Cañon City record., 1903-12-31
MARK POWERS FREE
Received His Pardon From the
Penitentiary on Christmas
Day. Was the Oldest
Man on the Prison
Records

man on the Prison
Records
Mark Powers, under sentence of life
imprisonment for murder committed
in Montrose county in 1889, was liber-
ated from the penitentiary by Govern
or Peabody on Christmas day. Pow
ers has been punished enough. He
has been in prison fourteen years, and
during that time he has never been re-
ported once for violation OF the pris-
on rules. His age is nov seventy-one
years and l can see no reason for keep
ing him in the penitentiary any long
er."
Such was the comment Of Governor
Peabody in relationto the pardon of
the aged man, sentiment that will
receive the endorsement of every
charitable and humane citizen of the
state. Persistent efforts have been
made by the friends of Power to pro-
cure his release, especially by his two
daughters, who have suffered great
mental torture because their father in
fit Of anger, killed another man in q
dis, .,ute over water rights. These de-
voted women have stood by their
father year after year, and it was
mainly through their efforts and those
Of their friends that the pardon was
granted
Promptly at II 80 O'Clock Christmas
day, when the inmates OF the peniten-
tiary sat down to dinner, Warden
Cleghorn called for quiet in the big
prison dining room and announced that
the governor. following the usual GUS
tom, had issued pardon TO one Of
their number. Then he unfolded the
communication he had received from
the executive and began reading the
pardon. The utmost silence prevailed
and every prisoners heart beat high
with the hope that he would be the
lucky man, but all were doomed to dis
appointment save one Every ear was
strained to catch the words and just
before the warden reached tue name of
the one selected for the executive
cIemeney he paused momeutsriiy. and
then in a clear. resonant voice said,
Mark Powers"
The announcement dazed Mark
Powers and it was several seconds be-
fore he could fully realize that it was
true. He could not believe that his
walls, where his every move had been
closely watched for fourteen weary,
soul-tearing years were over The
white haired prisoner was too affected
TO speak, but when the pent-up sorrow.
disappointment and regret over years
spent in prison found expression in
teArs that flowed copiously, there were
few dry eyes any where in the room
Even Warden Cleghorn's eyes we're
dimmed as he realized the great Lappi-
ness his words had brought to ''Old
Mark" When the other convicts saw
the old man crying the disappointment
they at first felt when their own name
was not called, vanished. One man,
far in the evening of life, was again to
be free. They were happy for him.
Il am glad it's the old man," re-
marked one of the convict diners.
4
aloud BY every other prisoner, it was
nevertheless felt.
Powers left the prison Friday night
and it is understood that he will make
his home with his daughters in Denver.
When convicted Powers was sentenced
to death, but Governor Routt COM
muted il to life imprisonment. Pow
ers WAS formerly a Montrose county
ranchman. He and William Bair, .
neighbor, quArreled over water rights
in 1889. A hand-to-hand encounter
ensued and Powers pulled a gun and
killed Bair. He was convicted at q
time when the feeling against him was
intense. There were many extenuat-
ing circumstances in Powers behalf,