Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-21
WAR VETERAN LONG IN, PRISON
TO BE PARpohED BY GOV.
ERNoR CLARKE.
HAS SERVED NEARLY EIGHTEEN
YEARS FOR KILLING MARSHAL
Evidence Before Governor Show. Nc
Phsrson Was Justified in Fearing For
His Life at Hands Of Officer and
mob-Has Been Model Prisoner Dur.
ing Long Imprisonment,
Special to Times Republican.

Les Moines, Oct. 21.-Orman Nc
Emerson, war veteran, 65 years old,
AFTER seventeen years and seven
months as q model prisoner, will this
week walk out into the fresh air of an
October morning in Iowa with an exc
cutive pardon In his pocket.
Mcpherson killed the town marshal
OF Morning Sun III 1897. He had gone
to the town to see his child, a daughter
OF or years. who was at hotel with
her mother, McPherson's second wife
who had left him, and it was common
rumor she was not living the kind Of
lie she should. Some controversy
arose at the hotel but Mcpherson went
away with his son. Regarding what
followed the governor has summed up:
owing to the disturbance quite
crowd seems to have gathered at the
hotel, possibly, as the testimony of the
proprietor was. to resent interference
with his wife and child. Mcpherson
seems to have Started 20 the livery
stable followed by quite q crowd.
where his team was. Here the town
marshal seems to have interviewed. The
trary and told Mcpherson to take the
team and leave town at once. A wit
ness suggested that the team be al
lowed to finish eating. The marshal
insisted they should go at once and.
according to two witnesses, would not
consent TO walt until the team had
eaten. The testimony was that word
had been circulated that he was there
to take the child away. A witness
who talked with him, however, said
he referred to nothing of me kind. 1t
seems McPhersons son mad in some
way resented the situation, gotten into
a scuffle or fight with the marshal.
and had been struck by him several
( times with his billy at the stable and in
the presence Of Mcpherson who did
not resent It except by slight remon-
STRANGE. He and his boy were placed
under arrest under these circumstances
and the testimony was that McPher-
son started away peaceably with the
officer. The crowd that had gathered
about the livery stable that Sunday
afternoon followed into the street. The
testimony was that 1t was said by
asome one OF them that II he insisted
non taking the child away they would
make II uncomfortable for him. There
were calls to hang him. The testimony
of the witnesses besides Mcpherson
himself was that the marshal struck
Mcpherson over the head with his club
and that Mcpherson fired the fatal
shot witnesses testified that with the
crowd following. crying hang him.
and the officer striking him he had
every reason to believe ne was In peril.
This. however. was for the Jury. as
-
the testimony presented.
Witnesses Swear Falsely.
After the trial one OF the main wit
nesses said he had sworn falsely and
another was convicted OF perjury.
Mcpherson has been a model pris-
.oner," says the governor. "He has
submitted to his punishment without
resentment. He has performed his
prison tasks ywithout complaint and
with fidelity. He has served seventeen
wears and seven months. If he had
been convicted Of manslaughter the
maximum Of his sentence could have
been only eight years. In any event,
under all the circumstances, think
the full measure Of puni&1ment that
would be demanded by society has
been fully met. He Is s. years OF age.
The good Of society can not reasonably
demand his further imprisonment. /
can not agree with the conclusion
reached by the board Of parole but
think he should be pardoned and in the
exercise of my constitutional power I
do hereby grant him full and COM
plete pardon for his offense against the
people OF the state and direct that he
al once be given his liberty"
Governor Clarke gave the tcasesvery
fun investigation. He believed a
stronger defense could have been made
than was presented and that man
slaughter, at the furthest. should have
been the verdict. The board Of parole
refused, to recommend q pardon.
Last year forty Of the comrades OF
Mcpherson in his Iowa company called
In q body on the governor to ask that
nc give the case fun investigation
which. he promised to do. McPherson's
son is now business man OF Chicago
4 ma it IL expected the old man will go