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W. C. GILMAN PARDONED.

RELEASED AFTER TWO YEARS' IMPRISONMENT TO ATTEND HIS WIFE'S FUNERAL--MRS. GILMAN'S DEATH AT NORWICH, CONN.

AUBURN, N. Y., Dec 3.--A special commutation or pardon for William C. Gilman, the insurance broker, arrived at the prison to-day. He was sentenced in October, 1877, to five years' imprisonment for forgery. He will leave this place to-night to attend the funeral of his wife. 

William C. Gilman pleaded guilty to the charge of forgery on October 12, 1877, and was sentenced by Recorder Hackett to five years' imprisonment with hard labor. In business circles Mr. Gilman was held in high esteem before his crime, and the discovery of the forgeries caused great surprise. He had been in business as an insurance broker for twenty yours, having entered, prior to that time, into the office of his father, who had then carried on a similar business for more than twenty years. On October 1 Henry Talmage & Co., bankers, presented to the Third National Bank two certificates of scrip of the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company as collateral security. The bank forwarded them to the insurance company for identification and certification, and it was then discovered that the certificates had been raised from $100 each, the amount for which they were issued in 1876 to William C. Gilman, to $10,000. Other discoveries of a similar character were quickly made until it was at length determined that the forger had obtained no less than $247,320 by this means. Gilman disappeared and was not heard of until the 12th of that month, when he appeared in Court with the Rev. Dr. Houghton, of the Church of the Transfiguration, his pastor, and pleaded guilty of forgery in the second degree. In a long written confession he stated that business depression and personal extravagance had betrayed him into such moral weakness, and that for many years he had been thinking of suicide.

Recorder Hackett in passing sentence was greatly moved. He said to the prisoner: "Your confession to those whom you love dearest in life is the saddest recital that has ever met my ear." Mr. Gilman was a member of the Church of the Transfiguration, a member of the Union League, secretary of the Prison Association, and an active Sunday-school worker. Efforts were made for his release from prison several times, but without avail until yesterday, when the Governor's pardon was handed to him, and he at once left the prison for Norwich, Conn., to attend the funeral of his wife.

Mrs. Gilman died at the house of her husband's sister, at Norwich, on Monday. She was a native of Hartford, and a cousin of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Her husband's crime was a dreadful blow to her, and very soon after his conviction she exhibited symptoms of insanity, and was removed to the Hartford Retreat for the Insane. Here she remained until recently, when, having partly recovered, she went to live with Miss Gilman, who has had Mr. Gilman's three children, a little girl of fourteen, died, and this shock had such an effect upon her that she died on last Monday.

Yesterday afternoon William G. Lane, her brother-in-law, Mrs. Lane, the Rev. Dr. G. H.. Houghton and Mrs. Hurry, a member of the Church of the Transfiguration and an intimate friend of Mrs. Gilman, left his city for Norwich to attend the funeral. The interment is to take place at noon to-day, in the Trinity Church Cemetery, Norwich. 
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cards to the club for a month were both there and met many friends. A statuette of Bryant by Hartley was presented to the club by Roswell Smith in a beautiful address by George W. Coates. I spoke with Curtis but Dr Osgood came along and in his accustomed manner drowned me out. I had a very pleasant evening and staid until one o clock. Mrs. [[?]] gave a kettle drum and invited me but it was so rainy I did not go. 

Sunday 7. The Tribune began a Sunday issue today and it was a very interesting number. The rain has cleared off but it is still very mild. Mary and I went to hear Dr. Tiffany. He preached an interesting sermon on the preparation for a future life. He gave expression to an idea which I have entertained and which I mentioned to Mrs. Taylor the other evening that it might be a reason only we were not permitted to know any thing about the future life that the immortal state would be beyond our comprehension, we could not understand it and it would seem strange and perhaps unsatisfying to our mortal ideas. A very interesting lady sat just ahead of us and I confess divided my interest. She was not perhaps so pretty but she was large and noble looking and had most beautiful golden hair and hazel eyes. After church Mary and I walked up to 44" St to see Miss Nixon and this lady was just ahead of us and went still further. She interested me greatly and I would give some thing to know who she is. Miss Nixon was not in. Wrote to Sara. Dined with Miss Nixon and Miss Sage and spent the evening with Booth. Found there Gifford and his wife, Weir, Mrs. Hutton, Mr Bispham and Marion Booth. She wanted me to