Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-12-11
WEDNESDAY MORNING. DEC. II. ISIS.



apologizing to crime for his enforced
tS4ssrsy.W.yha &~ aud the Judgment
of the highest judicial tribunal of the
State, ia the one record that hc will
blush for when all bis other iniirnitics
shall have been forgotten. 1t is re-
proach upon the supreme Executive
authorities OF the State an ineilacca-
bic libel upon Justice humiliating
confession OF the subordinatlon Of law
to the political power Of potential
criminals, and personal stigma upon
the Governor Of Commonwealth that
is an empire in wealth, power and law
loving population, 1t is a mockery OF
Hartranft by Harlranft an exhibition
of petulence and unwarran,ed imputa.
tions upon others that sadly jars with
his proverbially clear and deliberate
Judgment and it accuses him as no
mingled cunning and hate could accuse
him, OF self proclaimed sympathy with
"a leader OF murderers, whose deludcd
slaves have peopled sixteen gibbets, in
obedience to hispromptIy and willingly
signed death warrants.
So ograve a,public paperfron the Chief
Magistrate OF the State on sograve sub
ject, should bo serupulously free from
errors Of fact and errors OF accusation.
His statements that "the attempt from
the first to make political capital out OF
the (Kehoe) case, aud to prejudice the
public against the possible favorable
action of the authorities !" that there
was uncommon anxiety to push tech
nicalities to exactness to secure bis
(Kehoe) conviction and execution for
a crime of fifteen years standing -
that he preferred forest little longer
under the impuiotion which has been
indusiriously circulated since the trial,
rather than erect the gallows in po-
litical campaign" aud that whatever
political advantage could be gotten
from making the pardon or execution
of a criminal u political question, | de-
sired the opposition to wholly enjoy
are most unbecoming in the chief ad-
ministrator of the laws, because all
are wanting in dignity and most OF
them essentially wanting in truth.
The only persons who have given
political consequence TO the case of
Kehoe are Governor Hartranit him.
self, his trusted and honored partisan
friends who are proven traders in JUS.
tico in Hartraft's name, and the Grim.
inals with whom they traded. On
these points we are not left to conjec-
ture. The sworn testimony Of John J.
Slattery in the trial Of Alexander
Campbell, in Carbon county, should
have been sufficient Of itself, however
lightly Governor Hartranit may have
regarded bis solemn oath to administer
the laws, to make him pause and con
template the pit-iall into which he has
fallen. Mr.. Slattery is q merchant OF
Tuscarora, Schuy kill county, enjoyed
more popular respect than any other
known member OF the Mollie Maguires,
and was once the candidate Of the
Democratic party for Associate Judge
in his county. He testified in the
Campbell case in 1876, that Kehoe pro
posed TO or agreed with him, during
the Gubernatoi contest between
Hartranit and Pershing in 1875, to
transfer the vote of the Mollie Mcguire
to Hartranft for q cash consideration.
Major General Sigiricd, who received
bis military commission from lartranft
and who was then and is now the in
cumbent OF the sinecure but lucrative
office OF Inspector of Boilers by the
favor of Hartranft, and WIS communi-
Gated with on the subject, and he asked
delay until he could confer with parties
at Harrisburg. lie promptly visited
the State Capital and telegraphed the
Mollie Mcguire contractors to meet
him at his (Sigfrled's) home in Potts
vile that evening. As requested, Ke-
hoe, Slattery Henning, Chairman OF
the Republican County Committee,
and Judge Ryon, met at Sigfried's
house, and the contract for the deliv.
cry ofthe Mollie Mcguire vote to Hart
ranft was then and there agreed upon
in detail, and some twelve or thirteen
hundred dollars paid to each Of the
Mollie Mcguire leaders -Kehoe and
Slattery. Kehoo was then County
Delegate of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians, the highest position in the
order in the county. That Kehoc and
his followers did support Hartranft
against Pershing for Governor in
1875, is one of the now undisputcd
facts Of that contest, and that Hart
rants friends lost their money by
losing quite an equal number of rcpu.
table Republican votes in the more in
telligent and law abiding portions OF
the county, is abundantly demonstrated
by an examination of the returns. One
year thereafter, Kehoc was arrested
for murder. When first arrested, he
was hilarious in his defiance Of his ac
cusers, although six distinct murders
were laid to his charge, but as public
opinion asserted its sanctity for the
majesty of law and the safety OF socie-
ty, ne learned that thc manipulation
of jurics was ended and that his con
dcmnation was probable. 1t was then
that he declared his last refugc-his
one source of safety even against the
highest judgment of the law, and that
refuge was Governor Hartranit. Mr..
George Byerly, Warden of the prison,
testified in the etrialof Kehoe, that Kehoe
declared to him that "lhe old man at Har
rsburg (Hartranit) would not go back
on them" lncarcerated in prison as
a murderer, with six known murders
charged against him, and with convic.