Page:Special message of the governor of Iowa to the seventeenth General assembly, communicating report of pardons and remissions (IA specialmessageof00iowa).pdf/21

1877.] his business, and the belief that, situated as he was, he had been punished sufficiently, combined with the district-judge and district-attorney’s recommendation, induced me to order his release.

January 15, 1878. Crime, seduction. Sentence, penitentiary for the term of eighteen months. Convicted at the October term, 1875, of the Poweshiek county district-court. Pardon was recommended by many good men of Poweshiek county, on the grounds of his good character prior to this charge, and newly discovered evidence, which is somewhat mitigating. There was considerable opposition to his pardon, but recently it has mainly been withdrawn. The young man, I think, has been punished sufficiently for the crime committed.

January 30, 1877. Sentenced on the 9th day of January, 1875, for the term of three years for the crime of assault with intent to commit rape. The sentence is commuted to six months in the county jail of Johnson county, at such labor, if any, as the sheriff may find him able to perform, and such as he can be required to perform, consistently with his safe keeping. This commutation is wanted because of his age (he is quite an old man) and because a full pardon is asked by Judge Rothrock, before whom he was tried, by twelve of the grand jurors who found the indictment on which he was tried; by eight of the petit jurors who convicted him; by the county officers; and by many citizens.

February 13. Crime, manslaughter. Convicted at the September term, 1876, of the district court of the county of Clayton. Sentenced to imprisonment in the additional penitentiary for the term of five years. The sentence of the district court is commuted from five to four years. Such commuted period of one year to commence from the filing of a certain bond with good and sufficient surety, conditioned, that, at the expiration of one year, the said Whittle shall report himself to the warden of said penitentiary unless prevented by death, for the infliction of the remainder of the punishment ordered by the court, without any expense to the state or Clayton county. The reason for commuting the sentence is, that the petitioners represent that the said Patrick Whittle is in the last stage of