Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1905 — LIFE MEN RELEASED. [ARTICLE]

LIFE MEN RELEASED.

Through the clemency of Governor Durbin four life prisoners in the states prison were given their liberty as a Christmas gift. One was pardoned and three paroled. Warden Reid was instructed to release the men in time that they might reach their homes to spend Christmas, their first day of liberty, with thier relatives. The men released were George Fritts, sentenced from Lawrence county in 1901 for murder; Samuel H. Price, sentenced from Randolph county in 1893, for murder; John Cline, sentenced from Pike county in 1898, for murder, and Fred Rtohard*, sentenced from Allen county in 1884, for murder.

The action of the governor in each case, it is stated, was through the recommendation of the board of-pardons, which met in Indianapolis early in December. Fritts was only 18 years old when convicted. He was tried jointly with his father for killing a neighbor. In a petition for the boy’s pardon ten of the la jurors who convicted him certified that they had not intended to convict him along witbb is father. They had misunderstood tueir inetrnotions, they said. Samuel Price was charged with the murder of Eent Brown, colored, in Randolph county in, 1893 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Price is a mechanic and

was put in charge of the prison waterworks west of the city at the time of the establishments of that place. Five years ago he became a trusty and since that time lived outside the prison walls. He was a familiar character at |he pumping station and many Michigan City people will remember him. John Cline was convicted of poisoning a man in Petersburg, by utting morphine in bis beer. Richards has served 20 years in the state prison. He is 64 years old and broken in health. For several years past be bad been employed in the prison hospital where he performed his duties duties with great devotion.