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Show 'LIFER' SAVED BY CONFESSION Aged Man Near Freedom After . 22 Years For Another's Crime. Chester; hi., sept, i (U.EVA gr ay-haired life term prisoner . sobbed and pressed a four-leafed clover to trembling lips today when prison officials told him "It was probably alt a mistake" and that he might soon go free. Jesse Lucas broke down completely com-pletely when told that another man had confessed on his death bed to the murder for which Lucas was sentenced 23 years ago. Mustn't JJe Too Sure "I mustn't be too sure. I mustn't be too sure," the prisoner murmured. mur-mured. "Twice the parole board said they would let me out if I would confess to the murder and both times I insisted I was innocent." inno-cent." "I can't believe it until I see the sky from outside prison wills again." MT. CARMEL, 111., Sept. 1 (U.P The deathbed confession of a 61-year-old farmer urged authorities of two States into action today seeking justice for a man who it is claimed has served 22 years in prison for a murder he did not commit: - The victim of what now is declared de-clared to have been a tragic miscarriage mis-carriage of justice is Jesse Lucas of Mt. Carmel. .He is in the Chester, 111., penitentiary, serving a life sentence for the murder of Clyde Showalter, a young stock buyer whose body was found floating float-ing in the Patoka river 26 years ago. Action Intended to bring about Lucas' release was started after the death last June 30 of George R. Pond, 6 a farmer who lived at Decker, just across the state line, near Vincennes in Indiana. Pond's wife, Rachel, and Mrs. Anna Smith told authorities that Pond confessed on his deathbed that it was he, and not Lucas, who had killed Showalter. Killed For-Money ' Mrs. Pond and Mrs. Smith said Pond asked them to pray tor him, then told them of his crime. The women signed affidavits that Pond told them he killed the stqekbuyer in the belief . Showalter was carry-' ing a large sum of money. Showalter was killed Oct. 19, 1905. His body was found! eight months later in the river .on the Indiana side. Three years later, on Sept. 30, 1908, Lucas and his mother, Mrs. Margaret "Lib" -Lucas,-was charged with the slaying. . Both were convicted con-victed the following April, Mrs. Lucas was granted a new trial and eventually the charges against her were dropped. The son went to prison, protesting his innocence. inno-cence. ' ' |