Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-09-14
He MAKES REPLY
Governor Hawley Retort. Court
eously to Judge Steele.
DIFFERS With THE Jun list
Prison Record Relative to Pardons
and Paroles.

Boise, Idaho, Sept. Judge Ed
gar c. Steele will have no difficulty
in determining what Governor Hawley
thinks of the position he took in q
statement given out with refere nee to
the lynching Of Peter Mallick of
Grangeville.
Today Governor Hawley addressed
a letter to Judge Steele, which in
part is as follows:
Yesterdays telegraph dispatches
to the papers brought what were pur-
ported to be extracts from letter
addressed to me, the original not hav-
ing yet appeared, and l believe it
proper on my part to assume the
correctness Of the dispatches.
"Your criticism of past actions of
the board Of pardons is not matter
that | should feel called upon to an
swer except in SO far as it refers to
acts of the board since l have been
member and the chairman. The man.
ner Of using your article by the news
papers would lead those unacquainted
with the facts to infer the present
board was responsible for existing con-
ditions, which you charge led to the
Mallick tragedy and which you appar-
emily present as an excuse for the
crime Of Mallick's slayers.
"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 twelve
years"
"This is o serious charge and af-
fects the good name and official rec
ord of every member Of the board Of
pardons since that time. It certainly
demands investigation, and if the
charge is true, the condemnation of
the public should be visited upon the
offending members Of the board.
II find that during the past IL
years % men have been sent to the
penitentiary from Idaho county and
five pardons have been granted, as
follows:
"Jacob Hartwig, convicted of forg-
cry, received at the prison March Is,
1909. Pardoned on November /, 1909,
on the written request Of yourself
-. B. McCrea, convicted Of man.
slaughter, received at the prison Octo-
ber 16, 1904, and pardoned March
q, 1906.
"B. r. Ryley, assault with deadly
weapon. Pardoned January 5, 1910.
ed Lancaster, rape, pardoned
April Is, 1906, after having served
three months.
wv. w. Rookie, grand larceny, re-
ceived June 8, 1905, and pardoned
May 20, 1908.
every one of these pardons was
based upon what appeared to be good
grounds, presented by prominent citi-
zens of Idaho county and endorsed by
officials of the county.
"You say in your letter that Bert
Rhodes, convicted of highway robbery
and attempted murder Of the Denver
postmaster, was pardoned by the
board. In this you are mistaken, AZ
Rhodes was received at the peniten-
tiary on six and one-half year SEN
tence on October 16, 1904, and dis
charged March 3, 1909. He served
every day of his sentence, less good
time allowed by the law
"Bud Holt, whom you refer to il
; your letter, was not sent up from
Idaho county, but from Nezperc'
county, as shown by the record. II
addition to these four paroles have
! been granted to:
Harry Shissler, Aug. 25, 1909 ant
J still under parole.
Max Geidel, Oct. 5, 1908. Hi
y sentence expired during parole.
Orrin Randolph, burglary, paroles
in 1900. Time expired.
e George r. Riley, perjury, sentences
y one to four years, received March Ii
n 1910. Paroled June 5, 1911.
II This last case was sentence unde
the intermediate sentence law and th
I. minimum term having expired he va
d entitled under the law and reguls
u tions to parole.
e II believe you will agree with p
r after looking over this record that u
language used and which I ha,