The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-07-20

AAA "oo PAAi-J oN'iANJt 1890 >''-
such fiend loose upon. the people is
itself a crime.
There is either mistake i'll the report
of the reason assigned by the governor
or wilfu1 Misrepresentation upon the
face of the record
AS the governor has been abusive i'll
his official correspondence with me upon
this subject, deem it possible that he
has not been overly scrupulous i'll this
feature Of the matter.
SEYMOUR w. CONDOR.
THE GOVERNORS REASON.
Salem, July I6.-The reason given by
the governor for the pardon of c. w.
Burleig1l, convicted i'll Lincoln county
May 5, 1891, for the crime of rape was
not, as published i'll the Oregoria:1 of
the nth inst, 'tllat the prosecuting at
torney dill not think the prisoner
guilty." but was for the reason that afti-
davits hal been presented showing the
unreliability of the prosecuting testi-
mony and the impossbility OF the COM
mission of the crime. The substance of
those affidavits are found il the sub
joined letter, dated July B, 1891, which
was sent to Prosecuting Attorney S W.
Condor, at Eugene, Or, by--S,Governor
Pennoyer:
"In the matter of the application for a
pardon for Cyrus N. Burleigh, sentenced
to the penitentiary for five years at the
May term of court for Lincoln county,
for the crime of attempted rape on the
person of Glenna Mabel Irish, will say
that have the affidavit of Samuel Irish,
the father of the child, that she has been
subject to fits of mental alteration for
years, and also the affidavit of Daisy
Irish. his wife, and the stepnlother of
the girl, in which she has heard the
child accuse her own father of having
criminal intercourse with her. I have
also the affidavit of Catherine Bur1eigl1,
wife of Cyrus w. Bur1eigh, that her hus-
band is II years of age, and that he has
been i1npotent more than year. I have
also the statement of John Kelsay, at
torney for the said Burleigh on the trial,
TIL; t he said Burleigh testified during
the trial as to his impotency. 1t appears
to me that if the courts sentence impo-
tent old men to the penitentiary for rape
on the unsupported testimony of crazy
girls, it is a proper case for executive
clemency. In accordance with section
1912 of the code request of you state
ment of the facts of the case"
This is the worst yet. These affida-
Wits, to anyone but Oregon's damphool
governor, would have been further as
surance of cthe old devils guilt The
affidavit of Daisy Irish-"Big Six" as
she is fanliliarly known and stepmother
of the abused, misguided victim of the
old mans brutal nature-to the effect
that the child had accused her own
father of having had criminal intercourse
with her, is generally believed, and only
serves to strengthen the prevalent opin-
ion, that he, too, should be placed in
the penitentiary to, in a measure, con-
done for his years of misspent life, and
at the same time rid society cf his rot
ten, odorous presence. The statement
of Mrs. BuleighT her husband is
impotent, and has been so for a year
past, will not disprove the fact that the
girl was ravished and by the old man.
What evidence is all these afidavits any
way, on which to pardon brute, who
had been convicted after fair and i'm
partial trial. There is but little doubt
that all afiants have been partners i'll
the old mans crime, and of course have
no scruples in swearing to anything that
would assist him i'll gaining his liberty.
The whole outfit are worthless lot of
vagabonds and criminals OF the lowest
type. They have each been All ulcer on
the face of society in every community
III which they have lived, and when the
old man was sent up, the people of both
Lincoln and Benton counties rejoiced,
although he is probably entitled to more
consideration than either Irish or his
wife. Even grant that the old man was
innocent of the charge, he should have
been permitted to serve his term out on
general principles, and in so doing he
would have lived in the hope of seeing
the balance of his family ere the five
years had expired.
To THE EDTToR:-In the Oregonian of