Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-26
DENIES CONFESSION
Letter Filed With Board of Parole
Bearing on Rainsbarger case-Pardon
Petition to Be Heard Soon.

oCdIIu9 w SSI SaSS-t al NS'
Petition to Be Heard Soon.
Des Moines, Dec. 26.--The near APP
proach of the date set for the hearing
of the Rainsbarger case by the parole
board has started activity among the
friends and opponents, of the famous
prisoners.
During the past week residents OF
Steamboat Rock have been in Des
Moines to look at the files in the case
and additional affidavits have been
prepared for filing with the state board
of parole.
Judge J. l.. Stevens. of Boone, who
helped to prosecute the Rainsbargers
and will represent those opposed to the
pardons, at the hearing, said yesterday
that the Rev. w. +. Stanley, of the
Baptist church at Eldora had written
a letter to the board of parole, cor
rectng certain impressions concerning
the death bed scenes of Mrs. Enoch
johnson, widow Of the man for whose
murder the Rainsbargers are serving
life sentences. She afterwards married
and is alluded to as Mrs. Hamilton and
Mrs. Clark. One witness for the Rains
bargers declared she had asked a
chance to make death bed confession
and that the Rev. Mr.. Stanley was de-
MED admission to the house to hear 1t.
The theory of course was that she
would have cleared the Rainsbargers
had she been allowed to talk. DR.. STAN
ley, Judge Stevens said, declares the
story all fiction.
He has written the following letter to
the board and has withdrawn from the
petition for parole, said Judge Stew
ems:
"Eldora, Ia, Dec. II, 190S.-To the
Board of Parole of the State of Iowa
Gentlemen: This is to certify that 1 was
present at the death of Mrs. Maggie
Clark, formerly wife of Enoch johnson.
l was called by her daughter, Mrs.
Rollo Clark, about o'clock Sunday
morning, March 81, 1904. Mr. Charles
Clark received the message on his
phone and brought it to me as 1t the
time did not have one.
Il went down to Mrs. Maggie Clark 8
IeSluGIlCG lIllHSuldlely Stllu uOullN 1lSk
in bed but unconscious. She died with
in five minutes after my arrival. There
were others there, but remember only
Mr.. and Mrs. Rollo Clark. went down
there alone and received ready admis
sion. DIR. Morse, of Eldora, was not
present at that time. did not conduct
the funeral services and had no other
connection with the matter. This is
taken from the record made the same
day and is true to the facts All this
occurred in the south part of Eldora.
Yours respectfully.
,"W. f. STANLEY.
pastor First Baptist church, Eldora."
"Request-On Dec. 10, 1908, offic-
lated at the marriage of Miss leila
Haley daughter of Frank Rainsbarger)
and Charls Lynx, at Steamboat Rock,
la. Mrs Nettie Haley (mother of the
bride and formerly wife Of Frank
Rainsbarger) was present. Thinking to
remove a reproach from these women,
1 signed a petition for paroling the
Rainsbargers. Subsequently I found
that they were opposed to this pardon
and resented my act. Now that the end
had in view had failed and there is q
wide divergence of opinion on this
matter ask that my name be stricken
from the petition. / was not resident
of the County at the time Of the trag-
edy. Very respectfully,
wv. E. STANLEY"
DR.. Stanley's letter was called out by
the fact, said Judge Stevens, that DR..
N. c.. Morse, who has been active in
support of the Rainsbargers, has stated
that prior to the death of Mrs. Hamil-
ton (Mrs. Maggie Clark), she told him
she wanted to make a death bed state
ment, that he (Morse) sent the Bap-
fist minister of Eldora the next morn
ing with the request that he take an
attorney with him, and that the Bap-
fist minister (Stanley) was refused adj
mittance to the house, that he CDR.
Morse returned right after dinner to
know why they were not admitted, and
he was not permitted to enter the
house, nor to see her until after her
death.