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Show HIS INNOCENCE ESTABLISHED Governor Filer Pardons a Life I rlvinor at J.lllKt. SiMtiNtiKir.i.t), HI., Aug. 9. Governor Fifer has granted an inimodiatcjhud unconditional un-conditional pardon to John l. (jnctir.it), who was convicted of murder-? at the November term, of the Wabash county circuit court and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. There is not now the shadow of a doubt but that Cochran was innocent of the crime of which he was convicted, and for which he has suffered for nearly two years. I The name of his supposed victim was John liucheubcrger. The man came to Mount I'armel, 111., from Kvansville, Ind on October 11. WS. On the 15th he purchased a revolver with one round of cartridges, and on the Kith he was found la a dying condition in a lumber shed, the revolver which he had purchased the day before lying under his leg with one chamber empty. He had been shot through the roof of his mouth. Cochran, who had come to town looking for work and who had stopped at the same hotel with Buehen-bergcr, Buehen-bergcr, was suspected, tried and convicted con-victed maiuly on the testimony of oue Charles iteese. who had served a term in the penitentiary for horse stealing. This man testified that Cochran admitted admit-ted to him that he had murdered Buch-enbergcr Buch-enbergcr for his money. The dofor.so was that Hucheuberger had committed suicide. The day before hi) shot himself him-self Biichonbiirger wrota a letter to his wife and family at Kvansville, telling them that when it reached them lie would not bo among the living, but with his father in heaven, also telling them where his body could bo found. It was afterward found at the place indicated in-dicated in the- letter. The letter was written in German. Its genuineness is admitted by the prosecutiou, and it is also admitted that it was received by tho family of Biiehcnlierger in due course of mail. Strange as it may seem, the existence of this letter, winch with other facts leavo no room to doubt that Cochran was innocent, was not known to tho defenso until after the unfortunate unfortu-nate man had been convicted and scut to tho penitentiary. The governor refused re-fused a pardon to'Curtis Hobinson, who was sent to the penitentiary from McLean Mc-Lean county for manslaughter. |