The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-05-20
PAROLE MAY GALL
OUT SENSATION
Leroy Ware Said to Be Scapegoat
Of Bank Officials.
ATTORNEY IS ALSO CRITICISED
Invalid Freed From Penitentiary Only
to be Re-Arrested on Another
Charge of Making False
Entries.


Seymour, who was sent up for five
years for alleged irregularities Of
over 1929, 900 has brought to the sur
face startling evidence which was
taken by the state board of parole In
its investigation of the case.
Ware was paroled after serving
Just thirteen months, because the
state board of parole believed that the
evidence indicated him to be the scape
goat for others connected with the
bank, so Secretary b.. w. Garrett de-
clared to-day.
Ware was liberated Saturday and
was started soliciting insurance for a
man named Bullard at Fort Madison
He was re-arrested yesterday on an,
other charge of fraudulent banking
filed at Corydon.
An Iowa Sensation.
The Ware case has been an Iowa
sensation. No bank in years has fail
ed for an amount so large as that at
Seymour, the Iowa records show
Then came the indictment of Ware
and his conviction. The officials OF
the bank who appear to have figured
in the case, as shown by the evidence
before the state board of parole, are:
President w. S. Llewellyn, Vice Presi-
dent J. C. Phillips and Director Aaron
Evans. The evidence upon which
the board of parole based it's action
largely was furnished by former Sena,
tor l.. w. Lewis, now of Seattle; w.
c. Sanger, newspaper man; I. w
Wagner and Attorney Livingston, OF
Corydon.
County Attorney Criticised.
There were seven reasons why the
board Of parole found that War;
should be paroled. One Of these re
Iates to County Attorney Carter who
prosecuted the case The evidence
showed before the board of parole
that Carter is a partner of w. IL
Tedford, who was attorney for the de
runct bank, which appears to nave
been back of the prosecution of the
young cashier. The evidence showed
that Carter refused to permit the
grand jury to take any evidence which
tended to show that any one other
than Ware was implicated in the
shortages.
Another reason for the granting OF
the parole was that 'he claim was
made to the board that the false en-
tries in the bank books were made by
Ware with the knowledge ana consent
of the bank officials. In fact one wit
ness for Ware testified that the first
false entry was made at the suggest
ion of one in authority who used the
first compliance as club over the
young cashiers head. a.... 5
Other Reasons For Parole.
The other reasons, summarized, are
as follows:
That Ware had never protited 9
single cent by the $329000 shortage
that he was not eXtravagant, that his
wife was not extravagant, ana that he
was not sport" in any sense.
That the failure of the bank was
largely due to poor loans made in the
face of protests by Ware, so the evi
dence showed.
That Ware was forced to so tC
trial, when his attorney, w. l.. Read
| was i'll in Des Moines.
That Ware has tuberculosis of the
| spine and that penitentiary life wOulC
kill him. He wears a steel corset con
stantIy to keep himself together.
That he has served ample time tC
expiate his wrongdoing under the cir
cumstances.
Lewis Tcstfies for Ware.
Ex-senator Lewis testified that hC
picked Ware up when the latter quii
school because the pupils laughed a
him on account of his deformity. lie
made him devil" in his printing oil
fee, but afterwards gave him a job IL
| the bank. When Lewis went west
Ware was made cashier and Senator
| Lewis declares in statement filct
with the board that Ware was weak OF
| will because weakened in body. He
offers Ware a job in Seattle, but the
parole does not permit him to go out
| side OF Iowa .. ser NJ
The eveidence on file with Score
| tary Garrett discloses some remark
able methods in bank procedure II
connection with the caase. Ware him
self told the members of the boart
that although the bank had been In
solvent for several years, the direct
ors declared their dividends of iron
4 to per cent as regularly as thu
annual meeting rolled around.
| One witness has filed statemen
In which among other things he de
clares that one bank official was thu
heaviest borrower from the bank ant
that he rediscounted his own notes re
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