Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-03
Governor and Council In
Session Thursday.
Wilbur ". Crafts Of Lynn,
Mass, Granted a Pardon.
Mcintosh Pardon Matter Goes Over
to Next Meeting.

The regular monthly meeting Of the
Governor and Council was held Thurs
day and a large amount of routine
business was transacted All the
nominations made by Governor Cobb 4
week ago We're confirmed. including
that of Hon. George +. Bird Of Port
land as an associate justice of the
supreme judicial court [" fill the va
Cancy caused by the retirement of AS
sociatc Justice Sewau &. Strout Of
Portland. Justice Bird Viii not, how
ever, qualify until April IL, the date of
the expiration of Justice Strout's term
of seven years.
\ petition for the pardon of Edward
ST Pierre Of Lewiston was received
and q hearing on the matter was as
signed for the neHt meeting Of the
Governor and Council. st. Pierre was
sentenced az the January term of the
supreme judicia! court for hndroscog-
gin county in 1903 to the States prison
at ThomaSto9 on two indictments for
robbery. receiving fly" years on each
Indictment. In his plea for executive
clcmcncy 81. Pierre represents that
the sentences awarded against him
were TOO severe under the circum-
stances that thcre are other eXtenuat-
ing circumstances. Tho petition fur
thcr represents that it is consistent
with justice THAT q pardon be granted
him. Louis J. E"ann Of Lewis
ton appears as counsel for the petit
toner.
The petition for the pardon Ct George
r. Nashburn OF Madison was with
Il 10,
tcnce in the Somerset county Jail at
SkoWhcgan for an infractiOn of the
prohibitory liquor law.
The petition for the pardon of Will
liam Mcintosh of Cary Plantation was
postponed until the next meeting of
the Governor and Council at the re-
quest of Hon. Ransford w. Shaw of
Houlton. counsel for the petitioner.
Mcintosh is serving a sentence Of three
years in the States prison at Thomas
ton for an assault on his wife.
In executive session the Council vot
ed to pardon Wilbur NJ. Crafts of
Lynn, Mass, who is serving a sentence
of so days in the PenobScot county Jail
at Bangor for Vagrancy, he having
been committed from the Calais NUM-
cipal court Crafts, who held a fine
position at Lynn, met with hard luck
down Calais way, became financially
embarrassed and finally landed in jail.
There was no opposition to his pardon
and Judge Fowler of the Calais NUM-
cipal court. who sentenced Crafts,
wrote a letter to Governor Cobb in
which he favored executive clemency.
judge FOWler'S letter is As follows:
In the matter of the pardon of Try
ing NJ Crafts now in Penobscot county
work Jail. will say that l have been
in correspondence with his friends in
Massachusetts and am satisfied from
their statements that clemcncy in the
form of a pardon would be well be-
slowed in his case. 1t seems that the
unfortunate position in which ne was
found here was more the result of mis-
fortune than intention and had he dis
closed the circumstances he would
probably have been discharged on his
own statement | am heartily in favor
of a pardon and have 50 notified our
county attorney"
Clement B. Donworth of MachaS.
county attorney Of Washington coun-
ty, wrote Governor Cobb as follows:
Il have discussed the case Of Irving
NJ. Crafts quite fully with Judge
Fowler and | am satisfied that the
State ought not to interposc any OBJ
lection to the exercise of executive
clcmcncy, and I shall therefore not
appear.
The meeting WAS adjourned in the
be held at 10 A. NJ, Tuesday, April %.