The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1915-09-25
GOV. PARDONs EDITOR OGDEN
Roy Editor, Victim of Political Per-
SecutiOn, Receives Justice From
New Mexico Governor.

publisher of the Roy Spanish-Amer-
ican, at Roy, Nora county, came
to Santa Fe today with sentence
of six to nine months in the state
penitentiary hanging over him for
criminal libel; he left for home this
afternoon with full and complete
pardon signed by Governor McDon-I
aid, who also remitted the fine of
$500 and costs.
In the pardon, the governor states
that after considering the evidence
and the circumstances surrounding
the case, he believes the ends of
justice will be subserved by Mr..
Ogden's release.
Mr.. Ogden will probably return to
Santa Fe when the commitment to
the penitentiary is signed, and then,
after shaking hands with the war
den of the penitentiary, start back
home again. n
The pardon signed by Governor
Mcdonald today reads as follows:
Whereas, Irwin Ogden was con
victed at the April, 1914, term of the
District Court of the Fourth dis
trict, sitting within and for the
county of Mora, and sentenced to
serve a term of from six to nine
months in the state penitentiary,
and to pay a fine of five hundred
dollars and costs of prosecution,
which sentence has been affirmed
by the supreme court; and
Whereas, having carefully con-
sidcred the evidence taken at the
trial and all the circumstances sur
founding the case, | believe the
ends of justice will be subserved by
his release and discharge at this
time.
Now, therefore, |, William C.. Nc
Donald, governor of the state of
New Mexico, bassNipthe of the au-
thOrity in me vested by law, do
hereby grant to the said Irwin Og-
den a full and complete pardon from
said sentence, and a remission of
said fines and costs.
The superintendent of the pen,
itentiary, upon receipt of this eX-
,ecutive order, properly signed and
sealed, will act in accordance there
with
In discussing the pardon, Mr..
Ogden this afternoon, said:
"rhe governor looked over the
/ evidence in the case and consider
ed it carefully as though there had
been no political issue in the case
The governor evidently felt the
conditions were such that it was
up to him to use his power. |
think this action of the governor
will meet with the approval of the
people of my home town of Roy
and of the people throughout New
Mexico who believe in the freedom
Of the press.
Personally ! should have done
, just what | did if there had been
no democratic governor in the eX-
ecutive Office at Santa Fe. While
had no desire to serve a term in
, the penitentiary, | should prefer il
TO being made a slave outside, sucf
as gang methods strive to make OF
a man.
81 am glad to receive this pardon
: at this time as this case has inter-
fprcd with some of my plans
which | now intend TO go ahead tC
carry out"
The action of the governor today
? ends a valiant fight made by Mr.
Ogden ever since he was indicted by
the grand jury in Mora county fol-
criminal libel 1t was on January
, 81, of 1914, that Mr.. Ogden published
in his paper, the Roy Spanish-Amer-
. lean, a statement that an inform.
alton had been filed by Il. ID. Tit
, man, district attorney of Socorr'
conuty, TO remove A. b. Baca, thu
assessor of that county, for incOm
petence, corruption and refusal u
/ perform his duties; that summar.
of these charges was contained il
IN issue of a daily newspaper o
January "a, and of the 20 charge
yaiust Baca there was not on
.hat could not be duplicated il
= Nora county. Ogden was indicte
a. the ground that the statemen
referred to the assessor Of Mer