The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-10

Hearing President McKtnIey's Name, Was Turned Down Influence Versus Honor.
 When the state board of pardons met for its semi-annual session Decem- Der it was just twenty-five years to-day it will be just twenty-five years old. The first regular meeting of the board was held on the first Monday of December, 1883. in the supreme court room in the capitol. Twice year, for the past twenty years, it has been the duty Of the board to hear the cases of unfortunate mortals who have brought down upon themselves the vengeance of society, and who feel that they can bear it no longer. It has fallen upon , the board 70 give the decision which means so much to a prisoner-the deci- sion which either grants him the choic- est of earthly blessings-liberty-or dooms him to continuation of the dread confinement from which he has most humbly prayed for release.
 i During the past twenty years the number of pardons given has not been large. The records of the board, most of which are in the handwriting of for mer Governor George P. Mclean, who was secretary os the board for many years. shows that the words petition granted" appears only seldom in the written pages. It has been only on rare foy
 that the applicant for pardon has heard the words which tell him that
 once more he is a member of society, and that life is again worth living. On the other hand. in almost countless cases, the board has been in duty bound to turn deaf ear to the prisoner, un- derstanding fully his sorrow and grief when he finds that his last chance is gone, and returns to the tier of cells with des2air his companion, realizing the crushing meaning of the prison adage. ''Who enters here leaves hope behind.''
 The original board consisted of Cover nor Thomas M. Waller, Chief Justice John D. Parks, Dr. Francis Bacon, AL fred E. Burr. Morris W. Seymour, and Edward Harland. Of these gentlemen, three have served the full twenty years on the board. they being Morris w. Seymour. Dr. Francis Bacon and Ed ward Harland. Governor Walters con- nectfen with the board ceased when he retired from the office of governor, and the other two members, Alfred E. Burr and Chief Justice Parks, continued in office until a short time before their deaths. when they resigned. The places of the last two are now being filled by Hon. Ernest Cady of Hartford and Chief Justice David Torrance. Cover nor Chamberlain is ex-otficio member of the present board ,..s
 The original board held preliminary meeting for organization November Il, 1883. Governor Waller was chosen to preside. George P. Mclean, needless to say, was not then recognized as the flu ture. governor of Connecticut, but he was known to be a bright and ambitious young lawyer, and he was made the boards first secretary. Shortly before his election as governor he resigned, and Edward M Clay, a Hartford attor- ney, was appointed to succeed him.
 The first person to ask the board for pardon was John Costigan of Jew Haven, who was serving a short senS tence for minor offenses. The first par don granted was to Thomas Bowling, nfneteen-year-old lad, who was serv- ing time for horse stealing. The first murderer who petitioned the board was Robert Espry. Hartford county pris- o1ler, who killed his wife. The petition was refused, and Espry died in prison, Of the notable pardons given during the early existence of Of the board was granted February 6, 1884, to Julius Von Holenthal German count, who was reported to be wealthy, but who was guilty of forgery. At an adjourned hearing on June 2, 1884, John Dynes, who was associated with Oscar Graves in the murder oe the Burnside station agent, made his first application for a pardon, and he has applied at nearly every session since, but without success. The board has passed upon some cases which have attracted attention all over the state. among them being those Of John Warner. who has been forty-four years in Wethersfeld, and is one of the longest confined men in the world. Kate Cobb and her paramour, Wesley Bishop. who murdered their husband and wife respectively, and who have served twenty-four years to date; Charles Gilbert. second degree mur- derer. who has been confined thirty eight years to date; John Hawley, who has served thirty-five years for rape, and Frederick Hall, first degree mur- derer. .who has been a prisoner thirty years. .r ,..."
 The conditions which led to the ap- pointment of the board of pardons twenty years ago were remarkable. Up to 1883, the pardoning power was vested in the legislature, and politics were bound to creep in. "Log rolling" was often resorted to. the friends of one prisoner joining political forces with the friends of another, to form a combined influence strong enough to secure the release of both. Several attempts to take the power from the legislature and give 1t to board failed because of the strenuous opposition Of political work CTS and criminal lawyers. For long time matters grew steadily worse. Mur- derers had good chance Of having their sentences commuted to life impris- onment, and lie prisoners always had a show of getting off altogether, pro- Uidinp' thnir friends noI11d sora no m S,,f