Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-31
STATE HOUSE.
Meeting Of Governor and
Council, Friday.
BarroWs Pardon Case Will Be
Given a Hearing. Jan. 10.
Program for Legislative Opening
Monday Evenings Banquet.

ld'C'Dt'iitc Oh reports. ana 10 the nnal
| dosing no of the term. The Council
will be- in session. today, and until the
close CT the Year.
| one matter which clrle up for tn.
| consideration of the Council was the
| assignment of the late f., a hearing
on petition for the pardon Of Mrs
Mary Barr"ws Of kittcIy. who is serv-
! ing a life sentence ut tho State prison
ut Thoinaston. for the Elurle. Of her
husband. The hearing vii, be held on
"Wednesday, Jan. Is. 1905. at O'Clock in
| the afternoon.
In connection with the case, Governor
| Hill has received the following letter
from Elizab"t Akers Of Tuckahoe. n
| y, formerly of Portland.
| ITO the Governor of Maize:
| Dear Sir-May 7 ask you to hear "A
| few words in behalf of woman whom
| ! believe to have been deeply WrOnged
and. by years OF unjust suffering for a
Grim" that she never either planned or
committed. entitled to your clemency
] refer to Mrs. Mary Barrows. who. as
/ see by the papers from: my native
state. has again applied to you for a
| pardon. I think l addressed you once
before on this subject. hut in vain. 1
hope for better success on the present
| occasion.
| Il was on the editor ial staff of a
Maine daily at the time Of Mrs. Bar
| rows trial. and / followed the proceed
| ingS and tho evidence with the greatest
| attention. ET"n the prosecuting attor-
ncy did not pretend, III the time. that
| Mrs. Iarr0ws either planned or execut-
| ed the murder Of the :riScIeant whom
| she had mistakenly Marie d-who had
wasted her property broken up he,
home. ruined her happiness and utter
Ply spelled her life. II was Conclusively
proved that at the time Of the murder
she was not even armed hut was run
| Ming t" escape her husband. who was
| pursuing her with an AK determined
to kill her: in her terror. she screamed
to her S"n-in-law. If you don't shoot
him. he will kill US all"
| 1T is a disgrace TO the State Of Maine
that she was sentenced to death simply
for uttering those 10 words when She
was in immediate danger OF death al
the hands Of the drunk ~ wretch who
had kept her in terror nearly eyer sine.
sh" was foolish enough to believe hi:
fair promise and marry him. In NJ
other state in the union. 50 far as
know. is snlf-defence punished by tho
death penalty.
Mrs. HarrpwS AMI her Son-in-i "
(who did the actual shooting) were
both sentenced tn death. she for utter
ing those 10 words, AMI ne for protect
ing bis wife and mo.her-in-law from
the fury Of half-dr'rnk"n savage who
,.if. ,lx- Loco In co.. h. ".
sentence Of the son-in-law was soor
after committed to irpiis onment fol
life, while Mrs Barrows still lay under
sentence Of death. Ani so the uninu.
spectacle was presented Of a woman
l sentenced to death for a crime which
she neither planned nor executed. while
the man who actually committed tn.
murder was repricved for a lifetime
1T has always renamed in my mint
as one of the most absurd legal ar
Engagements that l ever heard or reat
Of and one of the cruelest of Maine
most unjust rulings against woman.
recall that while | lived in the state
wretch named Tcnney, | believe in An
droscoggin county. a haIf-paralizet
man who was tended like a child by hi
faithful old wife. called her to his bed
sid" on some pretext and actual!
s-ranglcd the feeble woman with hi
two hands: and nothing was done t
punish him. because 1t was said. n
was over 70 years aid and would di
soon Anyway
1T strikes me that a man who
Young enough to choke his wife t
death by the mere grip of his hands. !
quite young enough to be hanged for II
Again. in Thomaston prison. today
| unless he has lately died-there is a
nj unnatural wretch who not only kilie
the mother who gave him life. bu
n chopped her to pieces with an ak. RI
was only sentenced to Imprisonment
and has probably lived more comfort
ably in prison and been better cared 10
than he ever would have been by hi
own exertions outside. I know OF
good reason why women shouid
more severely punished than men &c
the same and lesser crimes.
Eat the time of Mrs. Barrow's cor
viction and death sentence / tried har
to awaken some feeling in her behal
and at last succeeded in enlisting IN
sympathies Of good and just man. on
of the most scholarly and clear-heade
men in the State and between us
paid the expense OF procuring II
nearing for Mrs. Barrows whereby M
sentence was COMMITTED to life in
prisonment. This was all I could az
complish for her at the time, and wa
unable to follow up the matter person
ally. being called out of the State.
have never lived in Maine since
.But have never forgotten that POI
victim of a wicked man who deceiV'
her into marrying him. simply to re
and abuse and ruin her. think na'
written to every Governor who n;
since held the Office and l shall new
cease to plead for her as long as ca
write. although the poor woman 90
not know that am in existence al
F. probably never heard who interced'
" for her in the matter OF the rehearin
II pray that you will do this po
. woman the tardy justice Of aiiowil
= her TO end her wretched days tin
cannot be many outside the shamei
IN. NJ an ,,ndeserved prison. Most I