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

society was outraged; lne knOWl-
edge and honesty of purpose OF
the twelve men who found him
guilty was questioned, and the
Judge who senterced him was re-
bulled. Pennoyer claims to have
granted the pardon upon the
recommendations of Prosecuting
Attorney Condor. During the
four years that Mr.. Condor has
held the office of district attorney
he has been fearless and vig"r
GUS prosecutor. His integrity and
honesty of purpose has never been
questioned, and through his jim
firing efforts for right, has gained
an enviab1e reput alton among the
moral. upright and law abiding
eidzensof the second Judicial dis
trict. From all these facts it was
hard to believe that he had sud
denly renounced his allegience to
Che cause of law and order and be-
come a friend Of lie criminal.
Unless he, has since the trial Sc
cured some new evidence that
completely exhonerated Burleigh
from implication in the dastardly
crime he would have been unwar-
eanted in stating that in his opin
ion the culprit was innocent.
Much unfavorable comment had
BEEN expressed regarding the sup
posed action of Mr.. Condor until
the arrival Of the Sunday Oregon
ian which contained a commune
cation from him denying the
charge and claiming that "Bur-
leigh was plainly guilty and to
turn such a fend loose upon the
people is itself crime"
This was refreshing news to the
friends and admirers of the eX-
prosecuting attorney, but as the
thinking people Of this section had
never accused Pennoyer Of having
an honest impulse, the intelli-
gence that he had willfuliy and
maliciously lied i'll the matter did
not have the effect of lowering
him in their estimation. From
ihe peculiar manner in which this
case was brought to the attention
of the authorities; the attempted
escape of the old man before ar
rest; the testimony produced at
the trial, and the further fact that
the jury were out but few min
utes and uponthe first ballot found
the prisoner guilty, there can'be
10 possible excuse for the action
of the governor. Further than
this, Judge Shattuck who pre-
sided at thes trial, is said ,to have
remarked that there was no q -es-
ton of the prisoners guilt and but
for his old age would have SEN
, fenced h m to the full limit as
AGfoyided by law. Think of it!
Fthe worst crime Of which he could
possibly have been charged-a
beastly carnal assault upon his lit
tie en-year-cld grand daughter.
After fair and impartial trial he
was found guilty and sentenced to
term of five years in the peni-
tentiary, but alter serving only
one m mJnth and seventeen days he
is liberated, without any apparent
reason. In order to justify his
action before the public, Pen
noyer, by contemplate false
Hood, undertakes to lay the blame
upon the shoulders of the attorney
who prosecuted the case.
Because of the number of crimi-
nails turned loose during the last
few months the situation is be-
coming alarming. Judge and jury
at the time Of the trial are the
ones to determine the guilt or in
nocence of persons charged with a
violation of our criminal code and
after trial and conviction, COVER
nor, prosecuting attorney. judge.
jury, nor any one else interested
IN, and familiar with the cIrcum-
stances, should ask for the pardon
of a person so~convicted unless
his innocence can be clearly es-
tablished. The judiciary branch
of our government, so far as it
affects the punishment of wrong
doers, is fast becoming a dolusion
and snare through the wholesale
a. use of the pardoning prerogative
of the governor. In the past our
laws have been fairly we'll eXecu-
fed and on that account a degree
of respect for law and order has
been maintained throughout the
state of Oregon that is commend
able. When criminals are vigor-
ously prosecuted and properly
punished the people do not re-
,orf ~ riplonoa and 1ynoh law