Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-22

Ex-Governor and Council in eXecr-
tive session late Tuesday afternoon
voted to grant Il pardon to Edward A.
Chase, who is serving 4 life sentence
in the state prison at 'Thomaston for
the murder of Mrs. Lila Stevens of Gar.
diner in TIE railroad station at Portland
in 1885 Chase applied six times fer ex>
ecutiVc clcmcncy. The petition for the
pardon uf Arthur G. Randall, Wno is
serving Il s sentence of four years in the
state prison for assault and battery
ana robbery from the person in a mill
ward at Lewiston was tabled. The Coun-
oil adjourned to meet Dec. so at 4
T. NJ.
Hon. D. ]. McGillicuddy of lewiston
appeared as counsel for Chase and ar
gued that Chase. when he fired the
shot which killed Mrs. Stevens. com.
mitted an insane act for which he
should rot be held legally or morally
responsible; that Chase should not
have been convicted of a higher crime
than manslaughtnr and that an injus-
tce had been done in the severity of
the punishment meted out to him
DR.. Bgelow Il. Sanborn of Augusta.
superintendent of the Maine Insane
hospital. testified that in his belief Ed
ward a. Chase, when he committed the
act, was insane, suffering from mel
ancholia. He stated in response to a
question by Councillor Cunningham
that he considered that Chase would
now be safe to be at large and said
that if Chase had been under his
charge at the Insane hospital he would
have released HIM 10 years ago.
Rev. w. .. Holman Of Rcckland
spoke for the pardon of Chase, saying
that he believed that the cause of JUS
ticn would be served by Chasos lib
Grafton. Mrs. Knapp of Livermore. the
mother of Chase. spoke earnestly for
the freedom of her son. Attorney Mo.
GilIicuddy READ letters asking for
Chase's pardon from United State.
Senator William p. Frye, IIX-Congress-
man Charles e. Littleield and En-
Governors Henry r. Cleaves of Port
land and William y. Cobb of Rock
land.
Mayor ]. T.. Ladd of Gardiner, the
father OF the murdered woman. Mrs.
Ida Stevens. appeared in opposition t"
the granting Of the pardon. saying
that if the state prison had made sd
ward A Chase the angelic person that
~ he was claimed TO be- the prison was
n good place for him. f.. +. Ladd Of
Gardiner, brother of the murdered
woman, also opr osed the pardon.
claiming that he feared 'or the safety
of his family if Chase was ever re-
leased from prison.
.. Hon. George w H"~elton Of Gardi-
" ner appeared as counsel for the petit
toners of Arthur G.. Randall. RanGalrs
wife and chilurcn were present at the
hearing. Attorney Hesclton argued that
Randall has paid the penalty of his
crime and that he ought to be freed TO
support his wife and children. Mrs.
Randall testified that she was obliged
to work to support herself and her
children although she was not in the
best of health.
Rev. Ivan &. Fcrtin. rector of Trim
itv church of Lewiston. also spoke In
favor of the petition for pardon. Hon.
Frank a. Morey of Lewiston, county
attorney for Androscoggin county, ap-
peared in opposition to the granting
of the parGon and said it was not due
to Randall that the crime was not a
murder instead Of assault and battery
Judge William II. Newell of Lewiston
made strong plea for Randalfs par
don for the sake Of his wife and chill
Gren.
special meeting % the state Board