Sunday morning globe., 1901-12-01


lie officials like your parole board
who, upon an ex parte statement are
guilty OF putting on record over their
own signatures 80 terrible an attack
against any human being as that which
we have above quoted made by them
against William j. Elliott? Will you,
a soldier and comrade Of Elliotts. one
who wishes to be regarded by his fell
low countrymen and comrades as a
fair and Just man, permit this infam-
Gus assault upon William j. Elliotts
character to remain In the official files
Of the state Of Ohio without correc-
ton and without being branded as 1t
deserves to be branded?
At the time William ]. Elliott gave
the information to Mr.. Creedon in
reference to which we have already
quoted from an affidavit of Mr.. Porter.
then deputy warden Of the Ohio pen
itentiary, his case was pending in the
Supreme Court Of your state. His
lawyers gave him every reason to
nope and believe that his conviction
would be set aside. That they had
good reason for this was made mani
fest by the fact that two Of the FIVE
judges OF your Supreme Court did
favor the reversal Of the case and did
believe that William ]. Elliott had not
a fair trial.
Elliott was a brave man. a loyal
man and a law-abiding man all his
life. He had a wife and children liv-
ing in Columbus, Ohio, and he had
every reason to believe that he would
get new and fair trial Does any
body on earth except your parole
board believe that a man Of such an
tecendents as Elliott's and in such
situation as his at the time in question.
would have escaped from the peniten-
tiary II he could?
Does anybody believe that he who
never associated with such creatures
as Varney had become Varney's bos-
ON friend on an acquaintance Of a
few weeks in prison, or that he ever
could do so?
We attach copies Of afidavits which
demonstrate the absolute falsity Of
your parole boards infamous charge
against William ]. Elliott These al.
hdavits not only demonstrate the fal.
sity and infamy Of the charge, but
also demonstrate that your board could
have made only an ex parte inquiry
in place Of a fair, impartial and hon
orable one, and that the board intended
to deceive when 1t wrote to you that
its statement was "the best informa-
tion obtainable" on the subject.
We should be wanting in manhood
IL we failed frankly and properly to
characterize the boards report and its
accusation against a man who is in.
capable OF being the bosom friend Of
a scoundrel, coward and criminal like
Varney, who fought for his country's
honor and who fought for his family's
honor. We attach hereto testimonials
to his character as a brave, fearless !
soldier.
we take 1t for granted that it is
utterly useless to appeal to you or to
your parole board any further in be-
half Of Patrick Elliott. Nor have we
any reason to believe that any act Of |
clemency will be shown to William J. !
Elliott during your administration. |
We write in ,4e firm belief that It Is !
impossible, as your partisan parole |
board is constituted to get justice for |
one Of Patrick Elliott's race or creed. |
We cannot, however, consent to be sill. |
ent and permit yourself or the parole |
board or the world to assume for a |
moment that we are deceived by the |
brutal accusation Of that board against |
William j. Elliott. We never lost |
faith in his manhood, his honor or his
bravery.
We felt deep indignation at the
boards assault upon his character and |
we knew that thorough investigation
would prove that assault to be a most |
infamous one. Mr.. Egan assures us |
that everyone In Columbus to whom |
he submitted the accusation Of your |
parole board against William ]. Elliott |
and the replies thereto agree with him |
and with us that the boards conduct |
was unjust, partisan, disgraceful and |
Mr.. Egan believed that you were |
convinced OF the injustice Of this |
charge as to William J.. Elliott. But |
as you were the means OF communi- |
eating that charge to us, his friends |
we took it for granted that within a |
reasonable time you would also for. |
NN+% Va W hoN AAN I NHAANn AnNAEAOs We /
even went so far as to believe that you, |
the governor Of a great state and the /
in arms Of William ]. FL |
lott, would insist upon your parole
board Withdrawing and apologizing for |
the wrong It did to an unfortunate
man who, in his pitiful condition, de- Y
served its protection and sympathy
rather than its injustice and pr,eiudice
But time has passed and nc, word has
come from you. Hence we have 10
inform you through other sources we
received the INFORMATION which es.
tablishes the ,fract that your board OF
parole Reported to you most in.
IIamoCds charges against William ]. El.
lgott which only could have been re.
ported upon statements coming from
a person or persons manifestly mimi
cal to him, that your board gave
neither him nor his friends, nor those
who we're public officials at the time
In question and who would know the
facts any opportunity to meet the most
dastardly accusation which Il made
against this brave man. It is unpleas.
ant to be compelled to believe that men
holding high Offices in a great state can
be capable OF such prejudice and in
Justice as were manifested by your