New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-13
Liberty Was Sought by Friends,
Who Pleaded Her Soon Fatal
Malady" and Promised She
Would Quit America
for Europe,
KATIE HICKS ILL.," TOO
Cuvillier Boasts He Obtained Her Re.
lease Though Justice Collins and
Committee Of II Protested
Former Prisoners Well and
About Their Old Haunts.
IN TeIegraph to The TrLbune. J

ADouI Inelr Olc HauntS
IBy Telegraph TO The TribuneI
Albany. Jan. 12.-Papers concerning
the pardoning Of two notorious keep
ers Of disorderly houses by Governor
Dix were made public here to-day.
The amazing fact is disclosed that in
one case-that of Mary Chapelle, who
ran the infamous Brick House." in
MacdoUgal strcet-there was no formal
application for pardon and apparently
never had been one in the ordinary
form. This woman was pardoned by
Governor Dix on the application OK
friends and relatives" whose names
are found nowhere in the records, and
certificate Of a doctor that she was
in bad health, with growth, probably
malignant in the liver
John A./Mason, Governor Dix's Sec
retary. appears in this case. 1t is said
here that he first brought it TO the
Governors attention. He is quoted in
newspaper clippings in the files con-
cerning this case as saying that the,
woman had promised to go to France
Immediately on her release from the
ponitentiary. A letter to Governor Dix
from the Committee Of Fourteen, pro-
testing violently against such pardons.i
declared that after her release she was
seen around her old haunts aud ap-l
peared 10 be in excellent health.
CuviIlisr Got Her Pardon.
The second case. which seemed 10
have a certain connection with the
first, was that of Katie Hicks, who
ran a house adjoining that Of the
Chapelle woman. She, too. was repre-
scnted to be in bad health. and prom
iscd TO leave the country if pardoned.
In this case. though, much machinery
was set in motion TO obtain the par
don, which was opposed by Justice
Collins, of the Court of Special Ses-
sions. who sentenced the Hicks woman.
District Attorney Whitman and the
Committee of Fourteen. Assemblyman
Cuvillier who represents Percy NaSels
district, was her attorney.
Certainly l got her pardon said
Cuvillier. "I'll act as attorney for any
body who wants a pardon and do
everything I can to get it, and il any
body don't like that he knows what he
can do"
Mary Chapelle. siXty-ayo years old,
was sentenced in Special Sessions on
May -, 1872, to one year in prison.
The pardon was issued on July 81, at
time when the pardon clerk and
his assistant, who in the routlc3
" the executive chamber handle
such matters, were not on duty. Tho
only papers in the case dated prior to
the pardon are a letter from DR.. Max
imilian Lewson, of No. ID West 9th
street, dated July 80, certifying TO the
woman's i'll health, and a formal record
of her conviction, dated July 70. The
next document in the case was a note
on letter paper headed "Allenhurst
club, Allcnhurst. n. j. Edward II.
Crendall' It said:
Keep it up. You will keep the Tam
many voters, but lose all the respect
able voters you had when YOU ran two
years ago.--A y. Y. Voter"
This evidently was written on pub
ication of the news Of the pardon, but
il was undated.
Feared Governor Was Deceived.
on August I the Committee of Four
teen, by Walter G.. Hooke. executive
secretary, inquired il a pardon had
really been granted to Mary Chapelle.
on August 10 Mr.. Hooke, having re-
ceived a letter assuring him that she
was out of prison, wrote that she was Il
notorious keeper Of disorderly house.
and that Il fear that His EXcellcncy
the Governor has been imposed upon
Accompanying this letter was a note.
saying:
For the consideration Of the Cow
ernor-note last letter from the Com
mittee of Fourtcen-no application
for pardon or reports on file. DeK."
The signature is that of the Gov
ernors military secretary, Eckford
Craven DeKay. Answering this letter.
the pardon clerk wrote to Mr. Hooke
that Mary Chapelle was pardoned on
behalf of relatives, who didn't want
her to die in prison. Mr.. Hooke re-
piled August Il. reiterating his re-
marks about the woman's evil char
acter and saying:
This woman has not left the coun-
try and after her pardon was seen on
the streets in the neighborhoood OF her
house by a police officer, to whom she
appeared TO be in her customary good
health. The pardon Of this woman
has been very discouraging to those