The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1913-08-07
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WAKES
THINGS UP WHEN GOVERNOR
LEAVES THE STATE.
MORE MURDERERS ARE PARDONED
And the School Book Contracts Are
Given the o. K.-cruce Revokes
All the Acts Of the Temper
ary Governor.

over the school book adoptions made |
last July by the old state board of
education, was summarily terminated |
when Lieutenant Governor j. J. Nc |
Alester, acting as governor in the alb |
sence of Governor Cruce, who was in |
Kansas City, signed and approved the |
contracts and bonds for twentyfour |
publishing companies and issued q
proclamation declaring the books in |
use and directing the attorney gen.
eral to dismiss all litigation instituted |
by the state in opposition to the con-
tracts.
At the same time Governor McAles-
ter made use of his pardoning power
and granted full and complete par
dons to B. II. Updyke, a nephew Of
former Governor Haskell, sentenced
to life Imprisonment from Oklahoma
county for murder, which occurred
two or three years ago; George
Crump, Jr., sentenced to seven years
for alleged fraud in some Indian land
sales in Pottawatomie county; J. w.
Dobbs, sentenced for fifteen years
from Elk City on a charge of man
slaughter; Ben Bonds, sentenced
from Shawnee on a charge of at
tempting to bribe a district Judge.
The companies whose contracts
were signed are: Allyn G. Bacon, of
Chicago; w. H. Wheeler & Co., OF
Chicago; ]. E. Dyche Publishing Co,
of Oklahoma City; Eaton & Co., of
Chicago; the Macmillan Co, of New
York; Charles Scribner e Son, Of
Chicago; Atkinson-Mentzer Co., of
Chicago; Scott, Foresman e Co., of
Chicago; B. F. Johnson & Co., of
Richmond, Va; Educational Book Co,
of Boston; Oklahoma School Herald
Publishing Co., of Oklahoma City;
Southern Publishing Co., of Dallas;
Roe Peterson & Co., Of Chicago; Sill
yer Burdette & Co., of Boston; Fergu-
son Publishing Co., of Sherman, Tex;
D. Appleton & Co., Of Chicago; CHM
& Co., of Dallas; Woodruff Bank Note
Co., of Lincoln; Charles E. Merrell &
Co, of New York; B. H. Sanborn, Of
Boston; Little, Brown e. Co., of Bos-
ton; Colonial Book Co.. of Chicago,
and the American Book Co. of Chi
cago.
Governor Lee Cruce, as soon as he
returned, issued a proclamation re-
voking the four pardons.
Governor Cruce also notified by eele-
gram the twenty-five book companies
that he would consider an affront to
the state any attempt on their part to
put into the state the school books
contracted for by the deposed state
board of education and approved by
Acting Governor McAlester.
Governor Cruce, at the same time,
instructed Attorney General Charles
West to disregard the instructions re-
ceived by him from Acting Governor
McAlester to dismiss the suits pend
ing, in which the validity of the
school book contracts are being ques-
toned. Attorney General West was
directed by Governor Cruce to con-
tinue the suits until they are finally
determined by the supreme court Of
the state.
State Penitentiary Warden Robert
w. Dick was notified on the tele-
phone by Governor Cruce to disre-
gard the pardons issued by Acting
Governor McAlester which at that
time had not reached the prison, by
mail, and to hold the four prisoners
whom McAlester sought to free.
The signing of the book contracts
and the pardons took place in the
office of Secretary of State Ben Harri-
son in the presence of Mr.. Harrison,
who attached the official seal of the
state to the documents; Hugh Har-
rell, assistant secretary of state Nor
man Haskell, of Oklahoma City, son
OF former Governor Haskell; Gene
Day, of McAlester, one OF the authors
of the Harris-Day code of laws, and
State Superintendent Of Public In
struction Robert II. Wilson, at whose
instance the school books were ap'
proved
Governor Cruces Theory.
In issuing the proclamation revoking
the four pardons granted by Acting
Governor McAlester came after sew
did so upon the theory that the par
dons were granted by McAlester as
governor, and could be revoked by
Cruce as governor, the personnel OF
the two men not altering the case
Governor Cruces theory is that un
til the pardons reach the prisoners
they have no vested right in them
and thew can be revoked by the gov