The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-04
WOULD ABOLISH
PARDON BOARD
IN COMMUNICATION TO THE Fo-
RUM JOHN OLSON or uPHAM
DECLARES THAT THE BOARD
IS MENACE TO HOMES IN THE
sTATE-cITEs WHITAKER CASE.

Upham, N. D., Jan. 5.-To The Fo-
rum: / have noticed some agitation
concerning the action OF the pardon
board on other cases. but there is one
In which this community is interested
that has not been given publicity
which it should have.
In April, 1908, a young boy working
on the farm Of his father was seeding
grain near this town. There came a
TALL of snow one night and the seed
ing was suspended for a couple Of
days. The boy came to this town and
met three other boys and they played
pool and also snowballed for a time.
The boys name was Conrad Steener-
son, o Of K. Stevenson, a we'll
known farmer, living near here.
While they were in the pool room a
man by the name Of Whitaker came in
and there was some wranglins between
this boy and man. Whitaker went
back to his home and secured a re-
volVer and as the boy was not in the
pool o when he returned he sat by
the stove waiting for him. All four
boys were s~nowballing in the back
yard, but presently Conrad came in and
the dispute was renewed. 1t was in
regard to some money borrowed from
the boy by Whitaker's son. The man
got decidedly angry and told young
Steenersoa that he would shoot him
and the boy replied, II am not afraid
Of you shooting me-" whereupon Whit
aker drew the gun and fred. The ball
passed through young Steenerson's
abdomen and he fell to the floor.
Whitaker was about nine feet away
from the boy when the shot was fred.
The sentiment in this community
was divided. Some took sides with
Whitaker, while others thought. that
he ought to go to prison for life. The
trial was a long and tedious one and
lasted nearly a week. It cost the
county Of McHenry over $4,000. The
verdict Of the jury was for ten years
in the penitentiary.
The father Of the boy employed a
special attorney to assist the county
attorney in the prosecution of the case
and since then this attorney has sign
ed the request for pardon.
1t vas thought that Whitaker was
out OF the way for ten years at least
but he had not been in the penitentiary
over three months before steps were
taken to get him ~pardoned. An effort
was made to keep this movement Sc
cret. When the facts became known
hundreds Of the most prominent citi-
Gems Of McHenry county signed a re-
monstrance against his pardon and
this was presented to the pardon board
at Bismarck in December, 1910. The
father OF the boy protested against the
pardon and reports that the govern
or and two Of his appointees seemed
to be inclined to grant the pardon, but
protest was so strong that no action
was then taken.
In this connection 1t is interesting
to note that 1t is not necessary to have
witnesses sworn before the pardon
board, as our experience here shows
that all statements made are consider
ed as the truth without further inves-
tigation.
Last June the Whitaker case was I'D
again before the pardon board and it
is claimed that the alleged transcript
Of testimony then presented was not
a correct or full account OF the court
proceedings at the time OF the trial.
g The father of the boy protested
against it being presented as It was
not the truth. but the board allowed 1t
to be done and the attorney for Whit
aker to address the board at consider
able length. Mr.. Stevenson then pro-
duced a certified transcript Of the
record, sworn to by the stenographer
and showing the difference in the two
documents.
The board did not have time to lis
ten to this document although it was
a testimonial Of the three eye wit
nesses to the shooting and only a line
was read here and there from it.
What is the use Of having long, x
pensive murder trials when the board
Of pardon turns a convict loose d few
minutes after an address Is made by
q skilled attorney
I believe the people of North Da-
kota should take hold in earnest and
abolish the board of pardons, as it is
q menace to our homes today.
In this connection 1t is interesting
to note that the United States has the
highest percentage OF murder in the
world-127 for every 1000 people,
people, while in Canada It is only sew
en- In every 1000.
There is no excuS for mob law but
it will come unless the board Of par
dons has some respect for human life
and the laws OF the land.