The Prescott daily news., 1916-05-26
AGE 70; WALKED ONE
 HUNDRED MILES
Mrs. Gabbert Comes from Der mott on Foot to Plead Pardon for Son Who Was Serving Three Years in Penitentiary.

Three ears Tn PenItentiary.
 Little Rock, May 26.-Mrs. Mary Gabbert, aged seventy years, walked from Dermott, one hundred miles to Little Rock, arriving Thursday morn ing, with eight-year- grandson, to make a plea for the pardon of her son, T. J. Gabbert. She had been on the road two weeks, stopping on the way to do washings and other work to pay her expenses.
 The governor had already had con- siderable correspondence about the case, and was familiar with the cir cumstancas. After hearing the aged woman's plea for her boy" the governor granted the pardon. But she could not deliver it in person, as he was at the state camp near Tucker, in Jefferson county, and it was for warded to him there. He is expected to arrive today for his faithful old mother and his son.
 Gabbert was convicted in Ashley county Aug. 20, 1915, of grand lar ceny, and sentenced to three years. Petitioners declare that this was his first otfense, and that previously he had always borne a good reputation. He has family dependent upon him, and the old mother who has suffered untold hardships in providing the bar est necessities of life. Even though he be guilty of the crime for which he is now suffering" say the petition CTS, there is no doubt but that he has suffered sufficiently, and pardon now might work a complete reformation, where further punishment might work the reverse. We believe that if he is permitted to go free and return to the support of his family and mother he will make a good citizen"
 In a personal letter to the governor begging for clemency. Gabbert ad- mitted his guilt, and told the follow ing story of the circumstances;
 'I had been down sick nearly two months during the Spring, and when finally recovered enough to get out of bed, was out of work and money, and my family faced starvation. tried to get work, until there was not a bite to eat in my house, and not a cent to buy it with. As l looked upon my family starving, and plenty to eat all over the country, 1 think must have gone mad. I broke into a mans store and took from 1t gro- ceries valued at $26, and took a one horse wagon and horse to carry them away But the man from whom the horse and wagon were taken were particular friends of mine, and each had once told me that if ever needed the horse or wagon. to go ahead and use them, and say nothing to them about it. Relying on this, l took the horse and wagon with the full full in- tent of returning them as soon as got the groceries away. But l was discovered and arrested before l could return them. and accused of stealing them. The parties who owned them asked that l should not be prosecuted, but others pushed the charges and plead guilty for the reason that l feared they would try to imr'icate the owners of the horse and wagon in some way. But l have been told that they have come out boldly and told the truth. l have an invalid mother and a yonng wife, at the mercy of the world, suffering untold hardships on account of my incarceration, as they have no means of support except my labor. It is our desire to go away somewhere and start life anew and try by good, honest living, to wipe out this one fatal mistake of my past"