Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-20
FRIENDS |MPlORE
| PARDON FOR LE|B
Pals OF Former Political Boss
Storm Office Of State Board
Of Pardons
BIG LIST or APPEALS

made spectacular fight for his free.
dom at Harrisburg today before the
State Board Of Pnrdons.
Holding Its last session before the
advent Of the Pinchot Administration.
the board was overwhelmed with par
don applications. Attorneys and rela-
tives OF 100 con, cts crowded about the
Offices.
More than 1900 letters from all parts
Of the State, urging a pardon for Leib,
were received. Toluminous petitions
containing thousands Of signatures
showed a systematic campaign to In.
huence the board toward lieniency.
The petitions bore the signatures Of
W. &. T. T.. officials. bank and fra
ternal organization OFFICIALS, members
Of the Central Labor Union and OF q
ma afority Of members OF the Schuylkill
county bar.
Iclb. while State employc, was
Convicted OF forging State tax receopts.
He was sentenced 10 three 10 five years
on April 18, 1920. and began serving
the term on June I, 1921, after fight.
ing the case up 10 the United States
Supreme Court.
Mascia Seeks Pardon
Jncob Butch" MRscin. convicted 10
the slayer Of ratrolman Epplcy in the
Fifth Ward election riot OF September.
1O17. and John Costello. also a mem
her az the same band Of alleged gum
men. appealed for pardons through
counsel.
Mascia's real name. 1t developed. is
James Sagula. lie is serving from
In No
Penitentiary. Costellos term Is from
twelve to fifteen years.
G. Stuart Patterson. Jr., attorney
for Mascia and Costello. asserted that
Samuel T.. Maloney was the man who
brought his clients ond others from New
York to this city as election guards.
"Maloncy also was convicted. but
was sentenced only to six months in the
House Of Correction and later he was
rewarded with job as ngent in the
Department Of Justice said Pat
terson.
In considering the application Of
Lucius Ross, a Negro, who was SEN
fenced 10 death in this city for killing
mis- wife, Lieutenant Governor Reille-
man, a member Of the board. criticized
Philadelphia courts which pass the
buck" to the pardon board.
Ross pleaded guilty of first degree
murder and was sentenced by a visiting
Judge. He has been in the death house
six months. 1t was understood the
trial Judge acQuiesced in the move to
commute the sentence to life imprlsor.
ment.
Roster Case Mentioned
Josiah Smith, former District At.
torney Of Delaware County, counsel
for Ioss, mentioned the Roster case.
while presenting the application. He
said his client had slain under great
proyocation and that he might have
won acQuittal had he stood trial.
Members of the hoard indicated the
death penalty will be comnuted.
The application made for John
O'Orazio, former employe of the
American Bank and Trust Company,
Broad street and Passyunk avenue. was
opposed vigorously by Assistant Dis.
trict Attorney Fox.
D'Orazio was convicted Of embezzling
&81, 200 from the bank and was sen.
tenced on October Il. 1921, to two
TO two and a half years in the Eastern
Penitentiary. Mr.. Fox told the Court
the prisoner had been dealt with leni-
bezzlement was unusually. clever and
difficult to uncover. Mr.. Fox asserted.
The application for D'OraZio's par
don was made by his mother. Mrs. Con-
chetta D'Orazio, who said that she has
nine children at home in dire need and
whose outlook for Christmas Is bleak.
A short time after her sons iniprison-
nent his father. Donate D'Orazio. was
murdered, leaving the family without
means Of support. All the children are
youns.
Seeks Sons Freedom
my boys freedom so he can work
and support US would be the best
Christmas present ! could wish for"
Mrs. D'Orazlo sa!d today.
One applicant who, 1t Is thought.
will stand q good chance Of gaining his
freedom in time to spend Christmas day
with his aged mother Is Sunny Rill'
Weber, a convict IN the Eastern Pen!-
tentiary.
Webber Is the oldest prisoner in point
Of time served in Warden McKenty's
hostelry. He has been there twenty
seven years
Aged Mother Appeals
He vas convicted In Reading in 1896
of wife murder and was sentenced to
hang, but the sentence was commuted
to life Imprisonment. Webber IL now
in bis fifties, but his mother ia still
living, and 1t Is she who is behind his
application for n pardon.
Despite the long years he has been
In the penitentiary, Webbrr has never
had black mark against his name.
Warden McKenty considers him the
most model prisoner In the institution
and has made him general trusty"
with full liberty TO move about the
prison wherever he desires to go.
Letters urging a pardon for Harry
.. Born, Jr., convicted Of daring Jewel
obbery at the Mcqueen jewelry store,
then at 143l Walnut street. were re-.
Eeived from United States Senator
Edge. Of New Jersey: Mayor Bader.
Of Atlantic City. and Prosecutor +. G.
Gaskill, Of Atlantic County.
Born. on October 20, 1910, was sen :
fenced to eight to ten year5. lie ap-
piled last year for pardon, but It
was refused last June after the Board
held 1t under advisement for seven
months.
Pleads Off Life. suari
Mayor Bader wrote that Born had
been a ltfeguard at Atlantic City. He
promised to look after the young mar
personally II he Is pardoned. lie will
be given a job as lifesuard Bader
wrote. The Atlantic City Mayor and
others blamed his predicament on bad
company and said he came from a
highly esteemed family.
Mr.. Beidleman suggested that the
trial Judge be asked to parole Leonard
Toy, Of this city, who is serving two
years for his part In the theft of a
truck loaded with liquor. Toys coun
sci replied that the consent of the pri =