The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-04-09
PARDON OF A. c. QUARRIER.


last Saturday issued pardon to ALEX
ANDER g. QUARRIER, convicted October
l6, 1871, and sentenced for eight years te
the penitentisry, for altering the books
of the Wheeling Savings Institution, O.
which bank he was cashier. All of oul
citizens will remember the failure of the
Wheeling Savings Institution, in Febru
sry, 1871, the panic among its depositors
the CONSERVATION among business men
aud the excitement among all classes o.
the community consequent upon thai
event. The arrest of Mr.. QUARRIEF
was Immediately made, his trial followed
in the succeeding autumn, and from DC
tober 1871, he has been confined il
the Penitentlsry OF the State. His
pardon last Saturday Is an act of ex
ecutive clemency which we teel assured
will be approved by public opinion here
and throughout the State.
The influences enlisted and the reasons
adduced in favor of Mr.. QUARRIER's re,
lease have been OF the strongest charac-
ter. Hon. THAYER MELVIN, by whom
he was tried and sentenced, wrote to the
executive in his behalf, strongly urging
the pardon. Hon. j. II. GOOD. the
Prosecuting Attorney who secured the
conviction, addressed the Governor in 8
similar manner. A majority of the
jury who found him guilty, joined in 6
petition. In this city, petitions nu-
merously signed, and by al
classes of the community, includ,
ing the most influential and respectable
of our citizens, asked the pardon of Mr.
QUARRIER. Over two years ago, num-
Der of leading men IN different parts OF
the State interested themselves, and ad.
dressed the Executive in Mr.. QUARRIER's
behalf. More recently, petitions have
been received by Governor MATHEWS
from many others of this class of citi-
Zens, members of the Legislature and
other prominent men in Wheeling dur.
ing the past winter. The depositors in
the institution, the people who lost most
largely by the failure of the bank, have
generally united in recommending Mr.
QUARRIER to Executive clemency, and
latterly many of those who al
first were opposed to his lib
Grafton have labored actively fol
his relief. A letter signed by all the
officers OF the State prison, bearing testi
mony to QUARRIER's uniform good con
duct and his faithful discharge of the
duties assigned him, and urging his par
don, was received by Governor. .MATH
Ews last week, and no doubt had due
weight in influencing the decision tha
was finally made.
We have no hesitation in expressing
our belief that Governor MATHEWS ha
done an act which time, experience an
the public judgment will approve. H
has done the right thing and he has dom
it in manly way. We have reason t.
believe that had he thought pardon
should not have been granted he wouit
have been equally prompt in SO deciding
QUARRIER WAS sentenced to imprlson
ment for term OF eight years. He ha
served of this term nearly five years an
six months. Under prison rules, The
abatement of the term earned by him 70
good conduct amounts to near Y on
year. HIS pardon therefore shortens tn
term of actual imprisonment abou
twelve months. It sends him into tn
world again, with the good wishes an
sympathy of very large majority of hi
old personal friends, and OF many VIII
knew him by reputation, to retrieve
possible the errors of the past, and t
make of himself a useful and honorec
citizen. His punishment has long sine
been inflicted. To man of his chsrscte
it must have come with the conviction
and the keen humiliation of the con
vict's gsrb. The purposes of the law, i
not its full letter, have been satisfied
To add to this by unnecessary imprison
ment would have partsken far more o
revenge than of justice.
There are other reasons that vii! ren
der this act of Governor MATHEWS
commendsble and kind. 1t will carr.
gladness to the breasts of those to whom
we can only refer with the deepest sym
rsthy and respect, when We recall the
unshaken devotion that has clung Il
this unfortunate man, through all the
darkness of the past six years. Sucs
affection needs to be considered and res.
pected, and it has been.
THE AMENDED SCHOOL LAW.
The Legislature at its late session
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