The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-07-17
BRIGGS is ASKING
BOARD TO PARDON
From Tuesday. Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
st. Paul. July 1I.--The state par
don board met yesterday afternoon.
and because Of The absence OF Gov
ernor Eberhart adjourned until 10
a m. today when the executive was
present. The other members are
Calvin L. Brown, chief justice OF
the Minnesota supreme court, and
Lyndon A. Smith, attorney general.
Approximately $50 cases on the
calendar win be considered today.
More than half this number are re-
formatory cases.
Perhaps the most celebrated pris-
oner who is seeking pardon is
Fred A. Briggs Of Minneapolis. He
was sent up from Hennepin county
in November, 1911, for an indetermin,
ate period not to exceed fourteen
years on a charge Of conspiracy to
commit robbery. II was alleged that
Briggs, Jerry Mccarthy and Peter
Juhl entered into q compact by which
Briggs. should plan the crimes and
the others execute them.
Was Not In on This Hoid-up.
Martin Brennan was held up and
robbed on the night OF July 10, 1911.
by Mccarthy, and Il was for .epnspir-
ing with Mccarthy in this connection
that Briggs was convicted, although
il was clearly shown at the trial that
he was home at the time the crime
was committed.
On July is, Mccarthy and Joseph
olinger police officer, engaged In
shooting duel in which both were
killed. Later Juhl shot and killed
Detective Frank Fraser of the ST.
Paul police department on q seiby..
Lake car at Fourth and Market
streets. and is now serving for that
crime a life term in the penitentiary.
Both Made Their Escape.
s Both Mccarthy and Juhl escaped
from the penitentisry in March, 1911,
and Immediately embarked I'm ca
reer OF crime about the twin cities,
which ended In death for one, life;
Imprisonment for the other, the con-
viction Of Briggs and the murder Of,
Fraser.
The application for Briggs pardon
is signed by his three brothers, Wal
ter s. Briggs, Otis II. Briggs and
John II. Briggs, all Of Minneapolis
and well known business men.
II 10 supported by many promin-
ent citizens OF the mill city. includ-
ing: William II. Grimshaw, United
States marshal: Robert Jamison, for
mer Judge Of the district court;
Frank NJ. Nye, former congressman;
M. F. Hanley. former president of
the Minneapolis Bar association; w
A. Kerr, former Judge Of the munich
pal court; NJ. II. Boutelle; M. ID.
Purdy, former Judge of the United
States district court; Rome q.
Brown, attorney: Otto s. Langum,
sheriff, Hennepin county; p. s. Nefi
son, clerk Of courts, Hennepin county
and Henry n. Knott, city clerk, Min.
neapoiis.
Briggs Tipped OF cling Murderer.
Briggs was the first to "tin of" to
the police the identity of the muir
derer Of Katherine cling more than
twenty years ago, and his private
detective work is said to have led to
the conviction Of the notorious Harry
Hayward and his accomplice, Claus
Blixt.
At the time OF his conviction
Briggs had been drinking heavily and
his friends say he had no criminal in
tent, but knowing the two escaped
convicts, was suffering from an hallu-
cination that by shrewd detective
work he could capture them. For
this reason he entered into the COM
pact. IL wasl admitted at the trial
that he received nothing for his
share In the proceeds OF the robber-
les attributed to Mccarthy and Juhi.