Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1911 — C. L. BADER IS AFTER PARDON [ARTICLE]

C. L. BADER IS AFTER PARDON

Bridge Grafter's Business Here Is Now Known TBIEO TO KEEP MATTER QUIET .But The Democrat Learns of the Scheme Through a Juror In the Case In Which He Was Convicted. The recent “temporary release” of Clinton L. Bader, the Winamac bridge grafter sent up from Jasper county for from two to fourteen years at the Apri , 1910, term of court—or who was sentenced at that time, rather, ,but through the efforts of Gov. Marshall in balking the machinery of the law did not begin to serve the sentence until last May—seems now to have been for the purpose of allowing Bader to work up the matter of his pardon. ’and it was for this purpose that he was in Rensselaer Monday.

The matter" was to be kept strictly on the q. t. for fear opposition would result were it to become generally known, but through one of the jurors who sat in the trial in which Bader was convicted The Democrat learned of the scheme. The majority on the pardon board are democrats, and as Bader was once a democratic state senator from his district he seems to have a political pull that is likely t 6 result in his being given a pardon unless something >is done to prevent Governor Marshall from again interfering with’'the carrying out of the sentence. While it is customary in seeking a pardon to secure the names to the petition of the judge, prosecutor and jurors who tried the case, the board can act independently of this if it chooses, and we believe if favorable action is taken it will have to be without the names of the jurors at least, or most of them, and knowing what they do of the case \it is scarcely likely that either Judge Hanley or Prosecutor Dongwell will feel like asking for clemency so soon. Governor Marshall has all along ignored the people of Jasper county, who were systematically robbed by Bader for years on bridge contracts. Rather, it would seem, he has accepted stories of interested politicians, some of whom were partners in the bridge company. If the governor is to interfere and make a fiasco of the conviction of grafters there is no use in the people trying to put a stop to grafting operations. Better save the money it costs, to convict the grafters and let them go ahead and ply their nefarious trade without interruption from the victims.