Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-25
Gov vernon and Council
Hold August Meeting.
Hearing Held on Leroy French's
Petition for Pardon.
Chase Pardon Hearing Put Over
Until October.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 10 A. M.

Hon. Arthur S. Littlefield of Rock
land appeared before the Governor and
Council Tuesday in behalf of the par
dor, of Lee e. a. Tourney, better known
as Leroy E. French, an inmate of the
building for the criminal insane at Au-
susta, who was sentenced in 1904 to
term of IL years in the State prison
at Thomaston by the supreme judicial
court for Franklin county for highway
robbery. The case is an unique one in
this state in that a pardon is asked
for an insane criminal.
Attorney Littlefield told the story of
the crime of which French was con-
yicted which reads like a dime novel,
The story runs that French met man
by the name of Harlow of DiXfield at a
summer theater at Peaks Island, that
Harlow invited French to go on hunt
inc trip with him, that when they got
in the deep woods French at the point
of a revolver made Harlow give up all
the money which he had in his pos
session and also write check for $3.50
Then, the story runs, in fact that was
the testimony adduced at the trial, that
French drove with Harlow to the
COuHty JAN dl II lIlcIc
French posed as a United States Sc
crct service man and ordered that Har-
low be confined in the Jail, saying that
he was most desperate criminal
"The petitioners are not asking for
a pardon, STATED Attorney Littlefield,'
on the ground that French is innocent
of the crime but they claim that he
was insane at that time and is insane
now, in fact, hopelessly insane. And
there is no reason why the State should
support this man for an indefinite
period when he has property with
which he could maintain himself. We
do not want pardon for this man SO
that he may be able to get his liberty
but we want to, if possible, to relieve
the State of the burden of caring for
him."
Attorney Littlefield gave history
of Frcnch's life, stating that he left
his home in the State of Washington
and his people did not know his where
abouts until his brother located him
in the insane ward at the States pri-
son at Thomaston in 1907, three years
after the commission of the crime for
which he was committed to the insti-
tuition. His father has left the man,
who is now 80 years of age, property
to the amount of $4,000, which will
be sufficient to care for him for the
remainder of his life. A law passed
at the last session of the Legislature
provides that insane persons may be
instructed to the care of their rela-
tives under certain conditions.
DR.. BigelOw T. Sanborr, superntend-
ent of the Maine Insane hospital at
Augusta and DR.. II. w. Mitchell of
the Eastern Maine Insane hospital at
Bangor, testified that French was in
curably insane.
Hon. Cyrus n. Blanchard of Wilton,
county attorney of Franklin county,
strenuously opposed the pardon.
''While this man French hay have
had his eccentricities. said County
Attorney Blanchard. there was no
question of insanity raised at the trial
of the case. l was present at the
trial, although at that time | was not
the county attorney, and | do not re-
member of any action made to have
the man committed to hospital for
observation as regards to his sanity. If
you grant pardon to this man you
will open the door and any person con-
victed of murder who becomes insane
after he has been an inmate of the
States prison, can demand that he be
freed. The man is dangerous and |
am sure that almost every one in
Franklin county who knows anything
about the case is opposed to Frenchs
liberty at this time. You don't want