Arizona republican., 1919-03-28
GOV. HARDING SAYS HE GUT NO BR|BE
 IN RATHBUN PARDON
Attorney General Havner Shown Interested - In dictments Dismissed as Result of Bargain with f,a Q | hbuus

DIES MONIES, Iowa, March 27- After Governor W. L. Harding had told the Iowa house judiciary commit tee he did not receive bribe for par doning Ernest Rathbun, the latters father and brother went on the stand tonight and testified they understood S5,00O they paid their attorney for the pardon was to go to the governor.
 Both William Rathbun, the father and his son, William, reiterated state ments contained in an affidavit of the senior Rathbun, presented to the com mittee last week.
 George Clark, their attorney, told the senior Rathbun. the latter testi- fled, that ''he had sure thing propo- sition, standing offer for a pardon for s5,000' and when the Tathbuns accepted this offer, the witness de- clared Clark said:
 Tt was to go to the governor
 Special Counsel Byers referred Rathbun to his testimony before the Ida county grand jury recently, in which the witness had declared Clark had told him the money was not to go to the governor Byers asked if Clark cautioned him not to tell the grand jury "any of the money was to go to the governor and Rathbun replied:
 T think he did"
 '1s that the reason you did not tell the grand jury 'any of the money was to go to the governor" Byers queried T think it was" was the answer DIES MONIES, Iowa, March 27.-- l Governor W. L. Harding, completing i his testimony late today in the Iowa 1 house judiciary committees investi- l gation of the Rathbun pardon case, l denied emphatically that he had re- ceived a bribe ln any form for grant i ing the pardon.
 The governor reiterated his state ment that he granted the pardon be- cause he believed Ernest Rathbun in- nocent after reading the records in the case and the recommendations for clemency from the trial judge and the prosecuting attorney.
 Two other witnesses were heard be- fore recess was taken until 8 D. m They were W. c. Jones, foreman oi the Ida county grand jury, that re- gently investigated the pardon, and Bruce Shell of Ida Grove, brother 1 and law partner of Thaddeus Shell who already had testified before the committee.
 | Jones told the committee that the grand jury had voted six indictments in connection with Rathbun's sue seccful effort to obtain a pardon, but at the instance of Attorney Genera H. M. Havner, five of them were quashed and only the one for perjury n ILL, I The indictments quashed included
 two against George Clark, the Rath
 bun attorney, for subornation of per
 jury and conspiracy, and one each fol
 conspiracy against William Rathbun
 Sr, and William Rathbun, Jr., fathel
 and brother respectively, of Ernest It was the first mention made il
 testimony before the committee of tn,
 part Attorney General Havner took il
 obtaining revocation of the pardon
 which resulted in Rathbuns imprison
 ment in the Anamosa reformatory fo
 service of a life sentence for crim
 inal assault.
 Dismissed a Bargain
 Jones testified the indictments wer dismissed as a result of a bargain be tween the state and the Rathbuns ant
 Clark, and the witness said the jur , had decided this was the best thin to do, after Havner had presented tn agreement to them."
 The committees investigation, i
 accordance with house resolution 1. concerns both the reasons of the gov , ernor for granting the pardon and tn methods employed by Havner in set , ting it aside.
 . The governor was closely examine as to his personal financial affair
 during last September, October, No
 vember and December. His ban
 statements showed no unusual depos
 it's during these months, and in repl
 to questions the governor declared h
 received no money for the pardon.
 q believed that Rathbun was inno cent when 1 granted the pardon" wa the governors reply several times queries concerning his reasons fo
 freeing the youth.
 Referring to the bargain 'betwee
 the state and the Rathbuns, as testi . fled to by Jones, Counsel Byers said , You know now that Clark, who guilty beyond all others in this cas- was free to go, and this 21-year-o ol ) boy prisoner (Rathbun) has to go l the penitentiary for life to save Clarl Have you done anything to rectify tn : wrong?"
 l No" the governor replied, q hay rot done anything. I have not bee t in position to do anything while 5 am being investigated myself"
 The governor was then dismisse Q and it was said he would not be calle 5 again unless there were unforeseen dt , velopments.