The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-01-12
SEEK PARDON
FOR KENOSHAN
Governor Asked to Pardon
John Bradley, Slayer of
Clifford L. Smith.
SENT UP FOR LIFE
Convicted and Sentenced Here
for Shooting Libertyville
Man on june q, 1906.
(FrOm January 6 1ssue)

John Bradley, sentenced to a life
term in the state prison at Waupun on
May 8, 1909, in the circuit court of
Kenosha county following conviction on
charge of numbering Clifford L.
Smith of Libertyville, ILL.,, has appeal
ed to Governor Blaine for a pardon or
for communication of his sentence and
notice was received in Kenosha this
morning that the hearing will be held
by Governor Blaine on the morning of
January 31st next. The appeal is made
by Judge Levi T. Bancroft, former at
torney general of Wisconsin, who with
several other attorneys will make a
strong plea to secure the release of
Bradley. It is expected that the dis
trict attorney of Kenosha county will
appear to protest against the release
of Bradley or the communication of
his sentence.
Most Unique Case Here.
The trial of John Bradley and his
conviction on charge of murder was
one of the most unique murder cases
in the history of the courts of Keno
sha county. On the night of June 81,
1906, Clifford L Smith, who was en-
ployed as a superintendent of con-
struction crew of the Chicago, Milwau-
kee and st. Paul Railway company, was
shot down and killed. in construction
camp in the town of Somers. 1t was
admitted that the shot was fired by
John Bradley who had been a member
of the construction crew, but Bradley
escaped and he was not captured until
long afterward and he did not go to
trial until May Z, of 1909. Bradley was
defended by Attorney Calvin Stewart
and he admitted the shooting of Smith
but asserted that he had shot in self
defense. The evidence produced by the
state, however, indicated a premedi-
tated murder and showed that Bradley
had made threats against Smith. 81
am going to get him tonight" was the
statement that had been attributed to
Bradley by witnesses who were taken
from members of the/ construction
crew. Bradley admitted the shooting,
but declared that he shot Smith in
self defense when the latter had
made a motion as if to reach for
a revolver. Smith was unarmed at
the time of the killing.
Bradley lowered about the scene of
the shooting for several hours before
he went away and then there was con-
stituted a search which lasted for
years. Bradley was finally arrested in
the far west and brought back to Ke-
nosha. At the time of the trial the
jury finding Bradley guilty, recon-
mended to the court that he show
mercy" to the defendant. In sent
encing Bradley, Judge Belden declared
that he had no doubt as to the guilt
of the defendant and gave him the
only sentence under the Wisconsin
statute. Several appeals have been
made on behalf of Bradley, both to the
supreme court and to Wisconsin gov
errors in Office since his conviction,
| It is declared that he has been model
prisoner at the Waupun institution and
that many people there believe that he
should be entitled to some executive
clemency. Bradley was without rela-
tives in Kenosha and at the time
of the murder he said his home had
been in Chicago.
Bradley is still a young man as
when. the crime was committed he had
just reached his majority.