Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1916-01-21

he was usually executed. H0Wevefs
Senator Henderson began his efforts
In behalf OF the prisoner by laying the
case before the secretary Of war. Mr..
Stanton made an investigation Of the1
case and decided that the sentence OF
the accused was deserved and must
be carried out.
Then Senator; Henderson appealed to
the president. u
Mr.. Lincoln during the war was re-
garded By those high In command as q
stumbling block to military discipline.
So tender hearted was he that he
could not refrain from interfering in
the case of deserters from the Union
army and such persons on the Con-
fedeI1te side as were caught snug
Cling contraband goods or information
into the south. Often, where the &C.
cusations were clearly proved, the pres
ident would defeat justice by a par
den, 1t is related that Secretary Stan
ton, to whom was given great power
to thwart this interference on the part
Ut the president, on presentation OF an
order from Mr.. Lincoln in behalf OF
some luckless individual would tear it
up. 'thAs declining to respect it. But in
this case the president overruled the
secretary and ordered new trial for
the condemned man. 49,,
The hopes that were raised in ALI
mon Vaughan by this interference
| Were doomed to disappointment. The
;otiicers of the court, refusing to per-
nit their feelings to influence them,
returned a second verdict of guilty.
Again the president was appealed to,
again he ordered another trial. and
again the same verdict was returned.
Naturally these three trials con-
sumed a great deal Of time, and when
| the last verdict was returned the
spring of 1865 had opened, and the
end of the war was in sight. Senator
] Henderson refused to be discouraged.
| There was one means of saving George
! Vaughan's life that had not been util-
| lied. President Lincoln possessed the
| pardoning power in such cases, and
| the senator resolved to make ans ef-
fort in that direction.
! Visiting the White House, he OBJ
| tanned access to the kind hearted pres
ident and solicited pardon for the
condemned Confederate, urging the
| fact that the war was practically over
and such an act OF clemency would
go far to bringing the Confederates OF
! Missouri back into the Union fold.
See Stanton" said Mr.. Lincoln, land
tell him that this man must be re-
! leased
II have seen him." replied the sen
ator, "and he will do nothing
See him again." said the president,
land if he will do nothing come back
| to me-
| Again Senator Henderson sought the
iron secretary. who set his square
jaws aded refused to interfere with the
verdict of the court martial. Had
Allmon Vaughan known of this finaa
effort to save his brother from an t.
nominieus death and of the shadow
that Was then hanging over the only
| man who could save hinn be would
have lost all hope.
I 1t was the 14th Of April. 1860. Sen:
l a1or Henderson called upon the pres.
| ident to report the issue of his final
effort with the secretary of war. The
senator was shown to Mr.. Lmcoln's
private noon. where he found hin
dressing for the .theater.
! -NLr. Stanton will do nething,'' said
Henderson. There is no hope
I ~, III
without a word he seated himself at
| L desk and, taking alp pen ard paper
began to write.
| No other such scene fraught with life
and death occurred during those darl
days of war. Placed ON canvas by al
artist it would be: The long. gaun'
] president, sitting at his desk about te
write a pardon for one of his coun
try:s enemies. his face wearing an ex
precision of magnanimity. Near by
would stand the senator, silently Won
dering what TIE writing would be and
hoping for victory. Overlooking thu
president is the Shadow OF Death, wear
I ing a mingled expression OF disappoint
n,ent and satisfaction-di disappointment
1T being cheated out of one victim
satisfaction at tie certainty OF aecur
ing far more important one in the
man who was robbing him of the other
When Mr.. Lncola had written q few
lines he handed the paper to the sen
ator. Henderson scanned It with a
look OF mingled pleasure and triumph
It was a pardon for George Vaughan
| and an order for his release.
Having expressed his gratitude to
Mr.. Lincoln the senator hurried to the
telegraph to flash the good news to
Missouri, relieving the strain on the
condemned Confederate and gladden.
| the hearts of his brother and others
who loved him.
! But the president, shortly after this
net Of mercy. descended to a car
rage and was driven to the theater
and while sitting in his chair, possibly
| thinking rather of the life he had spar
Il os7t 1,ov h0 Tn -,