Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-03
b|CKFORD
GIVEN full
PARDON
Z. SMITH PATTERSON RESIGNS
FROM BOARD so ACTION
CAN BE UNANIMOUS.
LONG PETITIONS PRESENTED
The Matter Has Occupied Atten.
tion of Entire United States
For Long Time.

George l.. Bickford of BoWbeus
former state treasurer, and who had
been convicted of embezzlement OF
state money and sentenced to a term
of from one to three years in the pen
itentiary, was pardoned yesterday by
the board Of pardons.
One Of Great Interest.
The case was an extraordinary one,
and has attracted attention from all
parts of the United States. Mr.. Bick-
ford was elected in 1908 and before
the close of his term it was known
that all was not right in his office.
1t seems that Mr.. Bickford had mis-
placed state moneys to the amount of
over $4,000 in the hope that he could
recover by the time it was necessary
to return it. 1t is another case of the
old story-he failed, was caught short,
friends came to the rescue, made
good the amount, but there was a
small amount of about $50 which had
not been covered. However, all ef-
forts did not undo the fact that he
had committed the crime and he was
found guilty. Twice the case went
to the supreme court. Every re-
source for escape was exhausted.
The court passed a sentence of from
one to three years.
Attorney Appeared for 1iekford.
George Phelps, attorney of Bow
bells, appeared before the board yes
terday and pleaded the case for Mr..
Bickford He made a very brief
statement, for, as he said, all was in
the record and there was little left
to say.
Stated Ne Was Poor Man.
The matter cost Mr. Eickford every.
thing he had. It took his bank, sew.
eral farms, his home and every dollar
he had. The grief almost killed his
wife and small son. A 1nonstrOus pc
tition for clemency was signed by
men all over the state, friend and
foe, alike. It was felt that Mr.. Bick-
ford had suffered enough, inasmuch
as the state had lost nothing in real
ity. The most bitter enemies of Mr..
Bickford finally became interested in
the case and appealed in person and
otherwise to the powers that be.
When the proposition was put up to
Governor Hanna, whom Mr.. BickfOrd
had opposed most strenuously, the
humane side of the proposition ap.
pealed to him and he yielded to what
he felt was the right thing and con-
sented to the pardon, as a member of
the board. 1t was magnanimous act
OF every man who voted for it, and It
is the concensus Of opinion that it
will prove agreeable.
Did Not Agree With Others.
Mr.. f. Smith.Petersen, one of the
members of the board, who was pres
ent at the morning session and wls
somewhat late at the meeting at the
prison, on account of defective auto,
dissented from the action Of the board.
The matter, which seemed to have
been settled by the time he arrived,
was reopened on suggestion of Cover
nor Hanna and on motion of Chief
Justice Spalding.
Mr.. Peterson Resigned.
At this time, while opposed to grant.
ing a pardon, Mr.. Peterson, in order
not to stand in the way of the petit
tioners and the rest of the board,
offered his resignation and withdrew
from the board. Mr.. Hanna accepted
the tender of the resignation with re-
luctance
Causes Of Withdrawal From Board.
The following cause for his resig-
nation from the board we're given to
the Tribune by Mr.. Peterson last even
Ing, as he was at the Mckenzie hotel:
Mr.. Peterson said: 81 was late in ar
irving at the warden's office, on &C.
count of an automobile going wrong
on the way out.
I'm the meantime, the other four
members of the board had considered
the Bickford case and had agreed
upon pardon. Upon my arrival, the
case was reopened and very thor.
ough discussion was had of the mat.
ter. The four members urging in be-
half of the pardon, that it would be a
great hardship to the wife and son of
the ex-state treasurer, if he were com.
PEELED to serve time in the peniten-
tiary; on the other hand it was urged
by myself that 1t was very danger
GUS precedent for the state board to
establish, if pardon were granted;
that I for one wished to put my seal
of disapproval upon a public official
who unlawfully meddled with the pub
lie funds, using them for private prof
It, and also urged that the fact that