Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-01
EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY
PARDON CASES ACTED ON BY THE
PRESIDENT.
Seven Applications Denied and Six
Men Received Communication
Of Their Sentences.

The President has denied seven appica-
lions for executive clemency and has ex-
ercised clemency in six cases, as follows:
He has pardoned Dwight J. Carpenter,
who was convicted in Minnesota of attempt
ing to pass forged postal money orders, and
sentenced on January 16, 1902, to mprison-
ment for two and one-half years in the
Minnesota state prison. The district at
torney and judge reported that the prisoner
had nothing to do with the forging of the
money orders and always claimed that he
did not know their fraudulent chara cter.
They believe that there is some doubt as
to his guilty intent. They also reported
that he had very materially assisted the
government officers in ferreting out and
ccnvlcting the really guilty persons, and
recommended pardon. The Attorney Gen
eral concurred with them, and advised a
pardon to take effect April 1.
He also pardoned w. A. Walker. convict
ed In the northern district Of Georgia of
embezzlement of postal funds while post
master. and sentenced on December 3 1902.
to pay fine and to be imprisoned for six
months in jail After the sentence was i'm
posed the court suspended it's execution UNI
til the May term, 1903, in order to permit
the defendant to apply for a pardon, TO
the reason that the court officials believe
from facts which came out subsequent to
the trial that the defendant had nothing to
do with the loss of the money which oc-
Cured at the time of the fire. Nine of the
jurors signed statements to the effect that
they would not have found the prisoner
guilty had they known the facts as they
have since developed. The Attorney Cen
eral recommended a full and unconditional
pardon, which the President granted.
He has also COMMITTED to expire April 1
the sentence of Joseph Nichols, convicted
in the northern district of Illinois Of coun-
terfeting and sentenced to imprisonne t
N in iail frnr Tnlx
pardon Is recommended by the various Of
ficials because of the serious Ill health Of
the prisoner and because number of rep
utable physicians have certified that If he
be compelled to serve out the remainder CT
his sentence it would probably result in
insanity and a complete physical break
down.
He has committed to expire April /, 1903,
the sentence of Murray McHaney, who
pleaded guilty in the southern district OF
Illinois to passing counterfeit money, and
was sentenced on January ii. 1907, to i'm
prisonment for three years. The Attorney
General concurred with the district attor-
ney and judge in believing that on account
of the facts in this case the sentence i'm
posed was excessive.
He has also RENTED the forfeiture Of
recognizance in the case of John Williams
a defendant in the Police Court, William
F. Mattingly being the surety. Williams
defaulted, and it appears from the report
of the district attorney that the surety
made every effort to arrest the defendant
The district attorney recommended the re-
mission on payment of costs, and the At
torney General concurred in this recon-
men ton.
He has also committed to expire today the
sentence of Edward Grant. alias Edward
Guerrant who was convicted before Henry
c. Mcdowell, United States district judge
for the western district of Virginia, for
contempt of court, and sentenced on Octo-
Der 9, 1902. to imprisonment for eight
months in the Washington county jail at
Abingdon. The facts are briefly that Grant
was a labor organizer of the United Mine
Workers. and was adjudged by the court
guilty of contempt in disobeying an order
of the court by endeavoring to interfere
with and intimidate employees in one OF the
coal mines. The Attorney General recon-
mended a Communication on the ground chat
the punishment of eight months impris-
onment was excessive.