The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-09-15

enforcement, and | have every con.
fidence that you will aid in correct
ing the evil which l firmly believe ex.
lists and to which l have had the
honor of calling your attention.
feel that the board of pardons has
been instrumental in bringing about
condition which resulted in the
brutal murder of Peter Mallick in his
cell in the county Jail last Friday
morning"
The Governor to the Judge
Hon. Edgar c. Steele, Grange
vile, Idaho.-Dear Judge Steele
In yesterday morning issue of the
Idaho Daily Statesman there appear
ed what purported to be extended
extracts from letter from you to
me. have patiently waited for
the original of the letter, but it has
failed to reach me. AS / am COM
PEELED to leave tonight for the gov
ernors' conference in New Jersey on
the 18th instant, believe it proper
to assume the substantial correct
ness of the extracts from your let
ter and answer some of your sug-
gestions. | thank you for your ex-
pressions of confidence in regard to
both my ability and inclination to
assist in remedying what you char
acterize as unwise and unwarranted
actions of former pardon boards,
and am greatly pleased with your
expressed determination to call a
grand jury to investigate the NAL
lick murder. The good name of
both the county and the state so
imperatively demands such a course
that l have never doubted your ac-
ton in the premises
Might Justify Lynch Law
Il greatly regret, however, some
utterances you are reported to have
made in the letter mentioned with
reference to actions OF the board OF
pardons, because they might be con
sidered as justifying, in your opin-
ion, the crime of the persons who
shot Peter Mallick to death on last
Friday night. If such an idea was
prevalent in Idaho county, in re-
gard to your attitude, of course the
proposed investigation would degen-
crate into legal farce. This ]
know was not intended by you. The
great judicial acumen shown during
your IL years occupancy of the
bench forbids such. thought. If the
quotations made, however, sg WIFI
quotations were correctly made.
however, the impression l have re-
ferred to wo Id undoubtedly find
some Judgement in the minds of those
unacquainted with you.
Defends Pardon Board
!, "Your criticism of past actions OF
the board of pardons is not matter
that l should feel called upon to an
swer except in so far as it refers to
acts of the board since l have been
a member and the chairman. The
manner of using your article by the
newspaper referred to would lead
those unacquainted with the facts to
infer the present pardon board was
responsible for existing conditions
which you charge, led up to- the NAL
lick tragedy and which you apparent
ly present as an excuse for the crime |
of Mallick's slayers. Under the cir
therefore, it strikes me
as proper to review your statements
and compare them with the record.
you say: The board of pardons
has set aside the verdicts of every
jury and the sentence of the courts in
every case of any importance in this
(Idaho) county in the last IL years.
This is a serious charge and af-
fects the good name and official re-
cord of every member of the board of
pardons during that time. It GER
tainly demands investigation and If
the charge is true, the condemnation
Of the public should be visited upon
the offending members of the board.