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STATEMENT OF PARDONS

COMMUTATIONS OF SENTENCE, AND RESPITE

GRANTED BY

THEODORE ROOSEVELT,Governor,

DURING THE YEAR 1899.

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January 3, 1899. Walter Bayard. Sentenced July 2, 1897; county, Queens; crime, burglary, third degree, and grand larceny, second degree; term, two years and two months; prison, Kings County Penitentiary.

The crime was, in fact, petit larceny, to which Bayard pleaded guilty; but by reason of an erroneous entry by the clerk, sentence was imposed as for burglary and grand larceny.

January 9, 1899. James T. Bates. Sentenced June 15, 1897; county, New York; crime, grand larceny, second degree; term, four years; prison, Sing Sing.

Bates is a colored man. On December 12, 1896, a colored man presented a check for $65.25, together with a pass-book, to the teller of a savings bank in New York. After some hesitation on the part of the teller, the check was paid. It was, in fact, a forgery, and in June, 1897, Bates was convicted of grand larceny for fraudulently obtaining the money upon it. The district attorney has very grave doubt as to Bates' guilt. The teller who paid the check wholly failed to identify him as the person to whom he paid it, and all the evidence upon which the conviction was had was of an unsatisfactory character. The doubt as to his guilt is too great to warrant his further detention.

January 19, 1899. Charles F. Butler. Sentenced February 24, 1896; county, St. Lawrence; crime, grand larceny, second degree; term, five years; prison, Clinton.

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Butler hired a livery horse and buggy to go and see his wife, who was dangerously ill and who died shortly after his conviction. Being without money to pay the livery bill, he abandoned the horse and buggy, leaving them under a shed, where they were recovered by the owner on the following day. There does not appear to be any reason for supposing that Butler intended to deprive the owner finally of his property, but the jury construed his act as a larceny, and as he had been previously convicted of petit larceny, imprisonment for five years was the lowest sentence the court could impose. The judge and the district attorney both regard the sentence as excessive, and recommend that a pardon be granted.

January 23, 1899. Herbert Spear. Sentenced October 20, 1896; county, Schuyler; crime, burglary, second degree; term, five years; prison, Auburn.

The physician reports that Spear is seriously ill, and that it is not probable that he will live out his term. The judge who imposed the sentence and the district attorney recommend that a pardon be granted.

January 24, 1899. John J. Kane. Sentenced September 23, 1896; county, Erie; crime, forgery, second degree; term, three years and six months; prison, Auburn.

If released now, Kane can obtain immediate employment, a desirable position having been secured for him. This he might not be able to do at the end of his term in May next. This was his first offense, and the judge and the district attorney urge that his application for clemency be granted.

Sentenced De

January 27, 1899. Benjamin Goldberg. cember 7, 1898; county, Suffolk; crime, grand larceny, second degree; term, four months; prison, Suffolk County Jail.

The facts of this case, as stated by the county judge who

presided at the trial, are that Goldberg, having been requested to deposit two checks for the complainant, delivered them, together with the complainant's pass-book, to the cashier, by whom the deposit slip was made out. The checks were properly credited on the complainant's pass-book, but the cashier, having inadvertently made the deposit slip in Goldberg's name, they were credited to him on the books of the bank. Several weeks afterwards the mistake was discovered, and as Goldberg refused to adjust the matter, he was indicted. for stealing the checks. The county judge recommends a pardon, being doubtful as to whether the facts really constituted larceny.

Sentenced October 9,

April 3, 1899. James Delaney. 1896; county, New York; crime, attempting to commit burglary, third degree; maximum term, two years and six months; prison, State Reformatory.

Delaney has but fourteen days to serve to complete his sentence and is released now on account of the serious, probably fatal, illness of his brother. The district attorney recommended a pardon more than a year ago on account of mitigating circumstances.

July 10, 1899. Thomas Morrissey. Sentenced May 31, 1899; county, New York; crime, assault, second degree; term, one year and six months; prison, Sing Sing.

Morrissey having been directed by his employers to eject the complainant from their premises, used more force than was necessary for the purpose. There does not seem to have been any deliberate intent on his part to commit a crime. He has always been a man of good character and has suffered a sufficient punishment for his act.

August 3, 1899. John Wilson. Sentenced September 14,

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