The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-01-29
AND THE PARDON
CAME TOO LATE
The Appointment Of Brand WhitIoCk, To-
Iedo's Former Mayor, to be Minister
at Belgium, ReVives Story Told by Him
Regarding Gov. AItgeId.
HE DIED LAST NIGHT"

HE DIED LAST NIGHT"
Several months ago, while Brand
WhItlock was still serving as mayor
of Toledo. Ohio; the American mag
azine printed story in which his
experiences while acting in the cap
acity of private secretary to Gov
ernor Altgeld of Illinois, were given
prominence. Mr.. Whitlock's recent
appointment by President Wilson.
to be American Minister to Belgium,
has revived interest in the following
portion of the magazines story,
which will be of interest to Mirror
readers
The criticisms that were heaped
upon Governor Altgeld for pordon-
Ing the anarchists were so severe
that he became very cautious
Whitlock was acting as the COVER
nor's secretary. and took up the case
OF a man with the executive, but the
governor declined to do anything.
mo, will not pardon any more, :"
said he. The people do not be-
lieve in mercy. They love revenge.
They want prisoners punished to
the last extremity" Mr.. Whitlock
goes on as follows:
Three or four days afterward |
met the governor one morning as he
was passing through the rotunda of
the State House, his head was bent in
habitual abstraction, and seeing me
in what seemed always some sub
conscious way, he stopped and said:
On, by the way; that pardon
case you spoke of the other morn
ing-I was somewhat hasty | fear,
and out of humor If you'll get the
papers, I'll see what can be DONE
Knew What Would Be Done
Il knew, of course, what could be
done, and knew then that it would
be done, and I made haste to get the
papers which had been kept on my
desk awaiting that propitious season
which l had the faith to feel would
come sooner or later, though | had
not expected it to come quite so
soon as that. l already anticipated
the gladness that would light up
Brennan's good Irish face when |
handed him the pardon for his friend
and l would dramatize the scene, in
that miners cottage in Braidwood
when the pardoned boy flew TO his
mothers arms.
Il intended to say nothing then
to Brennan, however, but to wait
until the pardon, signed and sealed.
could be delivered into his hands;
but as was going across the hall to
the governors chambers, | encoun-
tered Brennan, and could not hold
back the good news. And so | told
him, looking into his blue eyes
to behold the first ripple of the
smile l expected to see spread over
his face, but there was no smile.
He regarded me quite soberly, shook
his head, and said:
It's too late now.
And he drew from his pocket a
telegram, and, without any need to
read it, said:
He died last night
Il took the papers back and had
them filed away among those cases
that had been finally disposed OF,
though that formality could not dis
pose of the case for me. The gov
ernor was waiting for the papers,
and at last, when the morning had
almost worn away, l went over to
his chamber to add another burden
to that heavy load which l had
thought it was, to be my lot, that
day, to see lightened in the doing of
an act of grace and pity. l told him
as he sat aloneAa his desk, and the
shade of sorrow deepened moment
on his pale face, but he said nothing,
and was glad to 60"