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Bummer to GetiF eedom Dec. 28More Details On Page 3.His life sentence in the state peni- j£ entiary commuted after serving1 leariy 23 years for a murder In! vhich he has steadfastly maintained ■' i1I iWILLIAM GUMMERhis innocence. William Gummer ■ quietly went about his routine prison j chores Monday. IPrison officials said that Gum-1, mer, a mcdel prisoner, expressed natural happiness when he was formally notified Saturday that the state pardon board had commuted his sentence to end Dec. 28.Decision to release him then was made by the board 'after Ratptr-f; Croal.-Cass county state's attorney,declared he was convinced that Gummer did not murder 18-year-old Marie Wick in a Fargo hotel room the night of dune 6, 1921.Thus was written another chapter in the history of the most famous murder case ever chronicled in North Dakota.At the prison, Gummer has served as a record keeper In the prison twine plant part of the time and as a barber part of the time. Now 44, lie was just 22 when he entered the prison, after his conviction in Valley City.Gummer was sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary following his conviction in February, 1922, of first degree murder in connection with the death of ^18-year-old. Marie Wick of Grygla, Minn,, in a Fargo hotel room the night of June 6, 1921,The board met at 10 a. m, Saturday in an adjourned special session to consider the Gummer case on the basis of evidence contained in a statement filed with the board by Ralph F. Croal, Cass county states attorney.Mr. Croal's statement was not immediately available.The board's decision culminated 5 ears of effort oil the part of Gummer and his brother-in-law, H. W.. Swenson, Devils Lake attorney, to' gain a pardon or commutation. Gummer throughout has maintained • his innocence.In commuting the sentence, the-pardor board said in a formal statement that it had reached the conclusion that a grave doubt exists regarding the guilt of William Gummer *’The evidence (upon which Gummer was convicted'*,” the board said, was wholly circumstantial . . ,Investigations have been made from time to time ... No additional facts have been discovered pointing, toward his guilt. However, facts l have from time to time been discovered which tend to lessen the circumstances that entered into his, conviction . . ”It was explained tha t Gummer was net released immediately in order that he might ha’ge a few days to readjust himself mentally to the; knowledge that he is to be a free man again after so many years behind bars.Members of the pardon board are -1 Governor John Moses, Chief Justice James Morris, Attorney General Al- ■ vin C. Strutz and Dr J. A Saathoff,: all of Bismarck but Saathoff, who is of Jamestown.
Newspaper Details
Bismarck Tribune
Bismarck, North Dakota, US
Mon, Dec 11, 1944
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
West F.
ND, USA 08 Oct 2017
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