Arizona republican., 1913-07-06
MANS PARDON
 |S REVOKED
Aged Convict Given Free dom from Texas Peniten- tiarv on Mothers Day and is Rearrested on Gov ernOr'S Order
Especial to The Republican, }

Especial to The RepublcanD FORT WORTH Tex, July 5.-A bent and broken man in stripes sat in a cell in the Huntsville prison. A guards hurred footstep was heard in the cor ridor Then a key rattled at the cell door.
 No. sos the warden wants you in his office: come along" said the guard. No. eos" slowly rose from his iron bed to follow the guard. What could it mean? Could it-could it mean he was pardoned? No; that was too much to expect. He was to be given harder work. maybe put in a dark cell. It had been so long since his application had been forwarded the governor at Austin that he had almost forgotten it.
 No. eos entered the warden's office, Several other convicts. all younger than he, were already there.
 Rice" said the warden. "do you know what day this is?"
 No eos started. He had not been ad- dressed by name since the prison gates closed upon him. He had been known only as NO. sos"
 Well, Rice, answer me: do you know what day it is?'
 The aged convict did not know what day it was. The question struck him as rather ridiculous. anyway.
 Its Wednesday, isn't it?" he ven tured in 2 quavering voice.
 'Oh, no, I did not mean that Rice this is Mothers Day. The governor of Texas has pardOned you and few oth- CT men in honor of the day. Be ready to leave within an hour A suit of clothes will be given you. And don't T hi n iy1
 Mothers Day. We'll No eos had mother once. His eyes became wet and he hastily turned his face so none could see.
 An hour later the Huntsville prison gates opened and let out a bent. gray man. He was no longer No. 608". He was again D R. Rice. Tn q shabby suitcase he carried his Mothers Day pardon. He was sixty-two years old and he had spent the last five years in Huntsville prison.
 Rice looked wonderingly about him. Freedom seemed such a strange thing. l He had but one object to live for-to 1 find his eighteen year old son and | spend the rest of his days with him.
 Rice was rich once and highly re- 1 spected. He owned store at Joshua, | in Jackson county. He had been con- | victed of killing his wife by poisoning l All the evidence was circumstantial. l He got a life sentence.
 Some time aSo the judge who sen fenced him, the prosecutor, the jurors l who convicted him and even relatives i of his wife asked Governor Colquitt to | pardon him. The doctor who had held | the autopsy appealed to the governor | for his release. And now he is free. Rice first went to Hillsboro and Joshua to thank those who signed the petition in his behalf. Then he began a search fOr his son. He came to find him, no matter where the search would take him. He came to Fort Worth to look for clues.
 As he stepped off train at the Texas X Pacific station policeman tapped him on the shoulder
 You are D. R. Rice, I believe" said the TO iceTlan-
 "Tes," he arlswared
 ell, I ha.-e oiders 10 arrest you."
 But this IS surely a mistake" ex- claimed Rice T was just pardoned by the governor the other day, and I have the pardon in my suitcase. Do you want to see t o'
 No replied the policeman Tt would be of no use. I haze strict or lers. You can learn more at the sta rion."
 Rice was taken to the station. and deputy sheriff came for him and took aim to the county jail.
 A despatch to Colquitt elicted the that some persons had pro- ested against Rice's release, and he had decided that he had made an CT 'or, and so had wired Sheriff Req to "e-arrest Rice.
 He had been free only four days.
 Rice denies that he killed his wife or ever thought of doing so. He declares le loved her.
 My son knows! He knows!" He