Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-12
A Good Deal of Nonsense Has
Been Printed in Connection
With Them
BY THE COMMITTEE
Strong Appeal Will Be Made For Glenn
ency in the Case Of Louis Busse,
Condemned to the GaIlows-Weems
Case an Interesting Ono = Other
Cases in Legislature.
pecial to Times-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March PA good deal
OF nonsense has been printed here os-
tensibly about the pardon cases be-
fore the legislature. 1t is not usual for
the committees to report on these UNI
til late in the session, and the commit
tees have been so occupied with other
work that very little attention has been
given pardon matters. Most legislators
look upon the pardon work as some
thing which by right ought not to come
before the assembly, and they are slow
to take hold of 1t. But the assump-
ton that it has been decided that this
year is all guess work, for no decision
has been reached, either in committees
or in the legislature, as to any of the
cases. This week regular hearings will
be commenced on Thursday, and there
will be hearings of the committees
each day, at 4 p. M, until all are con-
sidered. When all hearings have been
had the committees will decide.
The last Of the cases to be heard will
be those in which two men are under
sentence of death for April 20. In the
case Of Louis Busse, it is expected that
Mr.. Dawson, of Waverly, will make
very strong plea for clemency for his
client He presented strong case to
the supreme court, but the grounds
were hardly such as to permit a rever-
r>pt 1,o .a{ n ANTI. vl
so strong that undoubtedly the case
will cause much discussion among
members of the legislature. Whether
there will be any effort made to save
the colored man, Joseph Smith, from
the gallows, is not known.
One of the most interesting cases be-
fore the committee, but which has not
yet been considered. is that of George
Weems, of Polk county. In this case
there is an abundance of new evidence
and some startling facts to be brought
out. and his friends believe that they
will convince the legislature that there
is now, in view of this evidence, rea
sonable doubt as to the guilt of the
man.
The case of Ormand Mcpherson. Of
Louisa county, is again before the
committees, and this is one which will
command much support. from the fact
that good many believe the prisoner
ought to have been convicted only of
The case Of Alexander Storms, of
Des Moines county, will be strongly
presented. He was convicted of MUIR 4
dering two women who We're found
dead in their homes in Burlington.
Storms was said to have been the last
person seen there. but it was nearly a
week before they We're found dead. In
his behalf it is contended that there
was popular cutlery against him suffi-
cient to make a just verdict impossi-
BILE
In the case of j. B. Taylor, of Clin-
ton county, the chief argument is that
his more than twenty-six years in pris-
on is sufficient; and this is substan-
TALLY the whole argument for Thomas
Watson, of Mills county, who has
served twenty-five years.
In nearly all these cases there will
be persons interested who will appear
in person and speak for pardons. Just
what the evidence is and what the arr
gument. cannot be known until after
these hearings. 1t will not be at all |
surprising If there are three or four
pardons recommended, but certainly |
not all of those who have applied will
receive clemency