New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-22
WHITMAN FREES
BANKER CUMMINS
Petitions from Nearly
Every State, Says Cover
nor, Granting Pardon
SEVERELY PUNISHED,
ASSERTS EXECUTIVE
Former Carnegie Trust Of
fetal Has Served Three
Years and Two Months

Albany, Dee. c1.-Governor Whit
nan. who. as District Attorney Of New
York. was chiefly instrumental in send
ding william J. Cummins 70 jail more
than three years ago, granted a pardon
70 the former banker to-day.
Cummins has served three years and
two months Of. term Of four years
and eight months imposed for his mis-
use Of funds Of the Carnegie Trust
Company. He was the dominant d.
rector OF the institution. the failure OF
which led 10 the trial Of Reichmsnn'
ifs president at one ume, and OF
Charles II. Hyde, City Chamberlain
and involved two other banks and
string OF industrials.
Governor Whitman. in statement
announcing the pardon says that let
tors and petitions asking for clemency
I'm the case have reached him from
nearly every state Of the union.
adding;
Virtually the great state o. j. en-
rcssee has as one man asked for Mr..
Cammins's pardon, for ] find among
the petitioners its Governor and ex-
Governors, it's United States Senators,
ali or its Congressmen, practically all
or its leading merchants, manufsctur-
crs. bankers and many OF It's judges. ]
ind among them the Senators Of sew
cral other states, including Oscar ".
Underwood and F. p Glass. ! find the
Governors OF Arkansas. Alabama and
Missouri.
Record Number Of Testimonials
"I think that the testimonials which
have been presented have never been
coualled in number or fervor ON behaH
of "a man In prison petltionlng Tor par
don n this state.
Cummins had come 90 this city from
Nashville Tenn. where he bad been
considered a citizen OF hlgn standing
and a financial genius. Nashville sent
some Of her most prominent men 10
appear as character witnesses az MS
trial.
considering Cummins'S imprisonment
miscarriage Of justice On this point
re says:
ellis offence was serious one. but
Dc has been severely punished. Almost
amy term of imprisonment Tor a man
Of has standing would have been
worul punishment and a warning 10
others Cummins was not banker
and his inexperiencc may. IN meas
ure. mitigate has offence, but II would
never do 90 excuse men VINO misuse
tho funds Of banks simply on account
of their ignorance.
Cummins's conduct toward the bank
upt trust company has had great
ueight with him. the Governor eX-
plains. "He and his family he says,
"lavc given arp everything they mad
and De has cncrgeucally devoted HIM
eif both while IN prison and before
confinement. TO the assistance OF the
banking department in collecting assets
of the defunc; institution.
Justice Davis Added His Plea
bradley Martin. president Of tho
Nineteenth Ward Bank. the principe.
witness against Cummins. joined in the
0.ttfon for Cummins. Justice Vernon
50. DAVIS. who presided at the trial
wrote the Governor that he thought
trc ends Of justice had been served.
The affairs Of the Carnegie Trust Co.
are still In liquidation.
Cummins has been confined since
May. 1915. IN Great Meadow prison,
whittier he was transferred following
lI- defeat for the presidency of the
Mutual Welfare League at Sing Sing.
lf is supposed that he left Sing Sing
h.fboring hostility TO Thomas Mott
d borne. the warden, who. Oh charges
preferred by kid Dropper" Kapian
and later disproved, had punished
tmmlns
ln any case. the former banker was
named IN ,the charge laid before a
Washington County Grand Jury last
fan that thc indictments found against
Thomas Mott Osborne and later
orashcd were the result Of crimin~l
conspiracy Matched at Great Meadow
among prison officials and convicts.
Nr. Osborne publicly charged that his
ecution began when he took charge
OF Sing Sing and found Cummins there