The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-04-25
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DR.. BUSH PARDONED.

of Pardons, approved by Governor San
ders, DR.. Albert R. Bush has been lib
Grated from the State penitentiary. H
was sentenced to imprisonment for life
He had scarcely been iilcarcerated, thre
years ago, when there was begun tn,
effort to secure his pardon with a per
sistence which has eliminated in his re
lease with his full citizenship. The pie;
Tor his pardon was that his health wa
impaired and if not granted his freedom
he would die in the penitentiary
his pretext, III the face OF the fac
that he was sentenced for life is ridicu
Ious, and IS, IN a sense, reflection OF
discredit. but it has been exercised il
other cases, when men, with hands reek-
ing with the blood of their victims, as
sassinated. without an opportunity Of
defense, have been, as DR.. Bush, freed
turned loose on society. which is al
ways TOO preoccupied with its affairs tc
register and exercise the right of pro-
test against such outrage of justice.
On the day OH which Guice was MUIR
dered, DR.. Bush and his son, Madden
had been indulging in riotous spree
and, as if by some providential inter-
position, gentleman connected in bust
ness in this city, whose name it is UNI
necessary to mention, barely escaped
this distemper of DR.. Bush who crossed
the street, walked into the Serwich
lunch stand, then on Market street, and
without the least cause or provocation
assaulted Guice, who simply resisted in
the mildest manner, when Madden Bush
blazed away with his pistol and Guice
fell fatally shot,
The men were strangers.
Guice was at Serwich's to eat lunch
Being peaceably disposed and as he
sought to avoid Bush he was assassi-
mated without being given an opportun-
ity to defend himself.
Murder could not be more deliberate
nor eowardly.
After a tedious trial, with strong in
huences operating against the State and
with defense by several OF the most
prominent and ablest of attorneys, the
Jury convicted the murderers. Dr. Bush
was found guilty of murder without
capital punishment, and his son Madden,
then aged about twenty years, was held
for manslaughter Dr. Bush was sem
fenced to life imprisonment at hard
labor in the State penitentiary and his
son to twenty years, the limit of the
law.
For the information Of the public who
do not know, it may be explained that
the Board of Pardons comprise the
Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney Gen
eral and the Judge who tried the case
and sentenced the prisoners. As pre-
in1inary, signatures to petitions urging
pardon are secured 1t is essential that
the judge sitting at the trial shall join
in the plea for clemency In this case
Judge T. F. Bell signed, conditionally. !
He would ihtertose no Intervention to
pardon unless the health of Dr. Bush
was in such extreme condition, as was
represented to him, as would cause him
to die in the penitentiary.
As already remarked, this plea of dy-
ing in the pen is neither original nor
novel. 1t is hoary and hairy. Indeed,
it this rule we're applied generally in
the broad spirit of equity, hundreds of
prisoners who have died within the pen
itentiary walls would have been liberat-
ed, but this rule applies only to the fav
ored few, the few having influential
friends with political pull.
Will any sensible citizen of Shreve-
port or of the State not connected with
or interested in DR.. Bush, venture the
assertion that he would have been par
doned if he were of the ''po white
trash"1
Bear in mind that when this Board
Of Pardon liberated DR.. Bush, they de-
MED the plea of clemency of ]. T.
Measles and of S. B. Short, convicted
in Caddo. Measles, an ignorant white
man, having wife and several children,
As poor in purse as a church mouse is
Of frame, when sorely tempted yielded
and set fire to the Williams store at
Vivian, who is in the penitentiary, and
who expected to profit from the burn
ing.
Measles confessed and was convicted
Of arson and sentenced to seven years.
Whatever sympathy is aroused for I;
Measles was, through his wife and his
children who are dependent on the char
ty of neighbors.
And there, is Short. He did not as /
'assinate he did not murder, but in a
light he shot his antagonist, Howard,
who died from the wounds Short was
convicted Of nlanslaughter and is serv- /
ng Ave years in the pen. II
Il may be remarked in this connection i
ha1 reports Of Shorts health being inn t
Il II