The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-26
Email ACTION DEFERRED
burlington Case Considered by
the State Board.
SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE
The Board OF Pardons Desires More Ev-
idence Before 1t Acts in the Mat
ter-Accussd OF Assault on
His Own Sister
Special DISPATCH to the Standard

| Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, Feb. 25.-The state board OF
pardons to-day spent three hours con-
sidering the burlington case and then
decided to defer final action two weeks
pending the receipt of desired informa
ttion from some of the parties who were
witnesses at his trial and from the per-
sons who have been showering the board
with protests against the governors ac-
| ton.
burlington is serving a life sentence
| for the crime of assault alleged to have
been committed upon his own sister in
| Valley county two years ago. He is a
cripple and the claim has been made by
| those who interested themselves in his
behalf and procured executive clemency
| that he was sent to the penitentiary
| upon trumped-up evidence when guilt
| less, because he happened to know mare
about some bounty frauds that had
been committed in that county tina 4
certain parties liked. S nee the governor
granted the pardon protests have ar
rived daily from Valley county, from
the district judge, the county attorney
and some Of the best-known citizens,
calling upon the board not to approve
the governors action. Judge DuBose
who sentenced burlington, wrote a
strong protest. setting forth that Cur
rington is in his proper place in the
penitentiary and that the case had been
grossly misrepresented to the governor.
The pardon has attracted more attention
than probably any granted by the gov
ernor, not excepting the Gelert case
from Cascade county. the only case in
which the governor has been turned
down by the state board.
At the hearing to-day j. M. Clements,
local attorney, appeared in behalf of
the man serving a life term upon a
heinous charge. He urged the board to
look at the case dispassionately and not
to be blinded by the Misrepresentation
of certain people who believed it was
all right to railroad a man to the peni-
tertiary. He made strong plea At
his conclusion B. F. burlington, a
ranchman living near Glasgow, father
of John, addressed the board in his sons
behalf. He laid before the board two
petitions, one from citizens of Valley
county and the other from number of
women residents of Glasgow, some the
wives of quite well-known citizens, ask
ing for the pardon He said he be-
lieved his son had been wronged; that
he was the victim of conspiracy. He
asked that justice be done. Represen-
tative Truscott of Valley county pro-
tested vigorously against the pardon
going through. He denied that Cur
rngton had not been fairly tried or that
there was any truth to the bounty story
50 far as he knew.
After looking over the numerous let
ters and papers in the case, the board
decided to defer final action for two
weeks. During that time member of
the board will go to Benton, Havre
and Glasgow and obtain statements
from some Of the witnesses and other
parties familiar with the case. An eff
fort will also be made to procure from
the girl some sort of a statement that
is clearer than any now within the pos
session of the board. She is at present
in the orphans home under another
name.