The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-01-15
Case Of Murderers Of Harry Krier Be.
fore the Pardon Board.
Judge Start Says Hanging Of Boys
Will Not Stop Crime.
Former Lieutenant Governor Gibbs
Speaks in Their Behalf.
Attorney for the Defendants Puts Forth
a Strong Argument.
From Tuesdays Daily.

IF these boys are guilty, it is by rea-
son of their education and environment;
it is by reason of the evil influences
which have surrounded them that they
have become murderers. And the respon-
sibility rests upon the very officers who
came here to urge the enforcement of the
extreme penalty-the death sentence"
Senator Lords voice trembled with
emotion as he delivered the accusing
words above quoted. He addressed the
state board of pardons, and spoke in re-
ply to an argument of s. T. Littleton,
county attorney of Steele, in support
of the verdict and sentence in the case
of Henry and Charles Nelson, condemned
to hang for the murder of Henry Krier,
of Owatonna.
The Nelson case occupied practically
the entire attention of the board of par
dons yesterday, and nearly the whole
afternoon was given to argument in sup
port of the petition for Communication of
sentence.
Senator Samuel Lord, of Kasson, who
defended the Nelson's in their trial, ap-
peared in their belief. A. G. Nelson, of
Owatonna, father of the petitioners, was
present, accompanied by an elder SON,
and both listened attentively to the pro-
ceedings; but beyond few words spok-
en- by the father, neither took active
part. S. T. Littleton, couHty attorney of
Steele county, represented the state.
This case was taken up almost i'm
mediately after the board assembled at
2 o'clock and Senator Lord in presenting
the petitions made an argument that
lasted more than two hours. Senator
Lord stated to the board that since SUIT
ton had been committed to the peniten-
tiary he had twice visited the institution
with an interval of about a week, He
said that on both of those occasions
while he and Warden Wolfer sat in SUIT
toms cell Sutton had wept and declared
that everything he testified to on the
stand was untrue.
He said that Warden Wolfer would
willingly come before the board at any
time to tell of the statements he had
heard Sutton make as to the falsity of
his testimony in the trial.
John L. Gibbs, former lieutenant gov
ernor, and at different times railroad
commissioner and county attorney of
Freedom county, spoke on hebalf of the
Nelson boys, and explained to the board
that he did so voluntarily and because
he believed it to be his duty to do so.
He said that he had paid his own ex-
penses to come to St. Paul for this pur-
pose, and had not informed Senator Lord
of his purpose
County Attorney Littleton spoke
briefly, but in positive terms. He said
that he did not believe there had ever
been in the history Of the courts of
Minnesota more intelligent jury than
the one that had tried this case. He
would have given his salary for the
whole year if he had not been county at
torney when this case was to be tried,
but he could not conscientiously favor
any Communication of sentence.
Hanging boys for murder does not
stop other boys from committing MUIR
DER" said Chief Justice Start and Mr..
Littleton replied:
mo, even hanging does not stop them
so what could we expect to accomplish
by imprisoning them for ife?"
''Would it not be better" said Judge
Start, "to stop forever the dens where
their feet are first turned toward hell
from keeping open in consideration OF
a miserable monthly stipend called a
fine? Would it not be infinitely better
and cheaper to look after our boys and
protect them than to hang them after.
ward ?"-St. Paul Globe