The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-25
PARDON BOARD FILES COUNTER CHARGES IN MATTHEWS CASE Majority Report Alleges Or ganized Campaign to Free
 Cianton Banker
MARTIN AND PURIFOY
 GO DEEP IN DETAILS
In Reply to Minority Member They Claim Medical Men of the State Were Misled in Their
 Activity

Montgomery, November 24.-(Speclalo Charging that an organized campalsn has been carried on in Alabama for the nsrole of pr. E. A. Matthews, former cash fer of the Clanton bank, who is serving nine years as a result Of ms connectlon with the failure of the bank, the state board of pardons has filed with Governor Henderson a majority report opposing clemency and answering M. c. Allgood, minority member of the board, who asked for ths release of Matthews at the end of three years.
 The majority report is one of the most sensational filed with the present govern or The board goes into details in ex- plaining the conviction of Matthews and the efforts now being made to obtain his liberty on parole. "1f pr. Matthews guilty of wrecking a bank, of peculauons over a period of 10 years, amounting to more than $4o,oo0, is to be pardoned be- cause 1900 people of his county want him pardoned and because many of the mem- bers of the medical profession request it. the statutes protecting trust funds should be repealed for only men of prom thence and high position like Dr. Mat thews have the opportunity to violate thenn.'' said the board. If he is to be paFdoned through the power and influ- encs he is able to exert, the doors of the penitentiary should be swung open for the release also of the convict who is without power, family, wealth and influ- epce.'
 MAJORITY REPORT
 William L. Martin, attorney general. and John Purifoy, secretary of state, signed the majority report, which was written in the office Of the attorney gen. eral.
 Tn the minority report, State Auditor Allgood contended that Matthews should not be required to serve the second sen- tence, which is six years; that he was convicted of enlbezzling $1750, which he had a right to check from the bank, being treasurer of a fertilizer company, to which the funds belonged; that Judge A. H. Als- ton. members of the grand jury and members Of the petit juries had recom- nended clemency and that 130o citizens of Chilton county had requested his release on parole.
 SUPPLEMENTAL REPLY
 When the minority report was filed, the majority prepared an additional report, in which it went into details in explain ing why Dr. Matthews should be kept in prison. It declared that Auditor All good did not get the facts clearly in his mind and did not correctly construe the remarks Of Judge Aston. who recom- naended clenaency. according to the ma joEity. solely on the ground of sufficient punishment" and that others equally as guilty as the petitioner had escaped punishment"
 Tt may be true, as the auditor states, that 1900 citizens of Chiffon county re- quest pardon in this case' said the matoFity's answer to Auditor Allgood This Is not surprising. Any man ot pr. Matthews prominence should be able to obtain thousands of signatures tc such a petition. The file shows an ag- Sressive campaign carried on for Dr. MatthAws's release. in part by the med icsl society ot Dale county. It seems from the circular letter in the file that the interest of this society is provoked solely by a member of pr. Matthews faTnily and by his counsel, who live IT Dale county. It may be significant thai IL was not the medical society of Chil. top county that flooded the state witi l2oo-word letters seeking to arouse the interest Of the medical profession toward securing the release of a doctor who had wrecked bank. sSs
 APPEALS FROM DALE
 AtS dpp9<k Ol t4te lJdIe county Med teal society, signed fraternally yours, is 70 framed as to present a very suhtle deception. Without further in vesttsation and with belief in the state meuts contained in this letter one is fr. restsab!y led to the conclusion that q pesdop should issue. But an exaniua Tor oS the cold record facts, divorced iron nAre memory. shows that for years pr Matthews had conducted the bank fo his own benefit. receiving deposits witt the knowledge that the bank was in $ railing condition that with the capita stock at s150oo. two members of the hoars or directors and himself owed the banl more than $S2.0oo; that he had failed t, make entries when such failure woul, conceal his wrong-doing that he had ab eEacted bank funds to pay private in dshtedness that he had used bank fund to deal 1u worthless corporate stocks i, which he had personal interest.
 The medical profession of Alabam dld not know the facts when it floods the pardon powers with requests flo clernApcy."