The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-19
POWERFUL PLEAS MADE
Prominent Montana and Mime
sofa Men Appeal for Pardon.
THE GOVERNOR LISTENS
l. o. Smith WA Leave the Penitentiary
in November. Having Served Half OF
His Ten Years Sentence-W. T.
Buchanan Also Pardoned.


special Dispatch 10 the STANDARD.
Helena. July Ex-Governor Smith grant
ed two pardons to-day. one of which was
in a case that at the time the defendant
pleaded guilty and was sentenced 10 the
penitentiary, attracted considerable at
tention along the line Of the Great North
ern road, where he was quite well known
from the position he held. This pardon
went to l.. o. Smith, or, as he gave his
name at the time he was sentenced. l.. B..
Smith. In the spring of 1895 Smith was
confronted with the charge of obtaining
money under false pretenses, and upon
pleading guilty was sentenced to 10 years
I'm the p~enitentiary. During the close of
Governor Richards term an effort was
made to procure his pardon but the gov
ernor declined to interfere. The friends
of Smith renewed their intercession with
Governor Smith soon after he assumed
the executive ONCE. He declined to act
then, and after the lapse of more than a
year has decided to yield to the interced-
ing of friends of influence and grant the
boon. II will take effect Nov. % next.
which would make the sentence five years,
allowing for the usual good time allow
ance.
J.. o. Smith was claim agent for the
Great Northern road. with headquarters
at Great Falls. 1t was his duty to handle
the settlement of cases growing out of the
destruction of property, chiefly live stock,
by the road. He had authority TO make
settlements on the best basis, and &C.
cordingly he frequently handled large
sums of money. During March of 1885
the suspicious of the company were
aroused by complaints received from peo-
pie whose stock had been killed by the
road. yet had not received a cent in dam
ages months after the fatalities. An In
vestiga ton was set on foot and this soon
AlAA - 80
forged receipts or vouchers Smith had de-
frauded the company of a large sum of
money, some reports said in the ~neighbor-
hood of $40, 900. He was arrested at Havre,
when 1t was believed he was In the act
of leaving the country. He was brought
here to Helena, where an
was filed charging him with obtaining
money under false pretenses. He decided
10 plead guilty upon the understanding
that he would receive as light a sentence
as was consistent. but the court gave him
10 years and a sharp lecture. Ever since
his friends have been working in his be-
half. Few pardons that a Montana gov
ernor has passed upon were prompted by
letters from people of such standing and
influence as interceded in Smiths behalf.
The present governor of Minnesota and
Ex-Governor Merriam of that state were
among those who wrote Montana 8 gov
ernor. Paris Gibson and equally prominent
Montanans asked that Smith be pardoned.
They were prompted largely through
sympathy with Smiths parents. who be-
longed TO one of the first families of Mn
nesota. His father. r. r. Smith, now in
the employ of the Sand Coulee company.
was one time a leader in Minnesota poll
ties and a state senator from lie Seuer
| county. He and his wife are nearly heart
broken over their sons downfall.
II appears hat Smith used the money In
| mining speculations and spent a large
part of II upon a member of the demi-
| monde in Great Falls. IT is said she re-
ceived four or five thousand dollars. Tie
was a quiet sort of a fellow, possessed of
no known bad habits. and his arrest and
plea were one of the sensations of the day.
Ex-Mayor Gelsthorpe of Great Fails,
ex-Mayor Dickerman, w. G. Downing. t.
T.. Collins. Alex Burnell, Guild I. curtis,
]. II. Mcknight. Conley & McTague and
| others. including the county attorney or
this county,, either wrote letters TO the
governor or signed the petitions in the
case.
The other pardon went to William Il.
Buchanan sent to the p~enitentiary from
Granite county I'm December of 1896 for
three years for grand larceny. The youth
of Buchanan-1s-and his penitence con-
tributed largely to his obtaining a par
don. Judge Brantly addressed the gov
ernor in the boys behalf. So did Conley
& McTasue. while many citizens of Gran
lite county signed a petition.
Judge Brantly wrote a strong letter in
favor eff Buchanan's pardon.