The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-21
FATE Of THORNE 9
NOW IN BALANCE
Youthful Murderer Asks Board
of PardOns to Commute
Sentence.
HIS EXECUTION Is SET
FOR NINTH OF SEPTEMBER
Still Insists That the Murder
of Fassell Was an
Accident.

The fate Of Harry Thorne. the youth
full murderer Of George w. Fassell,
grocer on East Fourth South street, Is
now in the hands of the state board
of pardons and will not be finally de-
termincd by the board until September
8, Just six days before the date set for
his execution for the crime for which
he was convicted by jury in the dis
trict court recently Thorne was SEN
fenced by Judge Lewis to be executed
on September and made final ap-
peal to the board Of pardons on Satur
day to have his sentence commuted 10
life Imprisonment, The board took the
matter under advisement until Septem'
Der 3, when a special meeting Will he
held to finally determine the applica~
tion for clemency.
Thorne appeared before the board
personally and was questioned at con
siderable length by the members of the
board as to his past life and his con
nection with the crime OF which he
stands convicted and condemned. He
told the same story as when on the, wit,
ness stand during his trial and declared
that the shooting was merely accidental
and that he had no intention whatever
of shooting Fessell, He said that he
was poking Fassell in the ribs with the
EuH W lhihc nun Gtb pSHANA
counter while his Fpals' were rob
bing the cash register. when the gun
was accidentally discharged and Fassell
fell TO the floor and died within a few
minutes.
Attorney J. M. Denny, who defended
Thorne, made a lengthy appeal to the
board In behalf of the condemned
youth and asked the board TO grant the
application for commutatlon. Mr.,
Denny laid great stress on the youth
of the condemned man and also upon
the fact that the shooting was acci-
dental
District Attorney Loofbourow, who
prosecuted Thorne, made a brief talk
in which he opposed the application for
commutation of sentence. Sheriff Jos
eph c. Sharp also appeared before the
board and answered a number of Ques-
tions relative to Thorne s conduct while
in his charge at the county Jail The
board considered the application in
executive session and postponed final
action until September 3.
Riley Will Make Fight.
James Riley, who was with Thorne
in robbing the FasselI store and who
was also convicted of murder i'll the
first degree and sentenced to death, has
appealed his case to the supreme court
and will make fight before that trib
unal for his life. His case will probably
he heard by the supreme court in Feb
ruary and If he IS unsuccessful in his
appeal he will no doubt ask the state
board Of pardons TO commute his sen
tence. The murder of Fassell occurred
on March 26 last, while Thorne, Riley
and man known as "Curley' Nor
| gan were robbing the Fassell store.
Morgan escaped and has never been
captured,
Count Henry Milhousen, who is
under sentence of twenty years in the
state prison for a number OF burglarics
in this county, will be granted a com
mutation of sentence to take effect at
once provided the United States iml-
grafton officers will deport him and
take him back to Germany where he is
said to have criminal record IT is
understood that Immigration Inspector
j. c. Hise will leave with NIilhousen on
Tuesday and he will embark at New
York for hls native land. Milhousen
pleaded guilty to number of bur
glarles and was sentenced by Judge
Lewis of the third district court Jan
uary 10 to serve twenty years. He had
been In the United States less than
three years hence came under the immi-
grataion laws for deportation An ap.
plication for pardon was made in his
behalf for the purpose of taking him
back to Germany and the board granted
communication of sentence to take eff
feet on the date Milhousen is started
ON his return TO his native land
Other Applications.
Applications for pardons in the fol.
board:
Ralph Lawhorn, serving ninety days
IN the Utah county Jail for battery
John Duffy, serving ten years in the
State prison for burglary in the sec.
ond degree, committed in Salt Lake
county,
B. A. Slocum, forgery, Salt Lake
county, three years in the State prison.
Ray NJ. Phillips, robbery, Utah coun-
ty, four years in the State prison.
Lorenzo Montgomery, criminal as
sault, Weber county, eighteen months
In the State prison
9ust Docas, robbery, Salt Lake
county, ten years in the State prison
Hiram Wiseman. who was sentenced
i'll Weber county on January 27. 1909
to three years for statutory offense'
was granted Il parole.
David Latham, who was sentenced 10
three years in Salt Lake county for AS
sauIt with a deadly weapon, was de.
med Il parole,
The application of Watkin Reese for
a communication of sentence was denied.
Reese was convicted i'm Weber county
of a statutory offensc and sentenced
to serve three years.