Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-10
apply FOR PARD0NS
Legislature to Be Asked to
Grant Parole to Many Now
Serving Time
INFLUENCE OF ELklNs PARDON
Wesley EIkins' Conduct Meeting Ex-
pectstions Of Those Who Urged His
Release and This Fact Will Make
II Easier for Other Worthy Persons
to Secure Hearing.
Special to Tlmes-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Nov. 10.-The number OF
applications for legislative approval
of pardons from the penitentiaries OF
the state will be as large this year as
in the past. Two years ago the iegis-
lators were criticised for the alleged
freedom with which they granted par
dons to life terIners in the peniten-
tiaries. A half dozen we're granted and
three or four refused The Elkins case
was the most interesting and caused
the greatest discussion. The resolution
to authorize pardon of Wesley Elkins
was first lost in the house by vote OF
46 to 4T. A motion to reconsider was
adopted and a few days after the
resolution was passed by vote of As
to 35. the house concurring in senate
resolution which had first been passed
The vote on the Elkins case showed
pretty clearly how the house stood In
regard to pardons. OF those who on the
final passage voted for the pardon OF
Elkins, fifteen have been elected and
will be in the next house, namely Cal
derwood. Garden. Coburn. Freeman
Erudden. Head. Kendall King. Nc
Me, Robinson. Teachout, Temple
Whiting and Wise. OF those who vot-
ed against the pardon of Elkins these
We're reelected: Bailey. Buchanan,
Cheney. Christianson, Clarke. Colclo
English. Flenniken. Langan, Leech
Mates and Springer. The fact that
the Elkins pardon has turned out well
and that the young man is meeting
fully the expectations of the men who
urged his release frcm prison, will go
far toward making 1t easier for worthy
persons to secure hearing at the
hands OF the future legislators. The
Others pardoned from the penitentiary
by the last legislature have also done
we'll and no one OF the number has
gone wrong so far as known. The
coming Legislature will be asked to
grant parole to number. Their no.
tees of intent to ask pardons must be
published now very soon. and all must
be started within the next week to
meet the requirements OF the law. Mo-
tice Is given in the county from which
the convict was sentenced and also in
a newspaper at the state capital.
Three who applied to the last legis-
lature have already decided upon ap-
plying to the coming legislature for
pardon. Both were turned down the
last time. Betsy Smith, a notorious
character from Polk county, who was
given life sentence for murder Of her
husband. will ask for pardon again.
After she had been in the penitentiary
a few years and her daughter was also
doing time the latter confessed that
she alone was instrumental In the mur-
der The daughter then ate concoc
ton Of spiders in her cell and ended
her career. TIE friends of Mrs.
Smith believe that she was innocent of
the crime. But the fact that she is
such hardened character is much
against her. William Tool, Of Sac
county. who is doing time for a murder
in 1884, will apply again.
He might have been pardoned by the
last legislature but his health was very
poor and he had no friends who would
care for him and the pardon commit
tee thought the state could care for
him about a. well in the penitentiary
as in a noor house Thomas Watson.
of Mills county, sentenced In 1884 when
he was "a years old, will ask for par
don. The last legislature refused this.
r. P Watkins, of Monona county will
ask for pardon. He is utterly helpless
and harmless. as he is completely par
alyzed. .Ie may not live until the leg
islature can act on his case. L. r.
Van Tassel, who was sent from Chick
asaw county in 1896, wants pardon. He
was &c years old when sentenced.
Frank Hall, Of Pottawattamie county,
will apply for pardon. He was sem
tenced March &c. 1891. G, A. Williams.
of Union county. who was sentenced
April 10, 1900. is ready for a pardon.
Clarence Mills, OF Davis county, who
has been in the prison since September
81, 1891, is asking for pardon. John
G. Steel, of Monroe county, Is ready for
pardon. He was sentenced Sept. 21,
1897. when he was 5S years old. 1t Is
learned that William p. Glyndon. who
was first convicted in Story county,
then got new trial and was sentenced
from Hardin county Will ask
for pardon. A convict named McPher-
son, from Louisa county, is also con-
the matter of asking pardon,
but has not done so as yet.
An interesting case was disposed of
at the last term of the supreme court.
There had been hanging on the dockets
Of the supreme court the appeal in the
case of the State VS.. Lucy Foster. from
xossuth county, a conviction for at
tempted murder or conspiracy to mur
der, or something OF that sort. The
appeal had been carried along on the
iockets for several years and 1t the
last term the attorney general asked
that 1t be dropped, which was done. but
with the understanding that it might
be taken up again. This is a case in
which the woman in the case was con-
victed of having plotted with man
to get her husband out of the way. Gov.
Shaw paroled the woman. 1t was rep
that the husband whose life
was sought desired the parole and an
agreement had been entered into by