Bisbee daily review., 1919-03-27
GOVERNOR HARDING
 ON STAND IN PROBE
 OF PARDON BRIBES
Affidavit Charging He Re ceived $5000. Ignored
 in Testimony
CBy Review Leased wlrel

late today in the Iowa house judiciary committees investigation of the Rath- bun pardon case, and began an ex- planation of his reasons for granting the pardon
 It was brought out that the gov ernor's information in the case, be- fore granting the pardon, was con- fined to an examination of an abseract fined to an examination of an abstract from George Clark, the Rathbun at torney, with recommendation of clemeney from the trial judge and Ida county attorney.
 No reference was made by either the governor or members of the com mittee to an affidavit by William Rath- bun, father of the pardoned youth, in which the senior Rahtbun asserted it was his understanding the $5,00O he gave Clark for obtaining the par don was to go to the governor.
 Clark Repeats Statements.
 The governor was on the stand only a short time before recess was taken until 8 p. m- He was preceded by Clark, who reiterated statements he previously made to the committee, and Charles Witt, the governors secre- tary.
 One phase of the governors testi- mony contradicted that of Clark, in that the chief executive declared it was late in September when ClarAl approached him regarding the pardon, Do& L, ed it wa s'about November 4" when he first took up the matter with the governor. The governor testified he now be- lieves there is no question as to the guilt of Ernest Rathbun, who is in Ananosa reformatory, following rev elation of his pardon at the instance of Attorney General Havner
 Thought Boy Innocent.
 When he said his opinion was based on the records in the case, Special Counsel Byers asked: And you could have obtained the same opinion if you had, with slight diligence, investigat- ed the case before granting the par don?"
 Well, not with slight diligence" the governor replied, but I could have found it out all right"
 If at the time you granted the par don you knew what you now know, would you have granted the pardon?" Byers queried.
 NO, wouldn't" was the executives reply.
 Then, why didn't you call in the parole bord and let the pardon be is- used in the customary way he was asked.
 My mind was made up," he gov ernor answered. After reading the abstract given me by Clark and the recommendations for clemency signed by the presiding judge and the county attorney, I thought the boy inno- cent"
 Clark told the committee that the only person he showed me pardon to- other than the Rathbuns was to the father of Ray O'Meara, who was joint ly indicted with Ernest Rathbun for criminal assault. The attorney said he had offered to endeaTor to obtain a similar pardon for O'Meara for s6.OOO.
 Mir. Witt, the governors secretary, said he had received from Clark eer- tain papers in the case and had turned them over to the governor. He did not know the pardon had been grant ed, he said, until he read of it in the newspapers.
 Harding Only Witness.
 Governor Harding was the only wit ness examined at the night session, which lasted nearly three hours. In- cluded in his testimony was a refer ence to his meeting in Chicago with two or three Ida Grove men. two days before the pardon was granted.
 For twenty minutes, the governor said. he talked with Ed Mentz and Noah Williams of Ida Grove and a W. C. Ernst of California, but. the con- ve-sation was not in reference to the Rahtbun case.
 In resuming his inquiry concerning information in the governors posses sion when he signed the pardon, COun- sel Byers asked:
 You relied absolutely for your in formation in the case upon a man with whom you had only a slight acquain- tance?" referring to Attorney Clark
 Yes" the governor replied.
 Counsel Byers then read parts of the evidence presented 10 the grand jury that indicted Rathbun and from the testimony introduced at his trial and the governor agreed that it con- tained far more discriminating evi- dence than was shown n the docu- ments sent to him.
 The governor will continue his tes- timony tomorrow
 INDIVIDUAL. RIGHTS