The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-19
THE BANK PARDON Cases.
a Special Report From the Depart
ment of Justice.

SIr. Easby-Smfth Compares the Num-
Der of Communications, ReS3orntTonS
10 Citizenship Etc by the Presi-
dent With Those Of MIR Cleveland
An Interesting report concerning the &C
ton by the President upon applications
for pardon OF persons VINO have been con-
victcI Of violating the national banking
laws has been submitted 20 the Attorney
General by M Easby-Smith. the Pardon
Attorney Of the Department Of Justice
The information therein contained was
laid before Alr. Mckinley yesterday by
the Attorney General at Canton, Ohio,
where NJ Knox had been called into
conference by the President
Mr.. Easby-SmiIh compares the second
Administration of Cleveland with the first
Administration of Mckinley During Mr.
Clevclauf's second Administration there
were filed forty-f1ur applications for par
don in banking cases. of which three were
denied and fo-ty-ooe Were favorably act
Cd upon OF these latter, twenty-one par
Gons. one restoration To- citizenship. eiEh-
teen communications. and one communication
and restoration TO citizenship were
granted
During Mr. MCKinIey's first adminiStra-
ton sixty cases were acted upon. Of which
tWeUty-four were adversely reported and
denied and thirty-siX were favorabIy act
ed upon rs follows Pardcued, fifteen:
restoration to citizenship. FIVE committed
twelve; Commuted and restored to citi-
zenshi0. -four
Mr. Easbv-Smith says: From this it
viii be seen that the proportion Of the
total acts OF clemency by President Nc
nearly 40 per cent less than the same
action 10y President Cleveland, and the
proportion of absolute pardonS granted
by PERSISTENT Mckinley is Just half the
proportion of absolute paTdons granted
by President Cleveland
Bringing the report up to date the Par
don Attorney, shows that during his
two Administrations to date. President
Mckinley has acted lpon sizty-tvo appli-
cations for pardonS in bank cases The
total acts OF cIernency are foIty-three. as
follows ParGGaed. twcnty-ore- paTdcuCd
to restore TO civil rights. six: commuted
and restored to civil rights four; ComTuuJ-
ed, twelve.
Comparing these figures with those Of
Cleyciauds two Administrations it was
seen that Mckinley in four years and four
months has granted the same number OF
pardoas as Mr. Cleveland in four years
During this tine, Mckinley has denied
nineteen applications, while Cleveland IN
four years denied but three applications.
OF the twenty pardonS which Mckinley
has granted, five were allowed solely on
account Of iII-heaIth. and two in order 10
allow tho prisoners 70 he credited with the
time which they served IN JAN awaiting
trial
II IS interesting TO note the proportion
Of the sentoncs ; which have been served
by recipients of executive cIemency- The
s. prisoners who received executive elem
ensy in some form from Nc Lfulcy during
his FIRST administration received sen
fences aggregating 2G3 years and
months. an average Of about . years ana
months each They served before re-
cciviHg pardOns OF communications IE
years or an average Of = years and
months each.
AIr- Easby-Smith notes that many OF
the violations Of the rational banking
laws are purely technical actually result.
ing In no harm to the bank or 10 INV
person Many others are for the ernbez
element Of triliing sums. For instance
one petitioner, eighty years old. cashier
of d bank, cashod his own creck for 500
thus over drawing his account to the ex
tent q SEQ For this he was sentenced L
term Of Eve years The bank was 70
lmtuIS9d and his sentence was com
1nHted 10 the payment Of q fire Of $500.
Another case was that Of a boy. en-
p4oyed as q bank clerk. who transrerTes
about S2i9 from the account Of q cust11ne
to his owE account He subsequently, 70
jnbursed the bank hzt was l-Gnvfcte,
and sentenced 10 a term Of five years
After serving ali but three months Of hi
sentence he was pardoLed
In many bank cases the applicants hav
been DarCOn=d OF sentence commute a.
upon The report OF the trial judge that b
considered the minimum sentence too -
we're, ana would nave Imposed q EEhte
sentence had il been IN ms power
PardoHs 10 restore civil rights are no
granted until after the prisoner has serv
ed his fun term and after being dis
charged Tor a considerable period. u-e
sents certificates OF good conduct