Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1914-03-12
BARNEY o'NEIL's PARDON.
Attorney for Ex-Banker Clashes With
Member Of Pardon Board.

Advices from Boise, where the state
board of pardons held session Mon
day, are to the effect that the con.
sensus of opinion holds the view that
the ex-Wallace banker and former can
didate for the nomination for governor
of the state will not, be granted an un.
conditional pardon. A Boise dispatch
under date of March 8 tells interesting.
ly of the boards meeting in part as
follows:
A stormy and exciting special
session of the state board of pardons
was held today on the application of B.
r. O'Neii, the convicted Wallace bank
er, for an unconditional pardon, during
which charges of political intimidation
and the maintenance of rich men s
lobby to fight the pardon were made
and O'Neil's record of high finance
was reviewed
The board took the application un
der advisement and Governor Haines
said they would not reach decision for
several days.
Robert E. Mcfarland appeared for
u Neil and James A. Wayne, former
prosecuting attorney for, Shoshone
county, opposed the application. L. G.
Wilson of Wallace, receiver of the de-
funct State Bank of Commerce of
which O'Neil was president, and who
was convicted for falsifying it's reports
appeared as special representative for
the commissioners of Shoshone county
in opposition to the pardon but did not
address the board.
Basing his claims for O 'Neil's pardon
almost entirely on a plea for clemency.
Attorney Mcfarland said it was sig
nificant that O'Neil was the only ol.i-
Ger and director of the bank prose.
cuted and said his conviction was Sc
cured largely on the prejudice of two
jurors. He declared the people of north
Idaho not only requested tho pardon,
but they demanded it, as shown bv
their petitions
Turning to the board, Mcfarland
said:
"There is primary law in this state
giving the people the right to express
their choice of candidates. They put
you in office. They have right to ex-
pect that you listen to their requests,
and, having expressed wish that
O'Neil be pardoned, that you pardon
him.
II do not accept your theory said
Attorney General Peterson.
Ignoring this remark, Mcfarland de-
clared rich mems lobby had been
maintained in Boise for several DAYS
to block the O'Neil pardon.
"The wealthy men who placed o Neil
in the penitentiary have been here sew
eral days conducting a lobby, and you
know it," cried Mcfarland. "Where
else is your oppositions Your only op.
position is the monied interests of
Shoshonc county. Are there any of the
depositors who lost money here pro-
testing? Is there a written protest
from any one from Shoshone county
except that of Herman Rossi, who was
witness against O'Neilso
Mcfarland and the attorney general
clashed after the former said Taft had
the nerve to pardon Clarence w. Rob-
nett and President Wilson to pardon
kester and Kettenbach, and the at
torney general half humorously cut in
with, eyes, look what happened to
Taft
If you do not grant this pardon you
may look out for what may happen to
you,' angrily retorted Mcfarland, turn
ing on Attorney General Peterson, who
objected to the remark, saying he did
not propose to let any man come be-
fore the board and theraten him with
political downfall or to politically in
timidate him.
Wayne flayed O'Neil numerically.
He asserted the convicted banker had
been crooked in his dealings in the
banking business prior to the organiza-
tion of the Bank of Commerce, which
ne launched on bad paper, for while
at the head of small bank in Wal
lace he bolstered up it's assets with
false entry of $4,000 to fool the ex.
aminer. Wayne claimed many of the
petitions had been signed through mis-
representation; that the bank had paid
its depositiors and Harry L. Day had
given assurance they would get dollar
for dollar; that O'Neil got 1886 900 of
the banks money.
FOLKS SEE ECLIPSE.