The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-31
PARDON-OF B. T. O'NE|L
WILL LOCATE IN NORTH
SAYS CONVICTION TECHNICAL
WILL LlcATE IN NORTH
ERIN IDAHO.

II had been minated in advance
that Barney O'Neil would receive a
Christmas present in the form of a
pardon from the penitentiary, so the
news of his release Christmas eve was
no surprise to the public. The gov
ernor of the state seems to have re-
garded the release of O'Neil matter
Of more Importance than the release
Of ordinary prisoners, for he made the
pilgrimage to the prison and person
ally delivered the pardon to him. The
following account of the conviction,
Imprisonment pardon and plans of
O'Neil is taken from the Boise States
man:
Mr.. O'Neil Barney" ONeil, as he
IS known throughout the state was
convicted at the December term of the
district court in Kootenai county of
making false reports to the state
bank examiner and of wrecl1ing the
State Bank of Commerce of Wallace.
He was sentenced to serve term of
from to 10 years. While he has not
served the minimum sentence in the
penitentiary, he was in Jail for some
IS months prior to and pending his
trial and this has been taken into con-
slderation in granting the pardon
Fought Extradition.
Many concurrent mlsfortunes led to
a declaration of bankruptcy in the
federal court. First he was heavily
hit by the failure of the Carnegie
Trust company. in which he was in
terested. Following this the Inland
Herald Of Spokane, a newspaper in
which Mr.. O'Neil was heavily involv-
ed, failed His financial condition was
further affected by the failure of sew
eral timber companies in which he was
a heavy investor Finally came the
failure of his bank and, after making
the declaration in the federal court, he
went into Vancouver, B. c., where he
fought extradition unsuccessfully.
Intimately identified with politics
during the whole of his life in this
state, he was chairman of the repub-
lcan state committee, candidate for
nomination to the United States SEN
ate against w. B. Hepburn, and for
nomination as governor four years
ago. The expenses of these campaigns
were heavy and it was said at the time
of his trial that part of his indebted
~ess to the bank was money borrowed
to conduct his campaigns.
Il
of the Wallace bank have been paid in
full and that, as a result, the wife and
son are penniless. In his petition to
the board, Mr.. O'Nei calls attention to
the fact that his reputation had always
been good up until the time of his ar
rest and says that any suffering he
may have caused anyone was unin-
territorial. Many thousand names have
been signed to petitions in his behalf
and much influence has been brought
to bear on the board from both sides
Opposition came mainly from Sho-
shone county and until this time has
prevented the action.
Janitor of the Pen.
DuIlHB his IeSlucHCG DIT Ile pGHlleH-
tiary Mr.. O'Neil has been janitor of
the buildings He has served faith
fully always anxious to do his share
according to Warden Shook. He is
well liked by the guards and prisoners
has assisted in the religious services,
and made himself useful wherever
possible. He spent last night at the
prison, coming to town only for short
time during the evening
In commenting on the action of the
board in setting the Occur d'Alene
banker free, Governor Haines said:
Whatever this mans offense has
been, it seems to me that he has suf-
fered his Gethsemane. He has trav-
eled the road to Golgotha and he has
paid the uttermost farthing. This is
the time Of the year when we should
try to forget the meanness in our ma
lures and to do Justice, and l have no
hesitancy in saying that justice de-
mands the release of this man."
To Stay in Idaho.
In speaking of his plans, Mr.. O'Neil
said that he had been asked to par
take of Christmas dinner at the home
Of e. H, Dewy at Nampa and that he
expected to spend few days in Boise
before joining his wife in the north.
lie said that he had no intention of
leaving Idaho but that he would make
his home in the northern part Of the
state.
It's all over now" he said. my
pardon did not come as a surprise, for
confess that I expected it, and |
think reasonably so; for in the first
place I know that am not criminal,
either by instinct or habit. The entire
tendency Of my mind has always been
honesty, and to take advantage Of
other people or to thrive through their
discontinue or loss Is absolutely for
oign to my nature and makeup. So,
during all my Imprisonment, l was
cheered by the thought and knowledge
mat | was being punished for techni-
cal rathpr tban Intentional yvrOOQdO-