The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-05
pardon FOR BALLARD
Convicted of Completely in
Indian-Rurning
TO BE PEHlIONED FOR
Reasons Assigned to Show
Undue Severity.

Guthrie. o. T, Nov. 4.-Attorney L. G.
Pittman and L. W. Turner of Tecumseh
were in Guthrie last evening TO secure
signatures to a petition for the pardon of
Mont S. Ballard, a resident of Pottawat-
omie county, who was convicted al Mus
cogee last May of completely in the burn
ing of the two Seminole Indian lads. The
charge against Ballard was kidnapping,
and he was given ten years sentence.
The petition has been largely signed by
residents Of Pottawatomie county and
will be sent to the president. The petit
ton reads as follows:
1.-THE undersigned residents of Okla
homa and Indian Territory respectfully
request that you grant a pardon TO Mont
s. Ballard, who was convicted in the
United States court for the Northern
district of the Indian Territory at Musco-
gee last May and sentenced to imprison-
ment for ten years upon the charge Of
kidnapping one Lincoln McGeisey. for the
following reasons:
From our knowledge and from infor-
nation. we believe that the said Lincoln
McGeisey and one Palmer Sampson were
guilty of the murder and rape of the wife
of Julius Leard in the Seminole nation
near the border Of Oklahoma. The crime
was one of the most brutal in the history
Of the territory and was committed in a
locality which is sparsely settled by
whites. When the death OF Mrs. Leard
become known hundreds of friends Of her
husband and citizens Of Oklahoma, came
to the scene of the crime and assisted in
the burial of the dead woman and the
removal into Oklahoma of the household
and other effects of Julius Leard, and at
the direction and by the authority of
one Nelson NJ. Jones, a deputy United
States marshal for the United States
court in the Northern district of the Indi-
an territory, made search for the muir
derer. and after the said Lincoln MeGei-
sey and Palmer Sampson had confessed
to the commission of the crime the depu-
ty marshal voluntarily absented hiself
and sent word to those in charge Of the
prisoners to act as they saw fit; that
about one week elapsed from the commits
sion of the crime until the kidnapping of
the defendants; that the said Mont S.
Ballard did not assist in the arrest Of
either McGeisey or Sampson, and at the
time of the arrest of Palmer Sampson
and the subsequent confession of both
McGeisey and Sampson was at work en-
his farm in Oklahoma; that when ii be-
came generally known that the guilty
parties had been apprehended a large
number of people came to view the pris-
oners, and with them came the defend
ant, who took no part in the kidnapping
further than to go with the crowd. which
was made up of perhaps a hundred peo-
pie, into Oklahoma; that he was not con-
suited about the kidnapping, nor did he
advise it or aid it further than TO follow
after those parties who had charge Of
the prisoners; that the said Mont s. Bal
lard is an Industrious and honest farmer,
and is respected by those who know him.
HIS has a wife and child in Oklahoma
We believe he sympathized with the hus-
band of the murdered woman, but we do
not believe he participated in the kid
mapping further than as above stated.