Show NOW HE Will TALK yiortsnsen Petitions fora Chance to Be Heard I WILL TELL THE WHOLE l STORY Appeals to Govornor and Board of Pardons Claims to Be Able to Explain Away the jMost Damaging Testimony Testi-mony Against Him Following is the full text oC Peter Iortensens petition to Gov Wells and the State Board of Pardons to be granted a hearing before his execution which is i set for this morning I Suit Lake City Utah Nov IS 1003 To the Ion I JJubor M 1 Wells Governor of the State of Utah and to the Board of Pardons of thc Slate of Utah Gentlemen Peter Morlenson convicted convict-ed of the crime of murder In Ihe Ilrst degree de-gree and sentenced to bo executed on Friday Fri-day tho 20th day of November JH03 between be-tween the hours of 10 ocloek a in and 1 oclock i > m of said date respectfully petition pe-tition tine Governor of thc State of Utah and tho honorable Board of Pardons and each I of you for a hearing before you prior to my execution upon the following jroundH towit First That I am Innocent of tho crime charged against mo and of which I havo been convicted and for which I am to be executed Second That I have not had a fair trial as guaranteed me under and by virtue of the constitution of the Slate of Utah and In making thin last declaration 1 do It with all deference and respect In the court who have passed upon my ciihu not with a view of criticising what han boon done but for time purpose of expressing my Individual feelings and convictions relative to the mutter Third lhat I bollcve that If I am prlv Ihsctl with u hearing before the Governor Gover-nor and I he honorable Hoard of Pardons and am given the opportunity to make explanations ex-planations and answer questions that maybe may-be put to lilt relative to any 11 alter pertaining per-taining to my conduct prior to at thu tlmu or Hubbcouent to tho rendition of the verdict against me or upon any inn I Mr whatsoever which In any way pertains to the charge for which I havo been convicted con-victed or otherwluc I will lie able to satisfy sat-isfy thl t < Governor and the I honorable board that 1 am not guilty l of the crlnio with which 1 am charged and therefore ought not to suffer the penally of death I believe If an opportunity Is afforded mo I to appear In person before thc Governor and lie Board of Pardons that J can answer an-swer such questions as arc put to inc In L manner satisfactory and that such a privilege will rtuilt In the board 1 taking favorabh notion In my behalf I make this ruiinest pursuant to suggestions sugges-tions of certain momboru of tho board during the consideration of my formor petition for commutation of sentence I liuvo been Inforned that certain rnombera of tho board Intimated that If Mitlsfactury explanation could w madu na to whuro I got the money which I paid James It nay and UK u my whereabouts on time night of DtKembcr 10 1D01 that the action of tho board might havo been other than It wa I am Informed that the District Attorney mado time statement before J time board that thc fact that I did not go upon I the stand and explain where 1 got the money from and I hat I failed to show to the jury where I pot Ihe money from which 1 paid James ft tiny was pcrhaph l the strongest evidence aGainst me and was perhaps the vital link In the circumstances circum-stances which IC > 11 It ell In my conviction That being tile ease 1 I big of the honorable honor-able Governor of thiS State and the Itotird of Pardons to privilege 110 with an opportunity oppor-tunity to appear before them to answer liiostfons and make such explanations as are required of me 1 appreciate thc fact that this Is perhaps I per-haps a m haLo hour III which to mal > such an appeal Howevor I I Invite attyntlon to the fact that I was sentenced on the ird day of October 1UO to bo executed on the I 20lh day of November I 1JSl that immediately immedi-ately alter such sentence and within the time required by law my attorneys petitioned peti-tioned tie court for a cirtlllcate of probable proba-ble cause of appeal to the Supreme court of the State of Utah that said petition i J wns denied and that my counsel immcdl ately and upon thc same day that tho certificate of probable cause was denied by the District court asked tIme lion U N JJaskln Chief Justice of the Supreme court for a certificate of probable cause That the Honorable Chief Justice suggested sug-gested that the mailer be brought bo fore the court as a whole which suggestion was carried out by my counsel and a pc lit 1011 for a certlllcalo of probable cause was filed on the iind day of October 1101 That the court at that time refused to I Issue a cortlllcate of probable cause hut I suspended the rules of the court and gavo my counsel until the 20th day of October i i 1503 In which to prepare IIle and subiilt abstracts and briefs on the appeal which at that time had been perfected by 7ny counsel In order to I avoid delay upon which Oth day of October IPOthe t court I heard the argument in my behalf on the second appeal On the L0th diy of October Octo-ber tho case was submitted and on the evening of the IJOlh day I of October 1903 the decision ot the lower court on the second appeal was confirmed the lion Thomas Mnrlnonx I Dlslrlct Judge dissenting dis-senting Under the rules of the court I had twenty days from the rendition of the judgment In which to file my petition for rehearing but on account of the flon Thomas Mnrlnoux not having illrd his dissenting opinion until thc t nth dny of November lUOt we wcro unable to properly I prop-erly present the petition I for rehearing un tilthe nth day of November 1103 Tho Lioard of Pardons had a spcrlul setting on tho 1llh day of November 11MW at which time they considered my potlllon for commutation com-mutation of sentence Thc petition for rehearing was not passed upon by h I he Supremo court until the day pf November No-vember 1003 so that It will be seen that I this petition being presented at this late hour Is not fault of mine but Is prc sell tl 11 at this time because there wcr petitions and other matters before the courts which necessarily should be disposed dis-posed of prior to the considering of a petition pe-tition of this kind Wherefore 1 respectfully ask that a day he hot on which I may appear before the Honorable Governor and the Hoard or Pudons In person and make such explanation explan-ation and answer such questions as ate proper PespeelfulJy submitted |