New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-24
WILSON SAVES TWO
SLAYERS FROM CHAIR
presides at Court of Pardons,
Which Grants Liberty to 56
Prisoners as Xmas Gift.
TlIMULTY AIDS ExPRESSMAN
Governor Deals Blow to Jim"
Nugent by Refusing to Name
His Candidate to Board
of Elections.
B, rcler-aph 10 The Tribune.l

tB. Telegraph - The Tribune
r-.ptop Y. J.. Dec CT feel like a
.,neazod sponge" said Governor Wilson
.o-,,eht as he finished siX-hour session
. the Court of Pardons. at which fifty
-, prisoners serving terms for petty lar
~ M 10 murder received their liberty
~ Christmas sift a day like this
rs il all out of me; it is so difficult TO
,row whether or not YOU are doing the
Ugh, thing. We do it. however, as thor
ouehiy as ct can be done.
The Governor of New Jersey cannct
Grant pardon the limit of his powers
b4i,s 10 grant a reprieNe The state has
court Of Pardons. however. insisting
:, che Governor. the Chancellor and the
s3v lay Judges of tho Court of Appeals.
mich meets three times year and con-
sders an applica;iuls for rs,dcns and
paroles
governor Wilson said tonight that he
admired this system, and considered it SUI
p,rior to having the power TO pardon
lodged in the Governor alone.
The court" nc said. is open-minded
and eager 10 do die right thing
Governor Wilson explained IN detail the
New Jersey system, the most striking feat
urs Of which is the fact that the lay
,pdrss make personal investigation OF
each application, so that when a case
cones ID they can present all the data
concerned with 1t.
Save. Two from Electric Chair.
ro-ssv's session Of the court took an
he yqpxf President
,rssded. and IL seemed significant that OF
the three murder cases that came up TWO
Of the applicants were saved from the
electric chair. These were Frederick
Courcev and Harry Duffield, OF Camden.
who one evening. while intoxicated heiu
Nm and shot a citizen. who atteT"aru
died pufield is twenty years old ana
Courcey twenty-one.
AS result of their crime they were
sentenced 10 die in the electric chalr heA'
week. The court to-day commuted Our
eey's sentence 10 thirty years ana Dui-
asl6's sentence to fifteen years IN the
State Prison.
The application of Charles Ford, VINO
tlllad his common law wife in CamueH,
was denied ano ne viii go TO the GleC " ~ =
chair in the week Of January Q. lIe 80
20 have died last month, but ActlhB oON
ernor Prince granted replleVe so li'o'
his case could go before the court 1900
on of the pathetic cases Ihat Gsnie
before the court was that OF James " a.
don an express driver in Jersey IltS ,
who was serving a two year term IoI
stealing 81 When Joseph L. Tumult! .
Governor Wilson's secretary; heaIq % III
he got up a petition slsheo DE .Ir lllliSe-
and Warren Johnson, his stenosrdpnSf, =
and interested Governor NlSoh ~ t ~.
case. with the result that the eApleS
driver will eat his Christmas Dinner d.
home with his family 49,. l,.,...,,o,.
One of the FIRST things that Governor
Wilson did when he reached inc HIdto
House to-day was 10 swat jim NJ
gent the Democratic boss OF LssfN
County BY refusing 10 appoint 70 w
Roard of Elections the man ne hdd reC-
commended for the place. 1T was the nrst
chance that the Governor mas hdu "
even up Nugent's interference IN the nteI1S, r.
cent Democratic caucus Wnen the D9 20
boss" succeeded i'm defeating Assembly :
man Charles A. A Hennessy who was
the Governors candidate for Speaker
Deals Blow to "Jin'" Nueent.
Nurent wrote 10 the Governor askng
for the appointment of John Dunning' OF
Newark. but Mr.. Wilson talked IT over
with State Chairman Grosscup. ana ap-
pointed Edward Hart, an anti-Nuseh'
man, OF Orange, TO the place.
Governor Wilson, so far as known mas
as vet not selected Dudley Field Malone
or any one else as his private secretary
When Governor Wilson was asked to-day
81 ne had formed any conclusions in re-
gard 10 his secretary he said he had not
Joseph T. Tumulty, his present secre-
tsry. is still the favoritc for the place
although Joseph Z. Davies, Thomas
Pence and Mayor Newton Baker o.
Cleveland also have been mentioned.
Mr.. Tumulty. however. has oeen tne
one man who has held the complete con,
fdence of Governor Wilson from tne
time he entered political life. lie nov
has charge Of Governor wilson iHdl,'
and this is taken as an indication Una .
the President-elect will take MN u
Washington. o.,...,,.
Although tomorrow viii be ChrlstlI!dI,
Eve, Governor Wilson said he eApecLe.o
70 be al his Office at Trenton up 70 NJ n,
usual hour tomorrow evening, WhiCh III
the last few days has been O'CLOCK. ne
motored here from Princeton in Genera
Sadler's automobile this morning ana r.
turned 20 his home in the same ihdhiie'