The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-04-29
ASK GOVERNOR TO
PARDON GLYNDON
Members Of the Parole Board Are
Touched by Plea.
AN AGED MAN TO BE FREED
Has Served Longer Than Any Other
Prisoner-Was Sentenced Thir-
ty-one Years Ago For
Murder.
AN AGED MAN TO Be FREED

Des Moines, Ia, April 2S.- When
the state board of parole meets May
it will ask Governor Carroll to grant
la pardon to William P. Glyndon, the
|white-haired old man who has served
in Fort Madison prison longer thar
any other man ever served in any
prison in the United States. At Least
this is the conviction of those who
have talked with it's members.
Every member of the board and all
others who have heard Glyndon's story
and talked to the old man at the pris
on are more deeply interested in his
case than any that has come to the
attention of prison officials in years
1T is practically assured that the old
man will be allowed to spend his twi
light days in the free air and II posi-.
BILE find his relatives in eastern Ohio.
He is now II years old.
In many ways Glyndon is a remark
able convict. The son of preacher
in eastern Ohio, he is proud of his
family and from the day of arrest, al
most thirty-two years ago, has never
breathed his real name. "Glyndon"
was assumed as a shield behind which
the family honor has been protected.
More Than Life Sentence.
A searching examination by Secre-
tary B. w. Garrett of the board of pa
role has failed to find trace of another
man who served as long as thirty-one
years in state prison in the United
States. According to the life tables
Glyndon's expectancy expired seven
years ago and he has already served
more than an ordinary life sentence.
But Glyndon's possible innocence is
the most remarkable and pathetic
feature of his case. Members of the
board suspect that there Is actually
considerable doubt. He was convicted
on circumstantial evidence OF murder
ing a l4-year-old girl on a country
road in Grundy county, just after the
country side had been aroused by a
series of outrages by gang OF railroad
workers, in 1878.
Glyndon was then 80 years old. He
was working with a threshing outfit,
and making canvass of farm houses
in the neighborhood when he passed
the girl toward evening. She was car
rying a heavy pillow lay over left shout
der and Glyndon at the trial admitted
meeting her and described the manner
in which the plow lay was carried.
The next morning the girls people,
named Martin found her body in a
corn field twenty-five rows back from
the road. Under her was the pillow
lay and the ground showed no signs
of scuffie. There were the foot
prints OF single pair of feet from the
road to the place where the body lay.
No bruises or cuts were found, and
the theory was that she had choked
to death. A criminal assault was
charged, but an examination showed
that this had not been accomplished
and failed to prove that it had been
attempted. .ca .. de-.
Glyndon was arrested the same day.
He made no effort to hide or leave the
county After his trial a mine owner
who had employed him for three years
thought enough of GIyndon to pay the
|expease of an appeal to the supreme
court.
Before the board of parole at Fort
Madison last week Glyndon said:
Swears He Is Innocent.
II realize, gentlemen, that only God
and myself know whether or not am
guilty. But (here the old man raised
his right hand). am willing to swear
on all the Bibles that you can bring
and would swear it on my death bed
DEATH"
Those who have visited him at the
prison say that Glyndon is one of the
most interesting and intelligent ole
men they ever talked to. His record
as prisoner is perfect, and every mar
about the prison is his trend. The
prison doctor is said to have worked
out theory that the girl with whose
murder he is charged died of heart dis
ease augmented by carrying the heavy
pillow lay. - ........ s.-... ... .... ...
Glyndon has saved about $1,000 ant
draws $12 a month pension from thu
government. He fought through tn,
civil war as a member of the Seventh
Ohio sharpshooters. Relatives in Obi,
think him dead and have never known
that he is a convict. HIS one grea
desire Is to be released before he die,
and to find his people in Ohio.