The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-24

mur of protest, notwithstanding the
fact that he was innocent of the crime
for which he was SO stoically paying
the toil-Alexander killen, with not
living relative and no place to lay
his head, will step from the Riverside
prison either this morning or tomor-
row a free man.
AS magical key to the peniten-
tiary doors. an order for the release
OF this patiently suffering man was
granted yesterday by the state board
of pardons, in session in Harrisburg.
Five or six years ago it was applied
FOR and i1atly refused. Again last Jam
uary another attempt was made, with
a rehearing as result, the final de-
cisicn coming yesterday.
Friends Did Not Desert.
When Killen, his head now gray,
hreathes freedom again he will stand
as rare type of the under dog" vet
loved by faithful friends. A quintet
OF men, Attorney Rody p. Marshall,
Roger O'Mara. John Harris, NJ. F.
Hughes and John Newell, aided in
their labors by Bishop j. +. Regis
Canevin. have never ceased in their
efforts 10 free their friend OF earlier
days.
Alexander Killen is another of the
many victims OF circumstantial evil
dence. First sentenced to be hanged
for the murder of Mrs. Paul Rupert,
wife of a Tarentum jeweler on the
night of December %, 1900, Killen's
sentence was commuted to life I'M
prisonment in October, 1891, when
his actual guilt was reduced to that
OF receiving stolen goods. For that
offense the best portion CT his life has
been wasted while the three men who
were the real murderers have vanish
ed.
Christmas shoppers filled the
streets of Tarentum on the night of
December %, 1890. Unmindful of the
crowds three men-two of whom were
later known to be Shine" and Gold
en-, notorious thieves-smashed the
glass of display window in the Ru-
pert store and began drawing out
iewelry So bold was the robbery
that pedestrians did not interfere.
The Tarentum Tragedy.
Rupert and his wife ran to the
- O'iS VI eiS otOlS anu dlluOSG dI IllS
same instant revolver shot rang out
and the woman fell to the floor with
a bullet through her heart. Death
followed almost instantly.
All the time killen. who had rented
the trio skiff. sat smoking his pipe
in his unpretentious boathouse across
the river OH the Westmoreland county
side. The fleeing criminals hurroedly
rowed across the stream. returned
the boat. and in lieu of cash handed
over about S. worth of jewelry. An
hour later Constable Harry Mateer of
Tarentum. now dead, arrested killen,
who submitted without a struggle.
He later give the officers the clew as
to the location of the jewelry which
the escaping trio had hidden.
The actual murderers when hurry
ing past the outskirts of Braddock
We're espied by officers and running
fight ensued. the trio escaping.
When placed Cn trial killen was
convicted in comparatively short Or
der. although not a scrap of positive
evidence was presented against him.
He was ably defended by the late At
torney NJ. Marshall. .Tr.. while the
prosecution was handled by District
Attorney Richard Johnston, assisted
by the present Superior Court Judge
w. d. Porter. Judge Christopher
Magee. now retired and residing in
Sewiclyle. presided.
Trial Judge Relaxes.
Although frequently importuned to
recommend pardon for the long suf-
fering killen the former Judge held
firm until few days ago. when he
wrote ont for Attorney Rody p. Mar
shall his sanction OF the order for re-
lease.
Killen was in his cell Yesterday af-
ternoon when the glad tiding were
borne to him by Warden Johnston.
He looked rather skeptically at the
warden for a moment. then his eyes,
dulled by long confinement. suddenly
took on a strange luster. The almost
impenetrable barrier of reserve built
for nineteen years about this man
seemed to tctter as he cholled to the
very brim with emotion and the eyes
grew moist. Still concentrating his
gaze on the warden, the overioyed
convict-"No. 9726"-finally blurted
out:
Why. I'll he able to see a real troll
ley car, won't I?'
Then he thanked the prison eXecu-
tive. filled up again with sheer delight
The warden turned and walked away,
himself fighting back the tear drops