The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-04-27
BOARD REFUSES
TO PARDON
CHAS. ERNST
WIFE CONFEssEs SHE SHOT LEM
lEMHl COUNTY RANCHER AND
CLEARS HUSBAND

The State Board of Pardons Tuesday
refused to grant pardons to Charles
and Frances Ernst, husband and wife.
who are serving time in the Idaho pen
itentiary for the murder of F. A. Reh-
berg in Lemhi county about two years
ago. Both applications are to be held
over by the board until the July meet
ing. The decision of the board which
followed an all-day meeting in which
varying confessions concerning the
same event were taken from Mr.. and
Mrs. Ernst
Mr.. Ernst was sent to the peniten-
tiary in 1919 on the testimony of his
wife, who said that her husband was
guilty of the killing.
MIS-. Ernst was incarcerated in the
penltentiary on her own plea of guilty
to a charge of manslaughter and came
before the pardon board last Thurs
day but refused TO tell her story in the
absence Of the governor.
During the morning session in the
governors office Mrs. Ernst confessed
that she had done the killing and that
her testimony to a jury two years ago
to the effect that her husband was the
guilty one, was not true
MI. Ernst came before the board al
the penitentiary in the afternoon but
refrained from talking much because
his attorney was not present The story
that he told, however, to members OF
the board about certain events is
variance with what his wife told con
cerning the same incidents. He asked
that he be allowed to fully present his
~-~-~-~-~-~-o~~-~~~~O
VIII Probably Remain Mystery
Sheriff Gumains. who was called to
the scene of the murder states thai
upon his arrival the contents Of the
rooms had been tampered with tc
such an extent that it was impossible
tor him to render any great amount
If assistance in running the guilty
man down. Mr.. Cummins took the
gun which fired the fatal shot and
made thorough tests with it to de
termine whether or not the young mar
could have taken his own life. These
tests were made by firing upon sheets
Of blotter board at distances ranging
from l inch to 2 feet and even at Z
feet the blCtter showed many powde.
marks which precludes the possibility
OF suicide as no powder marks were
found upon the person of the young
man at all.
i, iS
hard to meet, and when a devoted
father is called upon to face it as was
William Patrick, it is q blow from
which one would be many, many long
days in recovering. Stunned by the
horrible and cold -blooded nature OF
The crime the poor old father and the
dear old mother could not realize that
their boy would be called from them
and they never gave up hope until
God, in His Infinite mercy took the
young man to His Mansion in the
skies. Sympathy tends in measure
to relieve distress in fellow beings
and yet it cannot bring back to us
some one who is near and dear.
The young man leaves. besides his
! father and mother, a sister, Naude
| who is on her way West now; a bro
ther William, in the marine service
| q brother George, who resides a
Bayhorse with his parents and hi
uncle, Hugh Patrick, purchasing a
gent for the RamshCrn Mines Compa
ny. to mourn his loss.
Together with the sympathy of al
Central Idaho, which is extended tn
bereaved ones. is the sincere hop
that the officers will succeed in run
ming down the bastard who wantonl
killed this admirable young man.