Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-01-26
MONDAY EVENING, JAN. Is, 1926
THE GovEzsSoR's explain.
ALTON.

Governor Frazier has even his Up
prevail to a petition asking for the re-
lease Of Kate Richards O'Hsze. who
is nov an inmate of u federal prison
ia pursuance of = sentence imposed
on her by = federal Judge after her
eouytcdon on charges OF obetrue0ng
the United States government IN its
prosecution OF the war. The specific
incident on which the several charges
against her were based was the de
livery Of an address at Bowman
North Dakota- In which h de-
nounced the war and the participa-
ton Of the United states therein. and
incidentally referred 10 the mothers
Of American soldiers as no better
than brood sows.
Governor Frazier. in the note to
the president accompanying the petit
tlon for pardon, declares that the
conviction was the work OF poli.sca!
spie. In reply to a remonstrance
addressed to him by a gSoup of Bis
ma1ck women the governor writes
that i. wa not his intention to re-
fleet in Judge Wade. who presided
1t the trial, or on Dissric. Attorney
Hildreth. who prosecuted, but that
his censure was intended to apply to
local officials n others in the COM
munity where the complaint was
brought
The governors explanation falls
somewhat short of explaining. As
sumo that q number OF people in
and about Bowman engaged in a con-
spiEacy for political cason to rail-
road an innocent woman TO the peni-
Tertiary on falee charges. and what
follows? These charges we're submit-
ted to the federal district attorney,
whose duty it was to Investigate
them. Presumably he did investi-
gate them, for he brought them to
the attention Of a federal grand jury,
a jury composed of representative
citizens and chosen under the an
thority of federal law. Unless both
attorney and jurors were utterly cor
rupt, they must have believed thai
there was good reason to believe fha'
the was guilty, on the evi.
Aence placed before them, for an tn
dictment was found in regular form
= and the order for the voman's ar.
rest and trial followed.
Because ar, individual is indicted
It does not follow that the fndtvidua
Is guilty, for an indictment is bases
on a presentation Of one side of tn
case only. and it may be found tina
the charge Is not supported by suf
ficient evidence, orr that the accuses
may be able. to produce evidenc
sufficient to controvert it. But Mrs
O'Hare was placed on trial in du
form. She was represented by coun
sci Of her own choice. Through he
counsel she participated in the sc
lection of the jury which was to pro
nounce on the facts. She had tn
advantage Of all the safeguard
which the law throws around an &C
cused person. The presiding tudg
had no interest except to see justic
done and the law faithfully admins
tered. The Jury was chosen unde
rules whose sole purpose is to insur
impartial and intelligent considera
ton Of the evidence. Witnesse
brought forward to support tn
charges were subjected to the mo.
searching cross-examination by tn
defense. The defense itself place
on the stand as many witnesses as
desired. Every controverted ques
ior was decided BY the p-estdin
Judge, and his rulings on question
which remained in doubt were sui
sequent1y sustained by the highe
court.
The jury. after sue q. trial, cor
ducted in the full light Of day, foun
the prisoner guilty. Judge Wade. i