The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-24
RoBINETr IN TROUBLE.
Governors Attention Called to Some
Ugly Charges.

E. K. Robinett, the man who repre-
sentec Kansas City. Kan, in the last
house of representatives, is mixed up
in a bad looking perjury case which was
brought to the attention of Governor
Hoch yesterday in an effort to secure
City, now serving time for perjury.
In asking for a pardon for Yard, the
applicants practically place all the
blame for the occurrence on E. K. Rob-
inett, Yards attorney. They say that
Yard was induced to give perjured tes-
timony by Robinett-
The application for the pardon was
brought to the attention of Governor
Hoch by Commander P. H. Coney of
the Kansas G. A. r., who is interested
in the case because Yards father-in-law
was an ex-union soldier, and Yard has
wife and little child depending upon
him for support,
Capt Coney presented a letter to the
governor from County Attorney James
s. Gibson which tells the history of the
case and Robinett's connection there
with. The letter follows:
st am not in the habit of writing let
ters on behalf Of persons convicted of
crime and sentenced therefor, nor of
giving my views upon such subjects in
advance of a request therefor, but in
the matter of the application to you for
a pardon or parole, as the case may be,
of one w. G. Yard, sentenced to be con-
fined in the penitentiary for the crime
of perjury, committed in this county,
I think it but fair for me to state that,
from all the admitted facts and circum-
stances surrounding the bringing of the
original suit by Yard, in which the per-
jury was committed. Yard was as much
sinned against as SHINING. I mean by
that, had he not been so persistently
importuned and solicited he would never
have brought suit. but once having
brought it, can well see how it could
be made to appear to him by counsel,
that by straining point here and there,
his case could be made stronger until
he was testifying to things that were
untrue
'Mr. Yard testifies that he told Mr..
Robinett when he, Robinett, came
down to see him at his home in
Brunswick, Mo-, that he was not hurt
in that wreck. but that he had
sprained his ankle in getting off a
street car; that his ankle was better,
and that he did not want to bring
any suit. He says that Robinett was
there for two hours before he, Yard,
finally gave him permission to bring
the suit.
"On the witness stand Mr. Robinett
admits that Yard told him he was not
hurt much. and that he did not want
to bring any suit. He also admits
that he was there about two hours
pleading with Yard to allow him to
bring the suit before Yard gave in.
Nov, take these things in connec-
ton with the fact that Yard lived in
| Brunswick, eighty miles from Kansas
City. that he had gone home without
thin king of bringing suit and that the
next day after Mr.. Robinett had been
away down there to see him, and after.
as Mr.. Robinett admits, Yard had told
him he had not been hurt much he,
Mr.. Robinett files a petition alleging
great personal injury, including per-
manent internal injury: it seems to me
as though all these things might well
challenge thoughtful consideration
upon an application for pardon or
parole. OF course, it is no defense to
| say that a party was led into crime
| by another, but the fact that the party
| is by such other induced to set in mo-
ton a train of circumstances which
ultimately force him into the commits
sion of a crime, it occurs to me ought
to mitigate. to some extent, the pun
| ishment.
Another thing, Immediately upon
his arrest Mr.. Yard admitted that he
had been guilty of perjury. and yet,
in the face of that admission, when
he was brought to the county jail, Mr..
Robinett mortgaged his property and
secured thereby bond for Yards re-
/ lease and took him at once to the law
office of Hale & Maher.'