The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-01
.BONHAM GIVEN
COMMUTAT|ON
To go YEARS
Evansville Man Finally Wins
Fight to Avoid Elec-
trio Chair.
BOARD URGES ACTION
Must Serve 80 Years in
Prison Before Parole
Can Be Considered.
Rn Tnited Press

BIZ United Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, Nov. Sen
tence of Howard Bonham Of Evans
vile, Ind, former United States ma
rine orderly to the late President
Harding, TO die in the electric chair
at Chicago Friday on a murder con-
viction charge, was committed to
ninety-nine years by Governor L. 1.
EmmerSon here today.
Bonharn, also known as the model
chauffeur" to Major General John
A. LIE Jeune when the latter was
commandment of the United States
marine corps, was convicted in De
ccmber, 1880, for the alleged MUIR
der of Paul Tulupan, Chicago res
taurant manager.
Under the generally accepted in
depreciation of Illinois law commu-
ting of Bonham's death sentence to
ninety-nine years means that he
will have to serve that many years
unless he is pardoned. Persons serv-
ing commated sentences are not
eligible for parole.
Witnesses Arc Quizzed
Accompanying Emmersons an
nouncement that he had committed
Bonham's sentence was a statement
by w. c. Jones, chairman of the
state board of pardons and paroles,
wherein he explained why the board
had recommended a Communication.
LAS a result of our investigation,
extending over a period of weeks"
said Jones, many facts pertinent
to this crime were disclosed which
had not been presented to the
court or jury.
"At our last hearing, five wit
nesSes appeared who had not been
called upon to testify at the trial.
These witnesses were questioned
and croSs-questioned individually.
All of them agreed that Bonham
was at the home Of Anne Savoy,
proprietress of rooming house,
the night the murder was COM
mitted.
Discrepancy Is Cited
Counsel for Ronfam represented
that none of these witnesses could
be found at the time of the trial,
and that he had to proceed without
them. AS result, there was prac-
tically no evidence submitted in
Bonham's behalf.
"Bonham himself did not take
the stand because of his counsels
fear that his confession to the COM
mission of several robberies with
gun would harm his. case.
Our investigation also brought
out discrepancy in the identifica-
ton of Bonham as the murderer.
Judge Burke (the trial judge
and the jury acted conscientiously
and with courage in performing a
difficult task. However, the trial
court and the jury did not have the
advantage of hearing all of the
testimony and other facts and cir
cumstances which have been pre-
sented to this board"
Must Serve 80 Years
Jones called attention to the fact
that this is the first case in which
the present board recommended
communication of death sentence.
"Onr investigation disclosed that
important inftrmation was not pre-
sented to the trial jury, and, after
careful ard conscientious considera-
ton of the facts, the board con-
cluded there ewas sufficient doubt as
to BonhamS guilt to warrant the
recommendation of executive Glenn
ency," he said.
However, the board purposely
refrained from recommending a
Communication Of life, as under that
sentence, Bonham would be eligible
for parole at the expiration of
twenty years, while under a sem
tence of ninety-nine years, he can
not be considered for parole until
he has served at least thirty-three
years"
Bonham was sentenced to death
on July Is, 1881, in the court Of
Judge Joseph Burke, Chicago. He
was alleged to have slain Tulupan
with a sawed-cf shotgun during a
holdup.
Appeals Unsuccessful
He made an unsuccessful appeal
to the state supreme court, which
affirmed the death sentence, and
then to the state board Of pardons
and paroles, which last spring de-
MED his application for clemency.
Several witnesses at the pardon
board hearing, however, testified to
his presence at a birthday dinner
party at the time of the murder.
and because of this and other dis
crepancies his execution was stayed
and he finally was granted another
board hearing last month.
An attempt TO avert the death
sentence by having himself de-
clared insane also failed, sanity
trial resulting in a verdict to the
effect that he was sane.