Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-04
NO CONSIDERATION
TILL TRUTH IS TOLD
Members Of New Board Of
Pardons Support Stand
Taken by Executive and
Demand Information on
What Became of States
Money. ,

w ucIl ETou M. OOIculau,
defaulting deputy state.
treasurer and self-confessed
embezzler Of $4,000 state
funds, makes a clean breast
of the looting Of the treas
ury, tells how he stole that
amount of money, how Allen
made away with $1,000,
what was done with it, and
who else, if anyone, was in
volved in the plot, the state
board of pardons or board of
parole, may be willing to
lend an ear to his pleadings
for clemency, but not until
then.
This was, In brief. the stand taken
by Governor Alexander when the board
met in adjourned session late yester-
day afternoon to hear the argument of
Judge j. l.. McClear. who has taken
charge of Coleman's application as an
attorney. He appeared to ask the board
| to reconsider its resembling action of
the old board fixing Coleman's sentence
at the minimum, two and one-half
years.
On motion Of Attorney General Wal
| ters the board took the request for
reconsideration under advisement with
the understanding and implied request
that .ff, in the meantime, Coleman
| evinced disposition to clear up the
situation by acquainting the board with
all the facts known to him the board
| was ready to consider his case"
BOARD STANDS WITH GOVERNOR.
| It was in answer to Judge McClear's
| assertion that Coleman had been led
| to believe by at least two members OF
| the old pardon board Che did not al
| lude to the governor, he explained)
| that he would be given clemency II he
assisted in the gathering of the evil
dence from the treasury books on
which to base the suit against the Ma
| tional Surety company. and his further
claim that Coleman had done SO, max
| ing 1t possible for the state to obtain
| $50, 900 more than II would have had
he not done SO, that Governor Alexand
| err for the first time since the Coleman
case has been in the limelight, ex-
planned the transactions of the deposit
ory board with relation to Coleman
and what was expected of him before
he could get any consideration from
him Other members of the board stood
with him as shown by Attorney Gen.
eral Walters motion. which was Sec
onded by Secretary of State Dougherty.
SERVICES NOT VOLUNTARY.
Contrary to the general impression
| that has prevailed that Coleman had
volunteered his service to trace the
crooked transactions In the treasury
books, Governor Alexander positively
declared he not only did not volunteer
his services, but that the old deposit
ory board met with the utmost diff
Guilty In getting him to disclose how the
| fraudulent transactions we're covered
up and to pave the way to get him to
explain the condition in the treasury.
The chief executive said for his part,
he wanted to know what Allen and
Coleman did with the money they took
! from the treasury. where it went and
who. IL anyone. received part OF 1t.
This side of the treasury steal, which
he asserted, had blackened the good
name of-the state, had never been dis
closed by either Allen or Coleman. and
when such a detailed confession was
made, the governor said he might be
willing to consider Coieman's case. but
not until then.
GOVERNORS ATTITUDE CLEAR.
/ Governor Alexander gave out the fol-
lowing statement regarding the Cole
man case, and II is in substance. his
remarks before the board of pardons,
of which he Is chairman:
I'm relation to the plea made In be-
half OF Fred M. Coleman and my action
In introducing the resolution which ]
did and which was adopted by the
board, 1 desire to be understood that
there is no malice nor any bad feeling
nor any desire on my part to perse-
cute Mr.. Coleman and put any fur
ther sorrow and Inconvenience upon
his family. My motive is one of deeper
Significance and as / see 1t in the
light of reason and Justice / cannot
help but take the action which I did.
Tn the defalcation of Allen and Cole
man they did not commit any ordinary