Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-03-22
THREE PARDON CASES
Gov. Proctor Heard Pleas Of
Counsel in BrattIeboro Friday
Seaman L. WltherelI Of Grafton Has Com
pIeted 10 Years Of 10 for Which He Was
sentenced-clalm in Behalf Of W. c.
Thomas Of Chester.


pIeted 10 Years Of 10 for Which He Was
sentenced-clalm in Behalf Of w. c.
Thomas Of Chester.
Petitions for the pardon OF three con-
victs now serving out their sentences in
the state prison at Windsor were pre-
sented to GOV. Fletcher ID. Proctor al
hearing held in the Brooks House last
Friday morning. The attorneys repre-
senting the convicts stated the grounds
on which pardons were sought and
various witnesses testified as TO facts in
the cases which would tend to extenuate
the offences. Gov, Proctor received all
papers bearing on the cases and took
them under advisement
The most notorious of the cases was
that Of Seaman L. Witherell of Grafton
who has served 10 years with time
gained for good behavior) OF sentence
Of Is and three years for statutory often
ces. He was represented by Gilbert a.
Davis of Windsor. The grounds on which
pardon was sought was that he had been
punished enough already and that his
health is very poor Superintendent w.
S. Lowell and DR.. Richmond of the state
prison testified as to the poor health Of
the prisoner and his exemplary con-
duct in prison. The strongest plea for
pardon was letter from Charles H.
Robb, states attorney at the time With
erell was convicted and now judge Of
the court of appeals in Washington, d.
c. The letter said that the prisoner had
been punished enough. At the time OF
the conviction he was willing to accept
a plea Of guilty and a sentence of five
years 1t was also brought out that the
girl who brought one of the charges
against him had since admitted that her
testimony was false. To back up these
a large petition, with many signers from
shend, Winhall and Jamaica, asking for a
pardon, was presented. Among the sign
ers were Assistant Judge Frank Worden
of Halifax, one of the judges at the time
Witherell was sentenced, Senators j. II.
Ware of Townshend and c. S. Chase of
Nottingham and the late John II. Merri-
field j. S. Martin of Newfane made
statement that Mr. Bush of Brookline,
one of the jurymen who found Witherell
guy said that the punishment had
been severe enough already. 1t was
brought out that the relatives of the man
were ready to give him a home and fur
nish him with honorable employment II
released Witherell is So years old and
is broken down with rheumatism and
other ills, due in large measure to his
long confinement.
Pardon was asked for George o. Jar
Wis Of Barre on the. ground that he would
become insane II left in prison longer.
Inc oHence on Wnlch ne was convicted
was assaulting a girl and afterwards
tying her on a railroad track where
the next train would run over her.
He was sentenced TO 20 years imprisen-
ment and has served 16. AS some time
was to be taken off the sentence he has
about two years more to serve. Supt
Lowell testified that Jarvis had been
placed in an insane asylum for seven
years and IL months of his sentence and
he believed that he was about to be-
come insane again. His conduct has not
been good in prison and punishment has
been melted out to him six times He is
about 40 years old and unmarried. He
was represented by B. E. Cole Of Wind
sor.
The pardon Of viii c. Thomas of Ches-
ter was asked for on account of his fam
lily, Last December he was sentenced to
not less than two or not more than three
years at hard labor on conviction on a
charge of committing an offence against
chastity and morality He pleaded guilty
Attorney G. L. Fletcher Of Chester who
represented him testified that u. r. Buck.
states attorne, WisSham county,