Galveston County Texas Archives News.....GOVERNOR ASKED TO GRANT PARDON March 26, 1901 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Kayellen Stakes kayellen2@yahoo.com July 2, 2010, 9:00 pm The Times, Richmond VA. March 26, 1901 The Times (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, March 26, 1901 GOVERNOR ASKED TO GRANT PARDON Texas Preacher Wants Prisoner Set Free So He Can Care for His Destitute Mother. Governor Tyler is in receipt of a most touching letter from Rev. J. B. Sweeney, pastor of the Dixon Street Christian Church, Galveston, Texas, in which the latter seeks the pardon of F. W. Prendergrast, who is now in the State penitentiary. The letter is written in the interest of the aged mother of the prisoner, who lost the rest of her family and all her property in the recent Galveston flood, and though eighty years of age, is employed as a cook iu that city at $8 per month. Mr. Sweeney desires the prisoner set at liberty so he may go to Texas and look after his mother in her poverty-stricken condition. Prendergrast was convicted of murder in the second degree in Scott county in 1898 and sentenced to fifteen years in the penitentiary. He has a good prison record and has served out nearly three years of his sentence. The Governor will take the case up shortly and give it the attention it deserves. The Times(Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, March 28, 1901 AN INTERESTING STORY Commohwealth's Attorney Cox, of Scott county, was at the Capitol yesterday, and gave Governor Tyler a very lnteresting account of the case of Prendergrast the man whose pardon is sought by a Galveston preacher on the ground that his mother having been a victim of the flood in that city is in destitute crcumstances and needs him to aid in her support. Mr.Cox says Prendergrast and a young man named Pendleton went some years ago to tne home of an old man in Scott county at night for the purpose of robbing him. They called him to his door and accord ing to the evidence at the trial,Pendleton covered him with two pistols and shot him in the arm. The old man ran and was pursued and shot to death by Pendleton, while Prendergrast robbed the house of S4. Tho men went to Texas and then to Missouri where in an at tempt to commit another "hold up," Pendleton was kilied. Prendergrast came back to Scott, gave himself up, threw himself on the mercy of the court and was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. He has now served about a year of his term. Mr. Cox believes the story about the man's mother being in destitute circumstances has been overdrawn, and says she has a step-daughter in Scott county, who is Wealthy and able to help her out of her troubles. The Governor is much interested in the case, and will take it up officially in a few days though he hardly thinks it one for executive interference. Additional Comments: No further follow ups were found regarding the story of Pendergrast. The articles may be viewed at http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85034438/1901-03-28/ed-1/seq-3/ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85034438/1901-03-26/ed-1/seq-8/ File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tx/galveston/newspapers/governor12nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/txfiles/ File size: 3.5 Kb