UNITE FOR PARDON.
BUSINESS MEN ACTIVE ON BEHALF
OF C. W. ANDERSON.
PETITIONS QUICKLY SIGNED.
MASS MEETING WILL BE HELD TONIGHT ON TWELFTH.
Persons Who Did Not Know Ander-
son Are Interested in the Move-
ment to Secure His Release--
Only the President Can
Free Kansas Cityan.
Today a thousand men, representing every walk of life in Kansas City, will begin working to secure a pardon for Charles W. Anderson, who escaped from the penitentiary at Leavenworth nine years ago with but eight months of five years sentence before him for robbing a post office in Oklahoma, and was arrested here Saturday and taken back to the prison.
A mass meeting of business men who knew Anderson will be held tonight at 702 East Twelfth street with a view of securing a pardon. Petitions were circulated yesterday and one of them had forty signers within an hour after it had been drawn. Last night seventy-five names were on the list.
This petition was drawn in behalf of Anderson to be presented in connection with a petition which will be sent to President Roosevelt. Other similar petitions, to be attached to an original paper which will be presented at the meeting tonight, have been scattered about the city and the signers ask no questions. Many of them know Anderson personally and describe him as a hale fellow well met, honest and trustworthy.
THREE PETITIONS OUT.
Congressman E. C. Ellis has been invited to attend the meeting tonight and it is expected that he will be there. When asked last night what he would do for the prisoner, he said:
I have not investigated the matter as much as I should like to, but will do so tomorrow and if he is as worthy as he is said to be I will present the petition for his pardon to President Roosevelt. If the reports of him are true I will be very glad to take the matter up."
The petitions started yesterday will be given active circulation today. One of them was placed in Brooks' restaurant, 210 East Twelfth street, another at Clifford's cigar store at Twelfth street and Grand avenue, and a third, which received more signatures than the rest, in Lorber's cigar store, 317 East Twelfth street.
Lorber, who has known him in a business way for several years, says that Anderson has been prompt in his payments and that he did not hesitate at any time to trust "Charlie" for $75 or $100. In fact, when Anderson wanted to buy his partner's interest in February, a year ago, Lorber advanced the necessary money to him on Anderson's mere statement he did not have enough money to make the purchase.
"Did he pay it back?" exclaimed Lorber, almost in astonishment that the question should be asked, "Well, I should say he did. And quickly, too. And more than that, all of his payments on bills of goods were made promptly. No one questioned the honestly of Anderson."
BUSINESS RECORD HERE.
All of his friends know him as Anderson. "Charlie," they call him, and in the familiarity of the name itself they express sentiment of men who, when they know a man, know him well.
Anderson first went into business for himself at 720 East Twelfth street, April 4, 1905, in partnership with a man named Lowry, purchasing the latter's interest in the restaurant over a year ago. After running the business alone for a year and two days, he sold out, and started to look for a better location. He was always cheerful, it is said, and everyone who refers to his home life speaks of his affection for his little girl, 3 years old, and his wife.
"Is it justice to take a man who is working industriously and trying hard to succeed, back to prison for a crime committed twelve years ago?" asked a friend of his last night on a street corner where the arrest of Anderson for a forgotten robbery was the chief subject of discussion.
A number of citizens called on Charles Riehl, assistant prosecuting attorney, last night to have him draw up the petition which will be presented to President Roosevelt. It is doubtful if Kansas City ever took as much interest in the release of a prisoner as has been shown in seeking the liberation of Anderson. Not only those who knew him but men who never heard his name before are actively working for his release.
