr. Young and Pau &
Pau, who have been working hard for
the pardon, and Mrs. Geo. R. Hair,
who has worked for ten years for this
result, are feeling very happy over the
outcome.
The first three named were LEM 8
attorneys during the trial and have al
ways felt strongly that he is innocent
of the terrible charge against him.
LEM was convicted some ten years
ago of the murder of VIM. Schwartz,
in the southern part of the county. B.
D. Smith was county attorney at the
time and made out very strong case
against Lenz-so strong that the jury
convicted him of murder in the first
degree. In accordance with the law,
Judge Severance sentenced LEM to be
hung, but at once Joined with the
jury--and others in asking Gov Mer-
RAM to exercise his power to commute
the sentence to imprisonment for life.
This Gov. Merriam did. Judge Sever
ance and others have felt that all of
the evidence for the state might be
true and still LEM might be innocent.
The petition asking for Lenz's pardon
was signed by some of the jurors that
convicted him and by large number
of citizens. The attorney general,
who is member of the pardoning
board, has long felt that LEM was in
nocent, having gone over the testi-
mony very carefully. The prison
authorities have had the same belief.
The crime of which LEM was con-
victed was the alleged killing of VIM.
Schwartz. LEM was employed as a
farm hand by Schwartz's father, and
the two young men roomed together.
One summer morning, Schwartz came
running out of the house with his
throat cut and died in a few moments.
LEM was in the room when it hap
pened. There was cut on Schwartz s
pillow. pool of blood, splotches of
blood on the wall, and his razor was
bloody. Schwartz W as asked by his
father who had done the deed, but was
unable to give an Ineligible reply,
at his throar was 900 deeply cut. The
state during the trial, introduced as a
motive evidence to show that Schwartz
stood in the way of his sister marrying
LEM. The theory of the defense was
suicide during temporary ms anity,
and previous sun stroke was proved
or partly so. Nobody but LEM knows
absolutely whether he killed Schwar tx
or not, and he has always denied it
and has been answering in his c.
count of the affair. There are many
circumstances that bear out his story
and make it appear that an innocent
man has been imprisoned for ten
years and his whole future life ruined
in measure. Under these circum-
stances the verdict of the people will
be that the pardoning board did COM
mendable act when it made him a
free man
LEM left at once for the home of his
parents in Wisconsin, who are farmers.
They are old people and need his SER
vices and he will remain with them.
At his request they have never visited
him at Saltwater, for he did not de-
sire them to see him in his hunilia
ton and disgrace.