The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-23
Bill Richards PardOned.

Many Decatur county people will
remember Bill Richards, for many
years United States Marshal for the
southern district of Iowa, who years
ago was a frequent visitor to Leon.
After losing his Office Richards went
to the bad and finally was sent up
for term of eighteen years for rob-
berry. Acting upon the recommended
ton of the board of parole Governor
Carroll last week issued pardon to
Richards. The Register and Leader
of Saturday says:
"Following the recommendation
of the state board of parole yester-
day, Gov. B. F. Carroll will immed-
lately order the release from FIT.
Madison penitentiary of William A.
Richards, former deputy United
States marshal in Iowa. Richards
has served seven years of a sentence
of eighteen years, the penalty for his
conviction on charge of burglary.
"Bill' Richards, as he is Familiarity
known all over Iowa because of his
ment service, is now go years old.
1t was the age of the man, coupled
with the fact that he has been
model prisoner and has so cut down
his sentence with good time" that
prompted the state board to recon-
mend his immediate release. Rich
ards full term, with "gcod time"
out, would have expired in three
years and three months. There is
nothing in the recommendations Of
the board touching upon the claims
of his friends that Richards is inno-
cent of the crime for which he was
convicted.
Influential friends of the former
marshal have been at work persist
emily for his release ever since he
first was brought to bar. The fight
for his freedom after he was COM
mitted never halted. His case was
with the parole board every year.
At Hamilton, in Marion county,
in 1908, occurred the crime for which
Richards paid with his liberty. Ev.
idence at the trial was to the effect
Richards learned of $4,000 cash in
the home of P. Hamilton there and
secured the services of two men,
Frank Baird and Charles Redup
from Creston, to acquire the sum.
These two men later entered the
house and held the family up with
guns, and tortured them, so it is
said, to get them to tell where the
money was hid. Baird was shot
while the men were trying to make
their escape from the house. He was
caught. When he was put on the
grill, he turned states evidence,
charging that Richards framed the
robbery.
Richards fled to Texas, but later
was apprehended and brought to
trial. The district court found Rich
ards guilty. The supreme court re-
fused to set aside the verdict. After
a vain appeal to the governor, Rich
ards went behind the iron gratings
May 8, 1905.
Baird had served two years in the
penitentiary for completely in a coun-
terfeiting game uncovered by Rich
ards. The marshal claimed it was
malice that made Baird implicate
him and continued to insist that he
received only a short sentence for
Richards, and was released four
years ago.
Richards had a long record for
intrepid acts while acting in the
capacity of deputy marshal.
The Iowa marshal was one of the
chiefs in long hunt that ended with
the arrest of two members of a gang
of green goods" men in Chicago in
1896. The final result of this cam
paign by the government sleuths was
the breaking up of the organization
of green goods men in Chicago
that was credited with being the larg-
est and most successful plant of it's
kind ever developed. -,.>sss.-...
Members of Richards family now
live at Creston. It is thought likely
Richards will hasten there when he
turns his back to the gates at Fort
Madison 81 - - = ~ -. -.