Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-08
REV. C. D. HUGGlNS REFUSED
PARDON; MUST STAY IN JAIL
Board Turns Down Aged Pas
tors Petition After Consid-
ering Girls Statement.
Especial to the Newark star.l

TRENTON, Jan. s.-The Court of
Pardons, which held its final session
for the November term yesterday, dis
posed Of the last of more than 300 APP
plications for pardon, parole and re-
mission of fines. Forty-one paroles
were granted yesterday, and OF these,
in twenty-one cases the minimums or
full term" under the old law had eX-
pired, while nine others would expire
prior to the next term Of court, leav-
ing only eleven cases out Of the total
considered in which clemency was ex-
tended.
The application of Walter C. Meal
lister, one Of the quartet of Paterson
men convicted of the brutal murder
OF Jennie Bosscheiter a dozen years
ago, was turned down by the court,
McAllister and William A. Death are
still serving their terms for the crime,
while George Kerr and William Camp
bell have been released from the in
stitution, Kerr's term having expired
and Campbell having been paroled.
The court yesterday refused pa
role for Rev. George d. Higgins, Of
Jacobstown, who was convicted to
from five to fifteen years in the State
prison on the charge Of assaulting
V AOiet II diAlSs II AOAAA lNClA-y col -Oi0 t3AAi
who had been sent to his home by the
New JERSEY Children's Home Society.
Many clergymen had become interest
ed in his case when it was rumored
recently that the girl had made q
statement clearing Rev. Mr.. Higgins
of the charges she had made against
him at the trial. Petitions asking
for his pardon We're drawn uD and
signed by many of the most promi-
nent people of Burlington county. in
GLIDING the jurymen who had con-
victed him.
Departing from it's usual custom the
court issued a statement relative to
the application of Higgins. The state
ment follows:
Boards statement.
eThe Court OF Pardons today re-
fused to parole out of prison Rev.
George d. Higgins sentenced from
Burlington County, November ., 1911,
for a term of from five to fifteen
years for carnal abuse of Viola
Falls, a fourteen-year-old ward OF
the New Jersey Children's Home So
ciety. HIS case went through the
Court of Errors and Appeals and ne
was not committed to prison until
july 19 last.
"Since his incarceration he has IN
terested several clergymen in his case
and 1t has been stated in the public
press that the young girl whom he
was convicted Of wronging had
made an affidavit that 1t was some
other man who had ruined her and
that Rev. Huggins was about to be
vindicated. The affidavit referred to
was made before Hugg'ns's trial and
was simply to the effect that Hug
gins was not the first man who had
= fanrY
During Huegins's trial the girl swore
positively that he was guilty
&C. Y. Williams, the superintendent
Of the Children's Home Society who
placed the girl In Huggins's home.
testified that Higgins admitted to
him that he wronged the girl. saying
he was tempted by her to do So and
was sorry for 1t on account of his
former relations to the church. \
witness called by Higgins to TESTIFY
to his good character said that while
his reputation for truthfulness was
good that his reputation for chastity
was bad. The Court of Pardons, In
it's careful consideration OF the case.
summoned the girl. Viola Falls, who
appeared before the judges and re-
asserted positively that everything
that she had said upon the witness
stand was true and that Higgins was
guilty.
"The court unanimously refused to
parole him"
New Pardon Legislation.
In view of the fact that total OF
ninety eight of the 142 paroles granted |
were really cases where terms had al |
ready expired, the court decided to |
recommend to the Legislature an
to the indeterminate sent |
ence law that might make possible |
the discharge of prisoners whose |
minimum term" has expired without |
the intervention Of the Court of Par |
dons and in the same manner as
others prisoners are discharged when |
their terms expire. Another reason
for this course is the fact that under
the laws that now exist prisoners |
paroled by the Court Of Pardons re-
ceive no allowance when discharged
and are, therefore, unable to reach !
their homes without the aid Of inter- |
vention of friends.
Michael Bozza, of Essex county, was |
He was serving a six months