Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-10-10
FL DORA AND THE
RAINSBARCER CASE

Governor is Criticized for Withhold.
ing Clemency From Well
Known Prisoners.
The people Of Eldora, according
| to a recent dispatch, are displeased
with Gov. CAROLS action in no,
extending clemency to the Rains
bargers. The Freeman-Tribune II
not fully advised In the premises
and does not presume to condemn
Tor commend the governor. But |.
must be conceded that the COVER
| nor OF q great state is confronted
with delicate and unenviable duty
In dealing with the pardoning pre-
Irogative. +
People who lived in this part Of
Iowa q third of century ago will
remember that the Rainsbarger
gang was terror to the public at
that time. Whether justified or not,
they were held responsible for many
crimes. A number of years ago up
ON dark night when DR.. G. #.
fRitenour, formerly Of this city, and
DR.. Underwood Of Eldora, were
driving through the country be-
tween Steamboat Rock and Eldora,
they were fred upon, the bullet
penetrating the hat OF DR.. Under
wood. Both gentlemen thought the
Rainsbargers were the perpetrators
OF this attempted crime, though
there was no evidence to prove 1t.
There is altogether too much dispo-
sition on the part Of the public 70
petition for the pardon of Grimm
ais, and without especial reference
to the case under consideration,
the public too often asks such ex-
ecutive clemency without being full
Ily advised as to the situation.
The Eldora dispatch condemnins
the governor follows:
The action of Governor Carroil
on Tuesday in refusing clemency or
parole for Nathan and Frank
Rainsbarger, who for upwards OF
twenty-five years, have been i'm
prisoned in the reformatory at Ana
mosa, created no little comment
here, much OF which is adverse t.
1.-THE finding Of the governor.
Some three years ago or more
1.-TWO Of the then board Of parole
p. A. Smith. Of Scranton, and DR.
Emmert, Of Atlantic, after giving
one OF the most searching invest!'
lgations OF the case in this county
Recommended to the governor that
latter the Rainsbargers had served
twenty-five years they be released
| Governor Carroll stated to Eldors
citizens who interviewed him last
winter relative to his probable &C
ton in this case that he would
give the matter his personal atten.
| ton and would not ask that the
case be again called to the atten'
tion OF practically new board O.
parole. Last summer, notwith'
standing the governors statement
Of the previous winter, the new
board OF parole, together with ti,t
governor. came into Hardin county
and again presumed to make an In
| vestigation of the Rainsbarger case
The action OF the governor Ii
this case seems strange. too. In view
OF its Inconsistency when compared
with his attitude In other case'
when there was possibly not 81
| much politics to divert attention
from the main issue. In the Glenn
ons case, where there was positive
lly no doubt OF the murder by Glenn
ons Of one Burgduff, a parole q
the accused and condemned mai
came after only few years Of pen
al service Still another instance
where plenty Of evidence could ant
can yet be secured touching thu
guilt OF the man imprisoned for tn.
crime was the case OF w. p. Glyn
don, who was incarcerated for tn
4 murder OF defenseless girl Jus
over the line In Grundy count!
east OF Eldora. The goyerno
brought no brass bands or heraldet
ibis coming previous to the libera
Ition OF either Of these men. bu
when the Rainsbarger case came vi
for Investigation he acts entirel!
different.
4 Then. again. take the case o
Novak. in Linn county. He too wa
liberated when there was not hal
as much doubt regarding his guil
as there is In the Rainsbarger case
In neither OF the two trials OF tn,
Rainsbargers for the alleged KILN,
of Enoch Johnson were they eve
i proyen closer than two miles to tn,