Evening journal., 1910-12-01
STATE OPPOSES
BARR PARDON
Deputy AttOrney-General
Raises Point That Board
Can't Act on Application
800 LETTERS ASK
CITIZENSHIP FOR APPLICANT

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del, Dec. deputy At
torney General Harrington, in the
absence of Attorney General Gray.
sprang a sensation before the Board of
Pardons. i'm session here to-day. when
the application of John Barr came
before the board for consideration.
Mr.. Harrington raised the point and
made the declaration that the board
cannot restore the citizenship OF
man convicted on a charge of attempt
ed bribery. In raising the point Mr..
! Harrington said the board has no
right TO restore the defendants citi-
zenship or franchise within ten years
for any general or special election,
meeting or convention. The consti-
tutional provision, he said, is a result
of a conviction and not a part of the
record and sentence and cannot be
rejected or incorporated in the sent
ence by the court and cannot be
changed except by two sessions of the
Legislature.
At the opening Of the session all the
board members were present, and
Charles l.. Moore, attorney for Mr.
Barr, presented twelve reasons for a
pardon for Barr, who was convicted Of
a charge of attempting to buy a vote
in Georgetown, and was sentenced to
pay a fine of $500 and costs, and was
committed until the fine and costs
were paid.
During a part of the hearing on the
application Governor Pennewill sat in
an adjoining room. Senator Louis A.
Drexler, of Bethany Beach, a Republi-
can leader, was also present as a
| spectator. Colonel Theodore A. Towns
end, state auditor, sat as a member OF
/ the board for the first time. After
citing his twelve reasons, which have
/ been published, and presenting 300
| letters from Sussex county citizens
praying for a full pardon, Mr.. Moore
! pleaded at length for his client He
brought out these three additional
facts: That the whole cost 10 Mr..
Barr has been sS1750, which greatly
reduces his financial condition; tual
he is a man with a family of seven
and that the loss Of power, prestige
and standing in the community By
this conviction has been used agains
him In his business since he was con
victed.
That William ]. Wilson. one of th'
! prosecuting Witnesses, COUNSEL DC
lieved. had borne false testimony from
the fact that the state had summoned
him twice. but had not called hin
until the October term. giving counse
the impression that the witness frs
swore he know nothing and late
swore that he did know something.
The state objected to Mr.. Moore al
ing the 300 letters praying for a ful
pardon on the ground that they were
! only documentary evidence and shoult
have been filed ten days before. On
motion of Chancellor Curtis the boarC
accepted the letters.
Robert G.. Houston, of Georgetown
and Frank Ricards. of Milford
prominent anti-bribery workers il
Sussex, both wrote letters, as also die
ex-Sheriff Alfred d. Robinson, DR.
Hiram r. Burton, James T. Lank,
bank cashier.
In closing his argument against
full pardon for Mr.. Barr, Mr.. Harring
ton said the eyes Of the nation are ol
Delaware now. The board took tn
application under consideration.
The application for a life sentence
I'm behalf of George Colombo, nov
under sentence of death for assault
upon a child, was next considered
Colombo was represented by Eugen
Hardesty and Wilbur /. Adams.