The times., 1897-05-10
BROKER CHAPMAN 5 APPEAL
Application for Pardon Formally
Presented to the President.
sIGNERs OF THE PETITION
Senator Allen Declined to Add His
Name Partly Because OF the III.
feet a Pardon Might Have on the
Remaining Cases in the Famous
Contempt Proceedings.

Application for the pardon OF Broker
CHAPMAN, the convicted contumacions
sugar case witness, has been formally
presented TO the President. The agency
behind the petition is said to be the sugar
trust magnates, who will be next in the
order of going to Jail unless pardon is
obtained for Chapman, which pardon VIII
be {. powerful lever in securing immunity
from trial OF Havemeyer and Searles.
1T is stated that the petition was pre-
pared by Hon w. L. Parson, who VIII
represent Hayemeytr and SeaIies il Their
cases come to trial The paper recites the
history of the case succinctly, and sets
forth that Chapman's side of the case
was at least an open question before the
decisions of the courts OF the district, and
of the Supreme Court Of the United states,
and that Mr. Chapman acted, III his declin;-
tion to answer, on the advice OF counsel
and not contumaciously.
1t is said that the Kilhourn case is not
a parallel, because the latter was only held
for contempt OF the House Of Representa-
tives
The proceedings, relating to this proposed
pardon, it is alleged, began by personal
visit OF MI Chapman TO the President, In
which Mr.. Chapman was told on what
conditions the President would entertain
the proposition. The chief conditions were
that the petition he formally drawn and
presented, and that Mr.. Chapman apologize
TO the Senate committee for the offense.
Those to whom the apology must, there
fore, he made, are Senators Gray, Lindsay,
Lodge, Davis, aud Allen. 1t is absolutely
certain that up To last night this apology
was not received by all of the Senators, the
presunatioa being thatit not been sent
The petition for pardon, however, has
been signed 10y Senators Gray, Lindsay and
Davis At the last accounts obtainablo by
The Times Senator Lodge had not signed
it, nor had Senator Allen. The fact OF the
signatures or these Senators, however,
shows that Mr.. Chapman is carrying out
the wishes Of the President, and that he
expects the pardon. Mr.. Chapman, IL ap-
pears, is SO sure of il, although he may rot
have been so advised by the President,
that he has gone To his summer home on
Long Island.
Senator Allen was seen last nigh; by
a reporter for The Times. as TO his Iefu sal
to sign the application for pardon. lie
said that the paper was handed 10 HIM
and that he had declined for two reasons
One was that he did not think there
should be any Influence brought to bear
| on the President in such a matter, dnd
the or her was the effect pardon would
have on the remaining cases. Senator
A lien does not consider Mr.. Chapman the
prime offender. He looks upon him in the
light OF an agent acting under suggestions
and he does not regard with favor the
pardon Of this particular witness for the
reported ultimate design OF allowing the
Havemeyer and Searles cases to be mol
pressed Senator Allen said that he had
reed the statement that in case a pardon
was granted TO Chapman, District At
torney Davis would not prosecute Have
meyer Or Searles.
Mr. Davis has stated repeatedly in The
Times and elsewhere that he will 90 on
with these prosecutions unless otherwise
directed by the President or the Attorney
General.
Some surprise has been express that the
application for pardon was not presented
to District Attorney Davis. A member
of the bar said last night that that was
scarcely TO ne expected, because in such
cases the signature required and of most
value would be that of the district attor-
ney who tried the cause, Mr. Bruey, and
also OF his assistant, Mr.. Tracy Jeffords.
1t is not unlikely also that a letter will
be asked in Chapman's favor from the
Solicitor General, who appeared for the
Government before the Supreme Court.
Enough is, however, already known to
in that there Senators sniff
GENTLY committed to the pardon idea to
make it popular with the President, and
pleasing, too, If he is at all indebted
for his official position to the eontribu-
tions of the sugar trustees. The curious
idea has been expressed by a Senator
that the offense consisted not in violating
the statute, but in refusing to answer
question propounded by Senator. Ergo,
4 Mr.. Chapman is contrite enough, and is
penitent enough from q business stand
point to say that he is sorry, the Senators
will DE satisfied, and the law and the
Supreme Court can do the best they can
under the peculiar circumstances.
Nobody knows, of Course, just how it is
ali going to happen, but everybody believes
that Chapman will be pardoned and those
on the inside must have known it for
long time.
Senator Allen regrets that any influence
has been brought to bear on the P,esi-
dent, and the other reason be assigns for
his refusal to be a party to such Influence
will be read with considerable interest. His
few remarks were ot>personal to any of
the defendants, but related solely to the
principle involved and the result of the
pardon on cases not yet presented to a
jury.
yIvACIOIIS CHERRY SISTERS.