Show the th nw new york fork bank in view of the recent release by par don of george H pell and james jamea AL A simmons the alleged wreck ira sf cf the sixth national lenox hill and equitable banks I 1 made inquiries yesterday to ascertain if there was any reason wha execl executive tive clemency should not as nye well he be extended to general peter J claassen Claa saen united states ell was asked among among other questions it if there was in lis his opinion any reason why simmons convicted upon claassens Claas seca sees testimony as an acoba accessory sory to an elbez clement was anymore entitled to mercy than claassen the alleged principal i ii the transaction mr mitchell said that in the eyes of the law tho fo eccesso accessory ry was us as guilty as the princ i al he excused himself from express ig an opinion alto the merits of simmers pardon or tho the livelihood likelihood of one beila befit obtained for general Clans claassen sen it is understood that mr mitchell was not favorably inclined to the pardon oi simmons Bim mons the jury however made maae a recommendation of mercy which led judge benedict to impose a sentence of ct butsic but six years for an offense the penalty nalty 0 of f which is a minimum of five a and n d a maximum of ten years so far as this thia goes it only brings into stronger relief the injustice of retaining claw claassen en in jail while pardoning the other Cla claassen aszen was always regarded by bustness business ad financial men as the least guilty guilt of the trio he so testified and lus ills friends and many others believed that he was entirely innocent of any knowledge of the thel check leheck kiting operations carried on by pell and simmons Sim mona new york herald |