The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1900-11-02

me but once after | was convicted and
that was II day when he was there
OH a visit. He did not know of his
personal knowledge what my condi'
ton was at the time | was pardoned
"Leidigh had a good pull with him
and he helped me out. l wrote a let
ter thanking them both on reaching
here. | was released late in the after.
noon and was taken to the depot in
a carriage. They bought me n ticket
through to Ottawa and l lost no time
In getting away. At Chicago bought
a suit of clothes and sold my prison
suit to a secondhand dealer.
81 had a good appetite the last four
weeks L was in the p~enitentiary hos
pital and was getting on my feet when
l got out. My hemOrrhages stopped
long before ! was pardoned and | have
never had any since" he said, with Il
squint of the eye.
You are a pretty rugged looking
corpse" was remarked.
Yes, | am in pretty fair shape,
though | don't feel exactly like my
fOAeler self"
rs hat not due to worriment and
thoughts about the awful crime you
committed?'
Well, there are some things that
worry me aside from the condition Of
my health. OF them-I would rather
not speak,
"When did you last hear from Ne
braska?"
"About II weeks ago, Mother got
a letter from Governor POynter, in
which he asked for a physicians GER
tificate. She tore the letter up, or I
would show it to you. She asked me
what to do about it, and | told her to
do the best she could for him, for !
thought he wanted to use it in poll
tics, and as he had helped me out l
wanted to help him out. Mother an
swered the letter, but | think the Ger
titicate was never sent. 1 have worked
steadily for over five months since |
got a job and have not lost a day. As
to the pardon, 1 can only say that l
owe my success in regaining my lib
erty to Leidigh and Governor Poynter.
How or why the scheme to get me a
pardon started before l or any of my
relatives asked for one l cannot eX-
plain. 1t may have started while 1
"a sick, but at the time it was grant
ed I was recovering rapidly. If there
was such a thing as money used to get
it, it vas without my knowledge. No
doubt such things have been done at
that same place, but / can't say it was
in my case"
How did you happen to give your
name as Benwell when you were ar
reSted?"
The other fellow gave the name of
Harry Hill. That was not his right
name. Noticing that he gave a wrong
name / gave one too. L knew, how
ever, that if l wa caught at it that
an alias would make it hard for me.
so l gave my name as John Benwell
KearnS. When you came to the house
last evening | thought that you want
ed me for some railroad job. While l
was III Liz DClllICLIidlN d idillOdu VI
tective had me connected with a job
that had been done and 1 expected
you intended to prosecute me should
L V e get out.
"When l got out it was so arranged
that nobody should know it, and m
first thought last night was that he
had followed me up. l was more in
terested in keeping my identity a Sc
cret on that account than on account
of n~otoriety.
Il have nothing to say about the
Cass county affair."" came the reply
when asked about it. Il was con-
victed, sent to the penitentiary and
pardoned. That is the story of
record and that is all the story I'll
give you. 1 am a free man, and l
hope to get along as if nothing of the
kind had ever happened. 1 will forget
it, whether other people do or not"
WHAT THEY THINK OF KEARNS.
"There goes a man with strong and
dangerous criminal instincts,'' remark
ed Detective Foster, n of the shrewd-
est officers of the Dominion of Canada,
as Kearns left the room. Il think So
ciety is better off without such char
acters. Look at his firm jaw, low fore
head and cat-like eyes. I'll watch that
man from this on, that's certain" 1t
is evident from Kearns' conversation
that he did not tell all he knew in con-
nection with the pardon. 1t is quite
evident that the murder of Oldham Axe
son is not the only crime which cOn-
Germs him. That he committed other
crimes for which he has never atoned
or been ~apprehended is quite certain.
Nevertheless he dresses well. looks
trim as a successful stock broker and
outside of his family, Chief Sherwood
and Detective Foster nobody here in
Ottawa knows any of his dark history.
He weighs about $50 pounds and is a
perfect picture of the ideal athlete.
Kearns Incidentally spoke of affairs
connected with the management of
the penitentiary, and said that officials