The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-08-09
Palmer SsPardOn,

New Castle, Aug 9.-Alfrsd H. Pal-
mer is still in jail serving sentence for
horse stealing An effort is being made
TO have him pardoned OH The grounds OF
i'll health. His chisf supporter being
young woman while opposing him is
another. A dispatch from Pomeroy, Ia.
says:
Miss Ivagene Meredith and Miss Lula
Hutton, cousins and prominent young
women of this vicinity, have been circulat
ing antagonlstio peti ions in 1.-THE matter
OF Alfred II. Palmer, until the time OF
his arrest on the charge or horse stealing
society man of Pomsroy, being rclcas-
cd from jail by the Delaware Sta'e Roard
uLpAruo us. Miss Meredith, who believes
that Palmer is getting his just deserts,
has secured the largest list of signerS,
which list. protest against the imprison
cd mans release has been forwarded to
the Delaware Autho titles. Miss Hutton.
on the other hand, went to the nsignbor.
ing state at the time OF the accused mans
trial took up her residence In Whining
ton hat she might be near him, and now
that there is u pro poet OF his Eelng 70
leased ON the allegation that he is fatally
i'll with progressive atrophy, has return
ed home and circulated her petition pray
ing that clemency be shown.
Owing to the social prominence OF the
respective young women the whole town
ha been drawn into the discussion snd
MI Chester county. for that mat; or, is
wondering As to The outcome Ministers
of tho gospel have also been drawn into
the discu sion and at least enc Of them,
Rev Mr. V Nichols pa tor of the Metho
dist Church Of which Palmer was mem
Der. has sent Il pc s,lal letter to the Gov
srnor of Delaware asking that The law be
permitted to take its course. GooHraDhl
caliy the town has also been divided,
those living on the east side of the Penn
syvunia Railroad track, headed by Col
onel Daniel l.. smith, formerly owner of
the town -lie and ht'pre-enJ ono eli Its
veal hest citizens, supporting the petit
ton of Nj Meredith, toHei her with most
Of the families living in Inc north part OF
town, while a large part of what is loft
of Pomoroy, iho south sders say that
Mis- Hutton is tho right and that Pal
NOR should be glyea his freedom,
1t developed today that personal ad
mIrati0n for the man, acknowledged on
the witness stand in Whining on during
the trial, Is he inspiration tha has led
Miss Hut Oh to put forth hor endeavors
for Palmer. ga the other hand it was
explained by IA member OF Miss Merilith .
family tina ID nntagnnizing the release of
her former friend, Palmer She W s pro
tcotiug the good name Of her brother, +.
Mstedlth. He became debt involved
while luIill!!n4 contract Tor grading On
tbs Pennsylvania Railroad and WAS at
tackled in one OF the West Chester papers.
The ARTICLES werr, they say later traced
to Palmer, who at that time pretended to
be Il irieud Of Meredith family.
Later Mr Meredith, r.. pad off the
in lebiteduess o his son Miss Meredith
ia, remembered this fact it was explain
ed at hsr homo. and, coupling this with
the fact lhA' Palmer was already under
Indictment for stealing horses from her
father in Chester county when the Della
ware Otliciuls arrested him for stealing
horses IN tia state and sent him up for
four years. he has decided that 1t Is duty
to work against his release
EvonF, which led up to the rival peti-
tons and the antugon,sm over Palmer
began With his arrival in Thu borough
more than two Yeas ago From the
start he made good impression his good
clothes abundance Of money md atfable
almost Immediately winning for him in.
Krrss in o the most elu.lye circles. On
SUNDAY be at ended the Methodist church
to which denomination he claimed MEM
bership, and the neigh borhool is 1stll
talking Of he s. contributions which he
used to put upon the plate at the morning
gervice
Things went lovely until tho following
summer, at which time Palmer branched
out US IL bay buyer and railroad contract
or In small way.
Then people began to xrumbIe that he
was slow In meeting some of his bills but
he managed to weather ihe s'orm until
young Mr., Meredith left town u little
over year ago. Later two OF Msrsdith's
hor ss Disappeared, together with carts
and harness. The harness was recovered
from P,lmsrs barn by officers armol with
a search warrant One ri the horses was
found at Eoatesville and the other 10
uHutAer part Of the lcounty. Palmer
was arrested on the three charges, true
bills were returned against him by the
| Chester county grand jury. lie was re
leased under 5000 bail. Before the case
cam to trial however, Palmer was ar
rested on the Delaware side on the charge
Of having stolun horse and buggy, since
which tiInu, almost year ago. ho has
boon III jail ii Newcastle Daring his
resiIence helo he boarded at tins house
whrfo Mis- Hgttun made her home, and
throughout al' OF the trouble she re-
luAIneu lDyNl to aim,