, 1921-07-14
PARDON ASKED FOR
HENRY JOHNSON

Last week before the State Board
OF Charities and Reform several
residents of Carbon and Fremont
counties appeared In connection with
the application of a pardon for
Henry v. Johnson, who is serving a
life sentence in the state penitentiary
having been found guilty OF the
murder Of Mrs. Nancy Wales.
Friends Of Mr.. Johnson submitted
as reasons for the pardon of the
convicted man thet following ,factE:
That Johnson was convicted solely
upon circumstAntial evidence. That
the prosecution claimed that Nancy
Wales was shot while she was in her
home. Against this contention
friends submitted proof that there
was no blood in the house after the
shooting and no indication that there
had been any blood. 1t would have
been impossible for the oma to
have been shot while In the house.
without leaving blood. John Wales
contention that he had scrubbed up
the blood was disproven when the
defense showed that not q spot on
the dirty floor of the house had been
scrubbed for a long time.
The prosecution claimed that the
woman was shot with a high power
rifle. Disproving this contention the
defense showed that the bullets
which entered the west fall Of the
house had left no marks Of any kind
on the EAST wall as would have been
the case with bullets going from q
high-power rifle through a Az inch
wall. The bullets which made the
holes in the west wall could not
have come from a high-pOwer rifle.
Gun experts stated that the jacket
found on the floor of the house was
from a 1905 bullet and that when
found 1t was corroded and must have
been there for a long time.
The defense claimed that regular
volleys Of shots were fired but only
a few shells were found and these
only after being pointed out by John
Wales. Marks on these shells made
by the firing pin showed thai a diff
ferent gun was used than the gun
johnson was supposed to have used
The principal claim friends OF
johnson are making for his pardon
lis the fact that when Chas. Coleman
J Charged equally with Johnson and
, Robt. Coleman, with committing the
crime, was tried he was acquitted or
the second ballot. Following the
acquittal Of Chas. Coleman the case
against Robt. Coleman was dis
missed.
In the trial Of Chas. Coleman the
evidence submitted both by the prose
cution and the defense was much
more complete than in the johnson
case. With this evidence all in the
Jury found Coleman not guilty.
In this second trial four wltnesse'
of the prosecution admitted that ii
the johnson, trial they were mis-
taken in some Of the evidence the!
gave.
This case has already cost Jess
johnson, the father of Henry John
SON, approximately $4,000 and II
case the boy 10 not pardoned but
new trial ordered It will cost hin
several thousand more Friends o
this agesa rancher feel that Q re-tfia
ID an unnecessary expense ~ th
same evldence would be ~introduee
as that upon which Chas. ColsrAat
was acquitted ana Robt. Colema'
dismissed. !
the stats Board has been aske
ttO-Wake q Thorough examination q
the cas- and II they bslieve J0hnso
70 mot guilty TO grant him Q fall pal
, don In order that the expense soe
: re-tEial 10 saved.
A great majority Of tho people q
! Carbon and swsetwater countia
tsssis essiS Esissa !: sssas
for him.