 On June 1, 1931, with Governor Parnell out of the state at French Lick, Indiana for a governor's conference, Lawrence Wilson used his position as Acting Governor to pardon his brother Fred Wilson from four counts of grand larceny in Union County.When interviewed, the Acting Governor said he "had no apologies to offer" saying he issued the pardon "on account of his grief stricken mother".This followed a similar use of furlough by Wilson in April freeing William R. Atkins, a bank robber from Hempstead County.