People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1893 — HUGHES PARDONED. [ARTICLE]

HUGHES PARDONED.

Gov. Flower Orders the Release of the I.ahor Reader. Rochester, N. Y., July 5. James Hughes, of Chicago, the ex-master workman of district assembly 231, Knights of Labor of this city, wiio has been sentenced to one year in the Monroe county prison, and for whose release the local assemblies of the state have been working earnestly, will become a free man to-day. Gov. Flower has granted a pardon to the convicted labor leader and it will be executed this morning. [Hughes’ conviction grew out of the trouble between the Rochester clothing manufacturers and their employes in 1890. Several firms were forced to pay to the order of Master Workman Hughes sums ranging from 81,000 to 82,000 each to avoid a boycott. At last the employers united and March 7, 1891, locked out all their cutters. In June of the same year Hughes was indicted for extortion in connection with the trouble, was convicted and sentenced to one year's imprisonment An appeal to the general term resulted in a confirmation of the conviction. The case wa then carried to the court of appeals, but before it was argued February 6 last Hughes came to Rochester and announced that he was prepared to serve his sentence. For five months he has been an inmate of the penitentiary. He has worked as a clothing cutter, and never caused the offleiajs any trouble. February 20 Master Workman Wright, of the Garment Cutters' union, declared off the boycott which had been standing against Rochester clothing ever since the lockout, and from that time efforts to obtain Hughes’ release had been unceasing.]