Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1883-04-21
DITTENHOFFER's PARDON.
Gov. Nehemiah Worked" and the Facts
Made Public.

Gov. Nehemiah worked" and the Facts
Made Public.
A Times reporter visited Judge Moody
and in answer to the question, "Do you
know the facts in regard to the pardon
ing Of Dittenhofer by the governor,
received the following answer. which
We take from the Times Of the I4th:
You will remember that Ordway en-
dcavored to excuse his notorious act so
demOralizing to the administration of
public justice by writing letter for pub
iication, which was published i'm the
Times, wherein he alleged that he grant.
ed the Dittenhoffer pardon at the in
stance of a Judge Parker, of Arkansas,
who was an old acquaintance Of the gov
ernor, as he claimed. When saw that
publication in the paper, which reached
me while | was east last fall, mingled
sensation Of shame and disgust possessed
me-shame that such a man should be
foisted upon an oppressed people as its
executive, and disgust that any man, oc-
cupying SO exalted position, should
deliberately attempt to deceive the peo-
pie whom he had SO grossly insuted
and outraged by the act. He knew that
neither the letter Of Judge Parker nor
anything else which he published as the
in granting the pardon. Let me give
you some information which came to
me while | was east about this matter
and then you can draw your own infer
ences as to the motive which controlled
him.
A man claiming to be Judge Often
hotter, Of New York City, and an uncle
or other relative of young Dittenhoffer,
came to prominent gentleman in
Washington last summer, shorty prior
to the pardon, and asked his interces-
sion with Ordway, and help in procur-
ing the pardon ofthe nephew, and offer
ed him quite sum Of money for his
aid. This gentleman knowing Ordway
we'll said to Judge ID. II couldn't aid
you if should try, and | don't want
your money, but l will tell you how to
get your nephew pardoned. Can you
reach Bill Chandlcrand get letter from
him to Ordway ?"
Judge ID said he thought he could.
''Then get the letter from Chandler !;
that will set you on easy and familiar
terms with Ordway take the letter to
Ordway offer him the same money you
offer me, and you will get the pardon"
Judge ID. went away, and after day
or two returned to the gentleman, ex-
hibited to him the letter from Chandler
to Ordway, which was read and carefully
noted by this person to whom it was ex-
hibitcd, said he would follow his advice,
went at once to Ordway and the pardon
followed Immediately.
Your readers will remember that this
pardon was not made public, nor did
our district attorney, or did know Of it
until long after the prisoner had been
released, and then learned of it only
when the sheriff returned from trip
with prisoners to the Detroit house of
correction, and happening to inquire
after Dittenhoffer, found he had been
gone two or three months.
Although the law provided for notice
to the district attorney, before pardon
could be properly granted, and authoriz-
ed the governor to call upon the Judge
who presided at the trial for his views
and any information he possessed as to
the propriety or improperly Of granting
such pardon, no notice was given to the
district attorney, and l was in no way
adviced that such an application was
pending.
This pardon Of Diitenhoffer I do not
now hesitate to pronounce as one Of the
most outrageous acts ever perpetrated
by an executive anywhere, and was
done without the slightest reason or
canse or imaginable ground and, indeed,
Ordway does not seek to justify it, He
only gives the puerite and false reason
that he was asked TO do so by q total
stranger to the facts, and to Dittenhoffer,
and simply because he was former ac-
quaintance of his. You can Judge fthis
excuse, so silly in itself, does not
strengthen the inference naturally to be
drawn from what traspired at Washing
ton.
This transaction alone ought to re-
move Ordway and send him from the
territory in disgrace, and if it was
brought to the attention Of the admin
istration it would remove him, unless
Chandler is willing to father his infam-
Gus acts for the sake Of using him as his
dirty tool, and should have strength
with President Arthur, which none of
the presidents friends think Chandler
possesses"
Judge, what have you to say about
the o-calied capital removal bill?"
Don't, pray you, enter upon that
disgusting subject now. IfOrdway don't
steal this territory blind before he gets
ont of it, it won't be his fault, and he
has in II splendid situation TO make q
good start: With his son ss auditor, that