The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-09-21
CASHIER ORR is PARDONEO
FORMER DAWSON MAN GIVEN
FREEDOM BY GOV. BROWN.
The Executive Reviews the Exchange
Bank Cases and Gives His Rea-
sons For Granting CIemency.

sons FOR Granting Clemency,
Governor Brown has signed an or
der pardoning C. M. Orr, former
cashier of the Exchange Bank of
Macon, who was serving a sentence
at the state prison farm, where he
was sent about year ago after be-
ing convicted of embezzlement of a
large amount of the banks funds.
The governors action came as the
result of several days consideration
of all of the records in the famous
case and the recommendation made
TO him recently by the prison COM
mission that Orr be released.
Here in Dawson, where Mr.. Orr
was born and grew to manhood, the
action of the governor in granting
the pardon is generally approved, as
reports say it is all over the state.
The reasons given by the governor
for granting the pardon are:
What the Order Says.
1t is impossible to consider this
case without linking to it those of
}. Nv. Cabaniss, president, and C. P.
BannOn, a clerk of the former Ex-
change Bank of Macon.
The record shows that c. NJ Orr
was indicted in November, 1907, for
the embezzlement of $4,000 belong
ing to the said Exchange Bank OF
Macon
1t further shows this shortage of
$4,000 in the resources of the said
bank began in large part in the fail
ure of the Macon Construction Com
pany in 1891; that it was increased
by the amount of $4,000 in 1896
by the defalcatiOn of collecting tell
er named Van HOnlen; that by other
Irregularities by other tehers and by
a careless system of bookkeeping,
which was participated in by two 9TH
er employees, it was from time to
time increased by other sums.
The record further shows that
these increasing shortages, caused by
failures of depositors, by direct en-
bez2lement and by carelessness in
bookkeeping and the like by others
than Orr were kept covered up
through a series of years of fictitious
entries, forced balances or other
temporary eXpedients which were or
dered by the president of the bank,
who is creditd with the belief that
ultimate safety could be worked out
and that thus the stockholders and
depositOrs could be saved from the
calamities which would result from
the failure of the bank
Again the record shows that the
real liability of c. M. Orr was in
debt secured by his personal prop
erty, which he turned over to the
bank and for which he received
receipt absolving him in full.
Beyond all these facts it is known
that c. P Bannon embeZZled many
thousands of dollars of the moneys
belonging to the bank, and was tried
and acquitted after Orr was convict
ed and sentenced to the penitentiary
lor period of seven years.
1t has been suggested that the jury
which tried Bannon, a number OF
months after Orr was given the max
mum sentence by the court, wac
SWayed by the fear that Bannon, too
would be given the full rigor OF the
law, regardless of mitigating cir
cumstances, hence swung to the oth-
er extreme.
Certain it is that the jury which |
tried the president of the bank for
a corollary offense in bringing about !
the failure of the institution brought
IN verdict which imposed upon him !
a sentence of only one year in the
2enitentiary, which said sentence
the executive of the state felt forced
10 make of no effect because the said
president was thereby held liable Tor
an act chargeable properly to the
BOARD of directors of the bank.
- The constitution of the state OF
Georgia says that protection to per-
son and property shall be impartial.
III the cases in point the successive
sentences of seven years for Orr and
VI one year for the president and
ene verdict of acquittal for Bannon,
sven at three separate terms of the
yourt' show the extremes of par
~ hence of violation of not only !
1ae spirit of the constitution but also