The Ghost of the Kneeland Hotel Fire
After three years in jail, a petition for clemency for Angus McClain sparks local debate over reformation, justice, and the costs of a retrial.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A petition was circulated this week and generally signed for the release of Angus McClain, who has been confined in jail over three years for the burning of the Kneeland hotel at this place, in which a life was lost. Since the supreme court granted a new trial, it is unlikely that a conviction can be secured, owing to the careless handling of the evidence and absence of original witnesses. A great many are firmly of the opinion of his guilt, but others are willing for his release, on the ground that he is thoroughly reformed and different. It is claimed that he has not tasted liquor—the direct cause of his downfall—for three years and is sincere in his professions. One object of the petition is to save the expense of another trial, but as that would have no effect, it is probably more to show the feeling and sympathy of the signers.
“A great many are firmly of the opinion of his guilt, but others are willing for his release, on the ground that he is thoroughly reformed and different.”
The debate over whether to spend taxpayer money on a retrial for a potentially 'reformed' individual versus securing a conviction is a tension still felt in contemporary criminal justice reform. Like the Kneeland Hotel fire case, local communities continue to grapple with the collision between the high cost of the legal system and the public's conflicting demands for retribution and redemption.
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