The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-07-18
Two INNOCENT
MEN PARDONED
Victims Of a "Frame-Up" In Idaho Re-
leased By President Wilson After
Years Of Fighting
Families and Fortunes Ruined
Only Case on Record Where q Ma
ti0nal Banker Has Received an Alb
solute Pardon Without Serving One
Days Time Of Sentence Imposed.
(Boise Statesman

| (Boise Statesman)
| WASHINGTON Wilson
Monday granted uncondition pardons
to William F. Kettenbach and George
H. Kester, Lewiston, Idaho, bankers,
convicted on charge of having fal-
sified records of the First National
bank of Lewiston. Pardon was grant
ed after the president had conferred
with Senators Borah of Idaho; Lane
of Oregon, Kern of Indiana; and
after they had strongly appealed to
the president to do justice to the men
who, they showed, were martyrs to
the abuse of privilege by government
prosecutors formerly employed by the
department of justice But for this
pardon, Kettenbach and Kester would
each have been required to serve five
years in the penitentiary.
BOrah Gives Praise.
Commenting on the presidents act,
T, Senator Borah said.
1T was just and brave thing to
do. 1t was just the sort of case
where only president who is gifted
with great courage as well as an
, acute sense of justice would have
ventured to grant clemency"
Representative Addison Smith has
been active as we'll as Senator Borah
in securing pardon for the Lewiston
bankers, and said he was delighted at
the outcome of the case. Mr.. Ketten-
bach has been in Washington, for
several months in conference with Of
ficials of the department of justice
and with his senatorial friends who
presented his case. ,-t.. -, -, ,.~...
Kettenbach's Record ap. 40
Kettenbach became president of
the Lewiston bank at the age of %.
The records of the comptroller's Of
fee showed. that at that time he was
teh youngest bank president in Am.
erica. He was making wonderful
record as a financier and a business
man until he was indicted for al
legged timber frauds. The. last nine
years of his. life have been spent in:
litigation. The printing of the record
in the timber land case alone cost
him $4,000, and altogether his
troubles have cost him about $780,
900.
He was promptly acquitted of the
land fraud case, but meanwhile as
soon as the indictment in the bank
case had been returned, he and Kes-
ter rendered their resignation as
president and cashier, respectively, Of
the Lewiston bank.
Later Assistant Cashier Robinett
stole $4,000 of the banks funds,
turned states evidence, implicated
Kettenbach and Kester and received
a 10-year sentence, from which he
was at once released in consideration
of having been a government witness.
Restored all Money Taken.
Kettenbach and his family immedi-
ately restored to the bank the full
amount that had been abstracted.
Kettenbach aand Kester were in
dicted for false entries and false re-
ports to the comptroller, but neither
signed the entries and the report, and
neither was at Lewiston when this
was signed. They we're tiled at Boise
and given the minimum sentence of
five years each.
The convictions created a furore
throughout Idaho, owing to their
popularity and the faact that there
was not scintila Of evidence against
them Preachers, civic bodies, COM
mercial organizations, the present
governor of Idaho and five of his
predecessors, and the Idaho delega-
tion were AMONG the influences that
sought their pardon.
President Acts Promptly
To pardon a National banker in
advance of his having served a day
of his sentence was a proceeding that
was without precedent. Senator Bo-
rah, in opening his statement to the
president, said it was the undivided
sentiment of Idaho that the young
men should be pardoned Contrary
to expectation, the president did not
delay his decision, but announced at
once that both Kettenbach and Kes-
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