The Red Cloud chief., 1901-08-16
HE FORGED A PARDON
HOW sWlNOlER DENT GAVE A LIFE
CONVICT FREEDOM.

6cisl-Deteeted by . Clerk-Capture ~
the FerGer-sent to the Penitentary
For Life. while HE rartner 10 IT Large
Attorneys for william J. Dent. who
Is serving a life term In the Texas
state Pcnitentiary. have lost their ap-
| peal 10 the Court Of Criminal Appeals.
and their determination to
take the case to the United states Su.
preme Court. His attorneys contend
that he Is enduring cruel and unusual
punishment for an act which Is COW
cred by no law In the Texas code.
Dent IL a swindler OF national fame.
He has left a train Of forgeries from
the Canadian border to Mexico. But
is In prison. He forged a pardon l.
ter for n friend and former partner.
He fooled a Governor. a Secretary OF
State. an Attorney General and the
warden Of a penitentiary. He won In
his plot and discounted every move Of
| the officials. But one tri6ing detail
was overlooked that led to his capture.
He bought a typewriter. without pay.
ing for II. to assist him In his forgery.
but did not get n ncw-style machine
instead OF an old style. The letters
were slightly different, and that Is why
Dents plot was exposed.
Dents partner. for whose liberty he
plotted. was George Isaacs. a country
store keeper. who killed Sheriff Nc
Ghee, OF Hemphill County. Texas.
Isaacs was sent to the Texas State
Penitentiary for life In 1893. Isaac's
partner. W. j. Dent. went to the same
penitentiary In 1895 for forgery.
Dents term was five years. He was
discharged from the p~enitentiary, In
which he had been an exemplary prls-
oner. In August. 1899.
One month later. a man who said
his name was Jackson walked into the
Governors Office In Austin. Tex. and
asked for particulars concerning the
application for the pardon Of one
Clark. sentenced for demonstrating.
The clerk told Jackson all pardon pa
pers were kept In the Office Of the Sec.
rotary Of State. Jackson went there
and was shown the pardon file. He
studied them long and earnestly, went
out to luncheon. came back and spent
the afternoon In the Oface. He was
courteous aud thanked the clerks pro
fusely. .r-<,.-.Sx-cEseAsSA~0~-
Three weeks later he came into the
Office again md recalled the circum'
stances Of his former visit. He pro
duced several papers, said he wanted
TO send them to the warden Of the
penitentiary as bearing on the case OF
hOrse.stealer CLARK, and asked for al
official envelope to forward them In
The clerk gave him the envelope. and
after more compliments and thanks
Jackson left.
=. Next morning the warden Of the
penitentiary received a full and fret
pardon for George Isaacs. sentenced
for life for killing Sheriff McGhee. Th,
signature OF the Governor and the
other State officials were genuine. The
impress Of the great seal was authen
tic. The pardon was in correct form
and of Il regular pardon blank. There
was a neatly typewriter summary OF
|. the reasons why Isaacs had been par
doped. Everything was SO correct
apparently. that lsaacs was called tt
the warden's Office. told of his good
fortune and set free.
The warden sent the usual acknOwl
edgement Of the receipt to the Gov
ernOr. In due course the report Of the
warden to the Governor was made. Ir
it the pardon of George Isaacs was
mentioned. The Governor scratched
his head. He could not remembel
pardOning Isaacs. He called up thu
Secretary Of state. That official knew
/. nothing about II. Then he sent fol
the warden. He came and brough'
the pardon with him. In his hurry
, Isaacs had left II behind. The docu
ment was apparently genuine In every
!, detail. The State officials examined I
with n microscope, hut could find M
flaws. They were d~umbfounded.
why did you not send an ackn0wl
t cdgement of this:" demanded the Gov
ernOr. ficrcely.
IL did," replied the warden. II Gen
It on the next morning"
/. Tie officials OF the Statc Of Texas
! sat around in blank arlaZemcnt. Thel
n clerk saw a discrepancy between
two lines Of typewrlting. A typewrit
ing expert said two different Eachilei
had been used. That made 1t cleal
that the document was a forgery.
Large rewards were offered 10
D Dent and Jackson. No clew was oh
tanned. Finally, after q year Of search
q letter camc frorl Phoenix, Ariz.
: frcn 4 woman who signed hcrsel
Mrs. Cray, aGkins IL Jackson woul,
be pardoned for his part In the pardon
Z forgery II Isaac, Were surrendered
The Governor sent an evasivc reol.
and a detective. The detective callc,
on Mr.. Gray. lie made the astculd
: Ing discovery that Cray va3 ccpt
the former convict.
: Dent discussed the pardon forger
with the detective, caid Dent wa
working Cor him and asked what coul
b, Gone. The detective said he worl,
communicate with the Governor. Mex