The Mena weekly star., 1913-05-08
PETITION GOVERNOR TO
 PARDON HARNE RIDLI\G

-hAfOoN
 So soon as it was known that Harve Riding had been sentenced to the penitentiary. friends imme- diately prepared a petition to Gov ernor FutreIl. asking for his par don. and this will be circulated in Mena. The text of the pardon application follows;
 Mena. Arkansas. May 3, 1913.
 To the Honorable J. NJ. Futrel,
 Acting Governor of Arkansas.
 Slr-Your petitioners, signed hereinbe.ow. call your attention to a statement of the facts in the cause of the State of Arkansas vS. Har>e Riding. charged with the crime of perjury. We desire to say that the young man was indicted by the grand jury at the April term. 1918. for this offense, the facts being briefly as follows:
 Sometime anterior 10 the finding 1t the indictment. about the first Of March. 1918. young Riding was engaged in a game of poker with Dr. J. R. Davis, Dr. F. \. Lee and Ei Lyman. in a room over what is know as the Davis Drug Store. That, on being called by the grand jury as a witness in the above case, Riding stated that the game in which they were engaged was a game of pitch. and that no money was used. whereas. the truth was that it was a game of poker and here was money bet on the game.
 At the time of engaging in the game Riding was greatly under the
 influence of intoxicating liquor, and. in. fact. at that time it is very doubtful whether he knew the eX- act nature of the game played. or the facts pertaining to same, but that after the game it was agreed between the parties engaged there in. that they would refuse to testi- fy as tO the discriminating facts. if called before the grand jury, and that in pursuance of this pact or| agreement, Riding declined to tell the truth, but afterwards went be- fore the grand jury, and there made a statement of the facts, admitting that his testimony on the prior Oc- casiOn was false. That the said Riding is a young man who is highly esteemed by all his friends and acquaintances, who are nu- merous That he is a member of one of he most highly respected families of Polk County; that all his relations and kinsfOlk are held in high esteem by all the citizens of this city and county who know them. That we feel that the young man did not understand the serious nature of the pact into which he entered, and to which he testified falsely, and that, when the facts were brought home to him, he not only agreed, but cheerfully volun- teered to tell the truth 10 the grand jury and to the court
 He has been sentenced to one years confinement in the peniten- tiary in the State of Arkansas. That. while we cOncede that the law has been compiled with strictly by the court; that the sentence imposed upon him is the lightest that could be legally imposed for the Offense. yet, knowing him as We do. feeling conclusively the fact to be that, so far as intention was concerned. he was not guilty of that offense: that he did not appreciate the gravity or nature of the Offense he was charged with: and, owing to his devotion to his friends, and relying on the sanctity of his agreement made with them, and with the de- sire of keeping his pledge inviola- ble, he was induced to commit the otfense, and contributing 1t to his weakness, rather than to a corrupt intention, We have no hesitancy in asking Your Excellency to extend 10 him executive pardon. in order that he may be restored to citizen ship, and to his wife and children. who are dependent on him for livelihood.
 We further represent that he is young man of industrious habits: 1 that he is devoted to his family and that his only fault heretofore has been that occasionally he would | imbibe too much intoxicating liquor. | and that while under the influence l was easily led astray; that. since the playing of the game last men toned he has abstained from the use of intOxicants, and from card playing, to which he has never been addicted. and has been engaged in only occasionally. we present this petition, with the hope that Your EXcellency will grant him an un-