Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-12-02

the Bedells, who have always main
tanned their innocence of the charge,
but certain conflicting statements in
their evidence tended directly to lend
some support to Goods story and
doubtless turned the balance against
them in the minds Of the jury. This
want of agreement in the testimony of
the two brothers was upon the pre-
else time of Franks arrival at home on
the night of June oath. when Good
claimed to have met him and divided
the proceeds of the sale of the stolen
horses with him. In and of itself such
discrepancy would probably not
have been deemed important, but for
Goods positive testimony.
after the conviction of the Bedells,
Good was sentenced to term in the
Wisconsin state reformatory. Since
his confinement at the reformatory, he
has made a sworn statement in the
presence of the superintendent that
his testimony given upon the trial
convicting them of the crime was
wholly false.
''If true, this statement relieving the
Bedells of any completely in the crime
for which they are imprisoned, entities
them to an absolute pardon. Doubt as
to it's truth was raised by the fact
that after Goods confinement in the
reformatory and but a few months
prior to making the statement, he in
formed the district attorney who tried
the case for the state that he had been
offered inducements to make such a
statement to be used in securing the
pardon of the Bedell boys. The diff
iculty then presented was to deter
mine which of Goods statements were
true, the one to the district attorney,
or the one to the superintendent.
This necessitated a careful analysis of
all the testimony in the case and the
aff1davits filed upon the motion for a
new trial in the circuit court, and a
rigid and impartial examination Of
Good under circumstances best calcu
lated to elicit the truth from him. The
first task I have performed; the
second, | have entrusted to Hon. Her
man Grotophorst, a member of the
state board of control, who was pre-
ent at the trial of the case in the
circuit court, though taking no part,
and to the Hon. G. w. Brown, superin-
tendent of the reformatory.
upon their report and from my own
investigation, am fully convinced
that Frank and Dick Bedell were
neither of them implicated in any
manner in the stealing of the horses
for which they were tried and convict
ed; that Frank Bedell did not meet
William Good and did not receive any
part or share in the proceeds of the
sale of the stolen horses at the time
and place sworn to by Good upon the
trial, nor any time nor place, what
ever; that, in fact, Good was not at the
place of such meeting on the night of
June Oath, 1899, but was in attendance
upon dance at the house Of one War
necke, in the town of Marion, Juneau
tant; that all of the testimony of Will
liam Good given upon the trial which
connected Dick Dedell and Frank Be-
dell, or either of them, with the crime
in question, whether directly or indi-
rectly, was false and prejured testi-
mony; that such testimony was given
in anger and malice because Good had,
or believed he had, a grievance against
the Bedells and desired to do them the
greatest possible injury.
'For these reasons, and upon all the
papers and records in the case, abso-
lutte and unconditional pardon is grant
ed to Frank Bedell and to Dick Be-
dell"
Sullivan Wants Pardon.
An application for the pardon of
George Sullivan was heard by Govern
or La Toilette yesterday afternoon.
Sullivan was committed from Vernon
couny in 1897, for murder in the
second degree, for term of IA years.
Attorney J. P. Sullivan, the father of
the convict, appeared for his son and
argued that pardon should be granted
because, he said, the young man had
been convicted contrary to law. Ac-
companying the application was a Pc
tition signed by number of citizens
of Vernon county No action was
taken.