The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-06-14
Serving Life Term For
y Killing Father.
HAD MACE MODEL PRISONER
Freedom Is Conditional Upon
His Abstaining From All
Intoxicating Liquors.
WILL NOW SCARE FOR MOTHER"

Hargis, serving a life term for kill
ing his father, Judge James Hargis,
famous feud leader and mountain
capitalist, at Jackson, in February,
1908, was paroled this afternoon by
the State Board of Prison Commits
sioners and left for Lexington,
where his mother is i'll in hospital.
The parole was sent over for Gov.
Stanley's approval as soon as 1t was
issued, and Miss Minnie Mailer, sec
rotary to the Governor, presented
the parole to Hargis in person. He
has had his hopes dashed SO many
times in the last few years that he
was almost speechless when the pre-
cious paper at last was placed in his
own hand, and he just managed to
stammer thanks. He went up street
and bought a new suit of clothes be-
fore taking the interurban for Lex
ington.
As to his plans for the future he
said he intends to care for moth
err" but in his original application
for clemency he promised not to go
back to Jackson to live.
The parole is conditional upon
Beach's abstaining from liquor and
this he said he would do. He has
been on probation for the last four
years, during which time he has
been hospital attendant with &C
cess to the drug cabinet, containing
spirits. He was promoted more
than a year ago to be steward. He
is skilled in minor surgery, is an ex-
cellent nurse and is interested in the
hospital work.
His prison record is perfect, and
few prisoners have had as strong
recommendation for executive Glenn
ency. Liquor was his besetting evil,
! and had he not gone on a spree and
shot up the town, 1t is generally be-
lieved he would never have been
convicted of killing his father. The
first jury in Estill county, where he
was tried, stood ten for acquittal
and two for conviction.
After his conviction on his second
trial he appealed. and Judge H. S.
Barker, now president of State Uni
versity, dissented from the majority
1 opinion of the Court of Appeals,
which affirmed the life sentence.
Judge Barker in a letter to the
Prison Board said he did not believe
Beach Hargis had fair trial and
Astill thinks so. At the bottom of
this letter is a pencil notation signed
by former Appellate Judge ]. S.
Num-, who also sat in the case, stat
ing that he agrees in the main with
what Judge Barker said. Letters
also are on file from Judges John M.
Lassing and E. c. O'Rear, who said
they recall that there Were grave
doubts in the minds of some of the
Judges as to whether young Hargis
received justice, and one from Judge
Hobson said that drink apparently
was at the bottom Of Beach's offense
and if the authorities thought he
had conquered the habit he would
be in favor of giving him a chance.
Attorney General James Breathitt,
who briefed the case on appeal for
the Commonwealth. recommended
conditional pardon; but Gov. WILL
son, while recognizing mitigating
circumstances, did not feel justified
in extending clemency so soon after
conviction.
Beach Hargis was received at the
Frankfort prison In March. 1910.
He was "a years old at the time. He
had shot and killed his father. who
had choked him at the time. Sew
eral days before his father had Sc
verely beaten Beach and driven him
out. Beach slept in barn and re-
turned to the store in Jackson, be-
ing informed that his father had left
tOWu uuu lhtSuucu " piNPuiN W 81
to his uncle's home in the country.
the encounter with his father
was accidental and he insisted that
he shot in self-defense. believing
that his father was killing him. At
the trial evidence was given of bru-
tai treatment by his father. and 1t
ykas said in mitigation that Beach's
father. who was a feud leader in the
Breathitt county troubles. had caus-
ed, the boy to associate with disco
iTte characters among his henchmen
and the boy was led into q reckless
life of shooting and drunkenness.
Mother Greets Son.
Lexington. KY. June, 7.-"Why,
hello. where have you been?" ex-
claimed Mrs. Tom Ellen Hargis. as
Al Ia. hA