Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-07-19
That Rane Pardon.


That Rape Pardon.
The pardon of Burleigh, the rape
fiend, is creating considerable COM
ment in the papers of the state
none Of which is friendly toward
Governor Pennoyer. The pardon
asjustihed by the press dispatches,
which announced that the prose
cutting attorney did not believe
Burleigh guilty. This has proven
to be plain, unvarnished lie, .as
the following letter from Hon. S.
w. Condor, in the Oregonian of
last Sunday will show.
"NEWP0RT, Or, July lS-(To the Editor.)-
In your issue of the llth instant appeared an
item from Salem stating that G. W Burleigh
crime OF rape, had just been pardoned by
Governor Pcnnoyer, and further stating that
the reason given by the governor was that 1.-The
prosecuting attorney did not think the prisoner
guilty" win you allow me space to state that
the prosecuting attorney has nt no time doubted
the guilt OF the seoundrel whom the governor
has Just pardoned His yictom was n delicate
child Of 10 years. have, during my two teri.s-
OF Office, recommended the pardon of but one
man, and | desire that Governor Pcnnoyer shall
have tho full credit for this last subyersion of
justice. Burleigh was plainly guilty, and to
turn such fend loose upon the people is itself
crime.
There is either mistake in the report of the
reason assigned by the governor or wilful
Misrepresentation upon the face of the record
As the governor has been abusive In his
official correspondence with me upon this sub
iect. / deem il possible that he has not been
overly scrupulous In this feature of the matter.
SEYMouRW. CoNDoN."
We are also in receipt Of pri-
vate letter from Mr.. Condor, in
which in equally strong and en-
phatic terms he refutes the coward
ly, sneaking, unmanly odium made
upon him by the governor ard
states his position in no unmistak-
able language. In this connection
we wish TO offer a full and complete
apology to Mr.. Condor for the i'm
putation laid upon him in the
LEADER last week. We have
been an ardent and personal adj
mirer Of Mr.. Condon's fearless
administration Of the affairs Of his
office, and the report that he had
recommended the pardon cf Bur-
leigh came like a shock TO us. We
are more than glad TO make ample
and public amends to Mr.. Condor.
We qualified Our reflection upon
him by the expressed statement
that until further proof was forth
coming we would not believe him
guilty of so contemplate all act,
and it gives us great happiness to
be able TO say that Mr.. Condor is
wholly blameless for the dastardly
act.
In the Oregonian of Tuesday
last Governor Pennoyer's excuse is
changed to the following:
ain the matter Of the application for pardon
for Cyrus w. Burlcigh, sentenced TO the peni
tentiary Tor five years at the May term OF court
for Lincoln county, for tho crime Of attempted
rape on the person Of Glenna Mabel Irish Twill
say that have the GliidRyit OF samuel irish
the father OF the child, that she has been slb
JGct to its Of mental alteration for ycars and
also the affidavit fof Daisy Irish, his wife and
The stepmotber Of the girl, In which shc states
EGt shs has hCegd tAe child accuse her own
iGlher OF having criminal intercourse with her
have also the afldayit OF Catherine Burieigh,
wife Of Cyrus W BurciRh, that her husband h
" years Of nge, and that he has been inpotont
Tor more than year. also have the state.
u ent Il John kelfay, attorney for the said
BurleGh on the trial, thHt the said Burleigh
testified during the trial as 20 HIS impotenoy
u appears 10 me that n the courts sentence In
potent old men 20 tho penitentiary for rape on
the unsupported testimony Of crazy girls, II II q
proper case for executive clemency.'
And so the governor saw fit to
pardon rape fiend Upon the affi-
davit Of the above persons. Had
Pennoyer investigated this matter
at all, he would have found that
the girls father and stepmother
have been, and were living at the
time OF the commission OF the
crime, in a tent near Mary's river
bridge at Corvallis, and common
report says that the tent was house
of ill-iame and the girls father was
runner for 1t. Previous to this
they had run a similar house in the
city Of Albany. The man Burleigh
also has bad reputation. As to
Judge Kelsay, he simply stated
what the prisoner testified to.
And that is the way Pennoyer
pardons criminals and defeats
justice. A ten-year-old child is
outraged by fend in human form,
and the governor goes to the
houses Of i'll repute to seek justif-
cation for pardoning the guilty
wretch. From the governors own
statement OF the case he is wholly
unjustifed. For defeating Justice
and refusing the protection Of law
10 the children Of tender years,
Pennoyer should be placed in
Burleigh's empty cell and the sem
tence Of the court trebled.