The Topeka state journal., 1912-12-23
Governors Office Thronged To-
day by Supplicants.
They Want to Get Relatives
Out of Penitentiary.
ASK FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS
1t Is Annual Event With Gov
ernOr This Time of Year.
Two First Degree Murder Men
Seek Freedom.

| More than 80 men and women-wives,
husbands, mothers, fathers, sons,
daughters and even sweethearts-are
anxiously waiting in Governor Stubbs'
office this afternoon for the opport1-
nifty to plead for the release of some
loved one from the Kansas peniten-
tiary. AS a result of today's hearings,
Governor Stubbs plans to grant paroles
| to a number of the convicts at Lans-
ing. They will go as Christmas re-
membrance from the retiring Kansas
executive.
Early this morning, almost as soon
as the state house was opened, and long
before any of the governors official
family arrived, men and women were
standing in the corridors of the build
ing to plead for executive clemency.
1t was IL O'Clock when Governor Stubbs
arrived from Lawrence. But few of
the cases were presented at the morn
ing session and it is probable that a
night session will be necessary to con-
clude the days work. Such cases as
are presented today, will be reviewed
! Tuesday and paroles will be sent from
the governors office Tuesday evening.
There are about so applicants for pa
role.
Clemency for Felony Convicts.
A number of important cases are on
the days calendar. Among them are
several murder cases of Importance.
By far the larger number of appli-
cants for parole, are men and women
convicted of varying degrees of larceny
and minor crimes.
One of the really important hearings
is the application for parole for Ben
jamin F. McLain, convicted of first
degree murder in Shawnee county in
February 1892. McLain was sentenced
to life Imprisonment at Lansing for the
murder of his step-son. The man is
now GA years old. He has served al
most 21 years in the state prison for
this crime and now leniency is urged.
Three daughters have begged that their
father might be paroled. They have
promised to give the man good home
and they want him released that he
might go to his new home on Christ
mas day.
Mark Newton, who went to the peni-
tentiary for first degree murder in 1904,
and when he was but II years old, is
asking for a parole. One day in 1904,
an unknown man was found dead along
the banks of the Medicine river in Bar
Der county The coroner's jury found
that the old man had been murdered
and robbed. Mark and Ed Newton,
mere boys, were arrested and con-
victed of the crime. .1ark Newton is
now % years old. He has made good
record in the state prison and because
of his tender age at the time of the
killing, Governor Stubbs has been
urged to give the boy another chance.
roles are sought include: Alexander
Farnsworth, sent up from Cherokee
county, January Is, 1908, to serve ten
to twenty years for second degree
murder. Lew Raley, convicted at age
of 16 years for first degree murder,
sentenced to life imprisonment by
Neosho county district court. Isaac
Fox, sent up from Leavenworth cOun-
ty in February, 1892, convicted sec
ond degree murder. James Anderson,
sent from Riley county 15 years ago
to serve life term for first degree muir
der Ed Anderson, convicted Neosho
county, July 81, 1885, for murder of
a farmer; is serving life sentence.
Murray Wants Out.
Frank Murray, convicted of robbing
a train crew on a Missouri Pacific
train near Rosedale, Wyandotte coun-
ty, wants a parole. Murray held up
the train October 21, 1908, and five
weeks later was convicted. He has
served a term in the Illinois peniten-
tiary and is again sought by the Illf-
noiS state officials.
Joseph Kerns, who came up from
Barton county on a charge of first
degree robbery, is an applicant for
parole. Kerns is a trusty at the peni
tentiary and the records show that he
is one of the best musicians in the
prison band.
These paroles and many others are
ing time at Lansing. 1t is Governor
Stubbs' last annual field day" for the
issuance of paroles and friends and
relatives of many prisoners at Lam /
sing are in Topeka today to plead for
clemency. No pardons, Governor
Stubbs has stated, will be issued at
this time. Such prisoners as are
granted clemency will be notified late |
Tuesday evening so that they may |
leave the prison Christmas day.