The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-04-13
IOWA GOVERNORS s
IMPEACHMENT is
URGED BY SOLONS
HARDING DECLARES RATHBIN
CASE OUTCOME Is PURELY
\ POLITICAL FIGHT.
DENIES FEAR OF OUTCOME
Sensational story of JOy.Ride, Girl Vie
tim of Criminal Assault, Two Youths
Sentenced for Life. Pardon to One.
RetOld Allegations That Chief EN-
ecutive of State Got $1,000 for Glenn
ency Was Made.

Des AIoines. Iowa, April l2-Goyer.
nor W L. Harding, referring today to
the Iowa house judiciary committees
decision to recommend his Impeachment
charged that the entire matter is pure
ly a political fight" and that he had
no fear Of che outcome"
"The committees decision is not
caused solely by the pardon Of Ernest
Rathbun,' the chief executive told the
AssoIated Press. 1T is a political
fight on me on general principles ON
matters quite outside the pardon contro-
versy.
II granted the pardon i'm the regular
way, fully within the law, as has been
developed thoroughly in the committee
hearings. Now my political opponents
are using the pardon matter as a veil
for their own designs"
The "Rathbun case" has attracted
nationwide attention because of the
sensational nature of the events lead.
ing up to the action of the legislative
committee in recommending that the
Iowa governor be impeached because
of his granting Of a pardon to Ernest
Rathbm and of certain alleged matters
in connection Herewith
one evening in the fan of 1917. two
Ida county youths asked two maidens
they scarcely knew to go "ioyridug"
with thrm-and that furnished the i'm
PRODUCTION To the now famous Rathbuu
case
The Joy ride" ended disasuously-
one grl of sixteen was the victim of
criminal assault for which the two
young men later were arrested and con-
yicted an. given life sentences in prison.
The other girl escaped after a struggle
imprisonment Of the young men was
delayed through appeals Then Cover
nor w. l.. Harding pardoned Ernest
Rathbuu, one Of the convicted youths,
and Iowa as a whole gained its first
thorough knowledge Of the case. Ray
O'Meara was the other youth charged
with the crime.
1t developed that while an applica.
ton for a new trial for Rathbun was
pending in the state supreme court his
attorney George Clark of Ida Grove,
had obtained a pardon for his client
before he had served a day of his life
sentence
Although the pardon was issued No
vember l, 1916 it did not become gem
orally known umil early in Deccm-
her when it reused storm of protest
from Ida county, and procipitatcd a
clash between the governor and II. II.
Havner, state attorney general.
Declaring the pardon had been OBJ
tanned through fraud and nlerally
granted, the attorney general present
ed the matter to the Ida county grand
jury last February and interest over
the state grew intense as the con-
test between the governor and attor-
ney general increased in bitterness.
Sensations Come Fast.
with Kaleidoscope effect came the
sensations-the subpoenaing of Cover
nor Harding to appear before the grand
jury, his illness and confinement in a
Carroll hospital while the jury awaited
his coming, the rearrest of young Rath-
hun on a perjury charge in connec-
ton with his pardon application, and
his indictment ON that charge, finally
leading to his consent to revocation OF
the pardon.
The next day-the same day Cover
nor Harding finally testified before the
grand jurv-young Rathhun pleaded
guilty to the perjury indictment and
was given tenyear sentence to run
,,sfth e., fpr
criminal assault. That night he was
taken to Anamosa reformatory.
\ day or two later the grand jury
completed its investigation of the case
without further indictments but Attor
ney General Lavner announcer he
would present information in his pos
session to the judiciary committee OF
the Iowa legislature with a view to
determining the governors reasons for
granting the pardon
While Havner was awaiting the sum
mons to appear before the committee
Governor Harding, with dramatic sud
denness, called a joint session Of the
legislature, personally laid before the
solons his side of the case, and urget
thorough Investigation" of all side,
Of the entire matter
The governor accused llavner Of un
fair methods in gaining revocation o
the pardon and challenged certain
statements the attorney general hat
made. Impeachment or exoneraton'
was the governors plea.
The house of representatives. witt
parchment proceedings, then passed ,
resolution calling upon its judiciary