Clarence Boggie
Clarence Gilmore Boggie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1893 Wisconsin |
| Died | July 1, 1949 (aged 55–56) |
| Occupation | lumberjack |
| Known for | victim of wrongful convictions |
Clarence Gilmore Boggie (1893 – July 1, 1949) was an American lumberjack who was known for his wrongful convictions and later pardons. Born in Wisconsin and raised in Washington, Boggie worked in the logging industry throughout his life.
In the early 1930s, he was convicted of two robberies in Oregon and Idaho, for which he was later pardoned after investigations revealed his innocence. In 1933, he was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Moritz Peterson, a crime he did not commit. After serving 13 years in prison, new evidence led to a conditional pardon from the Governor of Washington in 1948. He died from a heart attack in July 1949.
Early life
Clarence Boggie was born in Wisconsin in 1893. During his youth, he and his parents migrated to the state of Washington, where they settled near Brownsville. When Boggie turned seventeen, he began working in logging fields. He married twice, once from 1915 until his wife died in 1921, and again from 1931 to May 1933.[1]
During the Great Depression, Boggie was unemployed and lived in Portland. He had previously been convicted twice for robbery prior to the murder, in Oregon and Idaho respectively, although he was pardoned both times after an investigation.[2][3]
Death of Moritz Petterson and murder trial
On 28 June 1933, 79 year old saloon operator Moritz Peterson was found dead in his home due to a robbery. In 1935, Boggie was put on trial for the murder of Peterson.[2] He testified that he could not have committed the murder as he was in Portland at that time.[1] Although he did not fit the description of the murderer, several witnesses testified against him, causing the jury to convict him of first-degree murder.[2] They chose to not give him the death penalty, sentencing him to life in prison instead.[1]
New evidence and eventual pardon
William Gilbert, a reverend at a St Paul Episcopal Church in Walla Walla who was interested in the case, traveled to California to convince the lawyer Erle Stanley Gardner to see if Boggie was innocent.[4] Additionally, in October 1947, reporter Don Magnuson was sent by the The Seattle Times to investigate the trial of Boggie.[2] Magnuson travelled thousands of miles, gathering evidence while interviewing officials, attorneys, witnesses, and jurors.[2] Additionally, Gardner discovered that an unnamed "Convict X", who had previously framed Boggie, was the likely killer.[3]
The new evidence provided by Gardner and Magnuson prompted the then-attorney general of Washington, Smith Troy, to conduct a new investigation.[5] On September 23, Troy concluded the investigation, recommending that Governor Monrad Wallgren pardon Boggie.[6] Despite that, Spokane officials chose not to pursue the suspected killer.[7] Wallgren eventually granted Boggie a conditional pardon on December 23, 1948.[5]
Later life and death
After he was released, the state of Oregon chose not to send Boggie back to prison for the robbery charge as it expired in 1934.[8] He married Gertrude McKean, a childhood friend, on March 19, 1949.[9][10]
Clarence Boggie died on July 1, 1949 from a heart attack while working at a logging camp in Northern California.[11] It was speculated that his heart was strained and weakened by his time in prison.[7] He was survived by his wife, four stepchildren, parents, and six siblings.[11]
References
- ^ a b c "Clarence Boggie Convicted". Brandonville Times. Vol. 48, no. 30. 19 December 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Seattle Times Digs Evidence That Frees Lifer". Editor and Publisher. Vol. 82, no. 1. Duncan McIntosh. 1 January 1949. p. 35. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ a b Gardner 1954, pp. 34, 39.
- ^ Ashmore, Barbara Smith (5 October 1958). "Men Who Wait". The Spokesman-Review. p. 7. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Washington Governor Pardons Veteran Of 13 Years In Jail". Victoria Daily Times. Vol. 113, no. 147. University of Victoria. Associated Press. 23 December 1948. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "Study promised in Boggie case". The Spokesman-Review. Vol. 66, no. 133. 24 September 1948. p. 6. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ^ a b Yant 1991, pp. 151.
- ^ "Lifer Freed in Killing After 13 Years in Jail, Spared Prison Again as Oregon Yule Gift". The New York Times. Vol. 98, no. 33, 209. Associated Press. 26 December 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ Gardner 1954, pp. 102.
- ^ "Boggie Wants Chunk Of Cash For Jail Term". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. 20 March 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Heart Attack Fatal to Pardoned Man in California". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Vol. 63, no. 244. Associated Press. 2 July 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
Sources
- Gardner, Erle Stanley (1954). The Court of Last Resort. New York City: Pocket Books Inc. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Yant, Martin (1991). Presumed Guilty: When Innocent People are Wrongly Convicted. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books. ISBN 978-0-87975-643-7. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)