The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-26
Attorney for Rathbun Family
Never Gave Any Part Of
$1,000 to Governor
Harding.
WAS HIS LEGAL FEE
Money Paid In Cash so Bark Might
Not Know How Much Lawyer
Was Spend-
ing.

1 UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.]
DIES MONIES, Iowa, March 26.-
George Clark, attorney for the Rath-
bun family, will take the stand this
afternoon when the house Judiciary
committee resumes its investigation
into the Ernest Rathbun pardon.
Clark late yesterday swore he gave
Governor Harding no money for the
pardon of the Ida county social
criminal. He also said that he did
not give any other persons money to
give the governor.
Clark testified that he told VIII
Rathbun. Sr., father of Ernest at
conference Of the Rathbuns that for
SIS, 600 he would do what he could
toward getting a pardon.
This sum also was to act as pay
ment for completion of an appeal to
the supreme court and to take care
of two other indictments against
Rathbun.
He said that the $4,000 was paid
in currency at Rathbun's suggestion,
because he didn't want the bank to
know how much he was spending for
"a pardon.
During his testimony Clark three
times refused to accept responsibility
for the pardon and said that Ernest
Rathbun told him state agents prom
ised him parole within year If he
signed a confession admitting the
attack on Elsie Hargens, in Ida
Grove. The confession was signed
in Sioux City, Clark said.
The hearings have been postponed
from morning hours to two o'clock
each afternoon so that the investiga
tion does not interfere with sessions
Of the lower house of the assembly.
The sessions Of the house this week
have merely been "rump conven-
tions" of the judiciary committee be-
cause practically all assemblymen
flocked to the hearing room to get
in on the testimony, thus making a,
quorum impossible.
Governor Harding probably will not
take the stand in the investigation
today, but committee members said
the state executive will be given an
opportunity to tell his story tomor-
row ii not called late this afternoon.
Counsel Byers turned to an exami-
nation of expenditure of the $4,000.
Since Clark had bank balance of
S79 when the money was deposited
it was assumed that any checks
drawn on the account would tell the
disposition of the money.
The examination centered around
check drawn to himself for $1,500
probably because it was the only
check large enough to interest any
one in pardon If such interest was
used.
Clark said Of this money, he gave
his wife $3.50, for "a special purpose.
81 had made good fee, and / made
up my mind that I'd give her pres
ent to use as she wanted to, and I
didn't take the trouble to find out
how she spent it."
When it was pointed out that at
the Ida county grand jury, he said
this had been spent by his wife at
Sioux City, Clark said:
when that was asked had never,
found out what she did with the
money. But I have found she had
spent none of 1t since then. have
that $3.50 In my pocket now"
Byers asked him to produce it and
it was laid on the table, but not
marked an exhibit in the evidence
Committee members this afternoon
said the Rathbuns would not take the
stand until Thursday or late tomor-
row afternoon.
After the committee finishes with
George Clark, Rathbun attorney, this
afternoon. Fl. W. Byers, counsel for
the committee said he would call
Thad Smell again and then let
Charles Witt, Governor Harding's
secretary. take the stand Smell is
an Ida county lawyer and will again
tell of his meeting Harding in Chi
cago after young Rathbun had been
pardoned.
Governor Harding will follow Witt
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