The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-10-01
The Release of Sam Clark. of
Mayfield, Discussed,
According to Report His FIR lends
We're First Promised
Pardon.
NOW LIVES IN MISSOURI

A Mayheld special TO the Louisville
Herald says:
Political circles here have been
stirred up greatly by the Hon. Jesse
@. Speight's charge that Governor
Beckham agreed to pardon convict
IN return for a contribution of $500 to
the campaign fund. Mr.. Speight lives
here aud it is understood that his al
fusion was to the case of Samuel ID.
CLARK, who was convicted of killing
s. B. Carney, and sentenced to ten
years in prison. Both were prominent
and popular citizens Of Mayfeld and
the tragedy caused great excitement
here. Clark had strong friends who
went to work as soon as he was con-
victed to obtain pardon. One ap-
plication at least was made to Cover
nor Bradley, who declined to issue
the pardon.
1t has always been understood that
Senator Goebel promised the pardon
in the event Of his election 40 COVER,
nor, but of course he had no opportu-
nifty to pass on the case.
1t has always been understood also
that Governor beokham promised to
pardon CLARK within is days after his
election in 1900. He did not do so,
and it was not until some months af-
ter his election that q parole was is
sued to Clark, who was at once moved
out of the state and is now living in
Missouri. There has always been more
or less gossip connected with Clark's
parole. 1t is said that Governor Beck
ham was taxed with failing to carry
out solemn promise to pardon CLARK,
and that he defended himself by say.
ing that he only promised that Clark
should be turned out of prison and
that the parole met that promise by
turning CLARK out,
Those who Seem to be in position
to know do not hesitate to say that
there was quite a sum Of money raised
to procure Clsrk's release. The
amount, il Is said, was originally sl,-
$50 and it was kept together for more
than q year in the effort to free him.
What became of the money is the
thing that is difficult to discover.
Captain Speigbts charge has started
gossip afresh. The Hon. Lum Cross
land declared at Clinton in q speech
Monday that Sam Norman, of this
county, had declared that Captain
Speight could not prove his charge by
him (Normsn). Norman was assistant
secretary of state under Browns adj.
was once warden of the
Frankfort penitentiary and sheriff of
this county. He was, aDd is, q de-
voted friend of Clark's and has inter-
ested himself in trying to get him par
doned. 1t is believed here that he will
yet succeed, if he has not already sue
ceeted, in having full pardon grant.
ed. Diem J. Whittemore, of the
Democratic state central committee,
and Mr.. W. 8. Cook, the banker, were
also active IN the attempts to get the
pardon that failed.
The papers on file in the Office of
the prison board at Frankfort, while
many IN number, do not make a strong
claim for Clark's parole. The paper
most to be relied on, and the one which
seems an impartial statement of the
facts in the case, neither soliciting nor
opposing the parole. is Judge ]. f.
Robbins, who tried the case and who
recently served as special judge in the
trial of Caleb Powers at Georgetown,
under appointment of Governor Beck
ham. The statement of Judge Rob
bins summarizes the evidence given at
the trial of Clark.
A friend of Captain Speight's said
that he had never declared that he re-
lied on Sam Norman to prove his
charge, but had said only that he could
prove it by good Democratic authori-
ty.