Evening star., 1925-01-11

"dE u tuFO" lB MT On WHAT Is no"
an obscure situation.
Governor-eIcct silent.
Gov.-elect Ben S. Paulen would not
commit himself in regard to any ac-
ton by the Legislature.
81 believe" he said. that il the
things written in the papers are
rue-and I haven't had time TO read
them allan investigation of some
sort is necessary; ard If they are
not true, then certainly Gov. Davis
must want an investi cation to clear
his sons name. But it is not any
matter for me to consider now"
There is feeling of some delicacy
among Legislators as to launching
volve Gov. Davis, according to
Charles S. Holbrook, veteran State
representative from Kansas City,
kans. In view of the fact that the
last legislature, overwhelmingly Re
publican, had constantly clashed
with the executive, he said it was
felt that such an investigation might
seem to be a partisan move.
State Has No Grand Jury.
Attorney General Griffith suggest
ed a bipartisan committee of the
Legislators as the most effective and
just method of barring the facts.
Kansas has no grand jury, he said.
except the county grand juries, which
may operate only within their own
county borders. The Legislature, he
pointed out, could pursue a State
wide inquiry.
Gov. Davis was wholly unaware of
any payment of $4,000 by Mrs, w. A.
Nixon, in obtaining a pardon for her
husband this week Nixon had been
serving a life term for the murder
of A. j. Banta, Great Bend attorney.
According to a story published in
Wichita, Kans., Mrs. Nixon had sold
her home to r. c. Gates, Democratic
for $4,000, and had used the money
to obtain NiXon's pardon.
Il don't know what it cost Mrs.
Nixon the governor said. 1T must
have been a large sum, however, as
she employed a high priced attor
ney."
sam Amidon, Wichita attorney and
Democratic national committeeman
for Kansas. represented Mrs. Nixon in
the hearings before Gov. Davis.
Friends See Frame-Up.
Judge S. S. Irwin, parole clerk, said
today that Pollman's parole would
have expired April l this year, thus
restoring him to full citizenship. The
governors friends pointed to this fact
in support of their theory that the
Davis was furnished by some other
source to frame" the governor po-
litically. Pollman himself, they said,
would not have given the amount to
obtain a pardon when he had been at
liberty two years and would be en-
tirely free in a few weeks.
In his first statement since his in
volvement in an alleged deal in which
he was said to have received $3.50
for delivering pardon, Russell
Davis, son of Gov. Jonathan NJ.
Davis of Kansas, late today declared
his father had known nothing Of the
affair
Took Money to Governors Mansion
Young Davis. declared he had taken
to his own room in the executive man
sion the $1,000 given him as first In
stallmeut" by Fred w. Pollman, par
doned forger. His father had not been
aware of the payment, he asserted
The statement follows.
In regard to the Pollman pardon, l
have no statement to make, other than
my father knew nothing about my con-
versatfon that / had with Pollman
down on our farm, in Kansas CITY,
or in the National Hotel yesterday
until ] told him about 1t at ABOUT o:oo
o'clock Friday afternoon.
"On his and my mothers account,
1 regret being so foolish as TO pc leo
into such trap as was set lot me. >,
RUSSELL DAVIS
Gov. Davis statement follows
ain regard to the published state
ments regarding the paroon lssuea 80 -
Fred w. Pollman, I want to say nrsl
that knew nothing whatever OF
Mr.. Pollman's visit to my son at the
form or his negotiations with my son
until $50 o'clock yesterday evening
at had known Pollman, not lntl-
uately. but in a general way py repu-
tation and my acquaintance LOT seF-
eraI wears, some four or hVe, pe1ol
his hank failed at La Cygne' Mans
witness at Trial.
"T had been called as a character
u,itness in his trial When foi.i?a.
was convicted and had been Ialhiilai =,
more or less, with the lacts
out at the trial hao tett sa;,,,re
der the circumstances or the IAN ,.e
80 ~ one having suffered any loss
49, +bara had been no need OF per
o-'t;,a Pollman. Accordingly, "neh
~. attorney. John Crane, asked me 10
.ito letter to Gov. Allen recon-
mending his parole, had zone So -,
October. 1922. Gov. Allen hao POI oAeN
him in January, 1923: ,.x Do,1-
"I had met and talked with ron,
,. .aI-eral times and he after"aro
applied for and sa''
ditional discharge. :, -eeard
pc had talked with me IN resa LI y
TO a pardon, telling me OF SUM "a
interests in Illinois that ne wan
- deveIoD. that he would pc nam
nerad in the development until ne was
rastored to full citizenship, out at ho
+t,,oa had I ever talked with MIN re-
arding money consideration or any
o+bar sort of consideration IN respec'
~ what | might or might not DO lof
him never referred him to any one
Who could help to get par uoli'
aitber did I ever send any one TO htffl
or tell any one to convey any message
IN him regarding his pardon.
Hearing POSTPONED.
.11;s casa was to have come@up for
hearing on the 27th day or Deceinoer l.
He wrote me and said ne woulo iiot
he here on that day and 1 wrote him
chat the hearing could be held any
dav that he could come to my office
while 1 was still in office.
when my son asked me what L
was going to do in the case of Poll
man I told him that I thought, per-
haps, would pardon him, so when ne
came yesterday and told me that
Pollman was in town and would like
to have his pardon issued, 1t occa-
stoned no more than passing notice.
| l told him that Mr.. Pollman ought to
come up here and get it, and he said