The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-07-28
PLUNKETT WOULD
CLEAR HIS RECORD
Sought Parole From Governor cruce
in Order to Go to Portland And
Claim His Bride.

Sallisaw, Okla, July 22.--After com
ing back from the Pacific coast to sur
render himself for a crime committed
eleven years ago, in order to clear his
record for the sake Of the girl he log
ed, Edward Plunkett, Spanish war vet
eran and a hero of the fighting around
Manila, has left for Portland, Ore,
with parole from Governor Lee Cruce
of Oklahoma. He will now claim his
Oregon bride and bring her back to
Oklahoma with him when he comes to
attend the annual reunion of the Span
ish war veterans, to be held in Okla
homa City next month.
On December 2, 1900, Plunkett, then
a boy of 16, killed his chum Of the
same age, bud" Sanders, when both
we're drinking He fed from the state
and at Quincy, ILL.,, enlisted in the
Nineteenth infantry for service in the
Philippines. After serving with dis
tinction in the island possessions, he
was badly wounded in some sharp
fighting on the wall of Manila. 1t was
not thought at first that he could re-
cover from his wounds, but after
spending two years in the hospital he
was finally discharged in San Fran
cisco, with permanent injuries from
his wounds, for which he was given
a pension of $40 per month, but still
able to find a place for himself in the
world.
Still boy in years, being less than
l9 at the time, he entered school, edu-
Gated himself and located at Portland,
where he has been very successful in
a business way His father died sew
eral years ago and he sent for his
mother and for a brother and sister,
whom he is now keeping in school at
Portland
Some months ago he fell in love with
a young woman in Portland and the
date had been set for their marriage,
but before the time for the wedding
came he decided to tell his fianese of
his early trouble in Oklahoma. and
to come back here to face the charges
against him. He notified the local
officers that he wanted to come back
and surrender, and made arrange
ments for giving bonds. He was tried
before Judge John H. Pitchford of
Tahlequah in this city and pleaded
self-defense, but was convicted of man
slaughter on June Z Of this year and
sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Almost as soon as sentence had been
pronounced his friends here who were
familiar with the circumstances OF the
case began to get busy in an effort
TO secure pardon or parole for him.
Judge John Pitehford, the trial judge
in the case, wrote personal letter
to Governor Cruce, which was backed
up by petitions signed by practically
all of the county officers; including
the county attorney who prosecuted
him, the sheriff and county Judge, by
1sO teachers attending the seqnoyah
county teachers institute, whica was
In session at the time, and by 500 other
citizens of sequoyah county AS re-
suit of their efforts Plunkett's term of
Imprisonment was reduced to about
thirty days
AS soon as news was received here
that the governor had granted the pa.
role, Plunkett wired to his sweetheart
in Portland and left for that city as
soon as his affairs here could be 81
ranged He is a member of Scout
Young Camp No. of Spanish War
Veterans in Portland and before he
decided to come back to Oklahoma and
clear his record here, he had been
elected as the delegate from that camp
to the reunion to be held in Oklahoma
City In August. Now he Is planning
to be married in about two weeks
time and bring his bride back to Okla.
homa with him on her honeymoon
trip.