The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-08
MEASURE MAKES THE PAROLE OF
YOUNGER BROTHERS A
POSSIBILITY
MERCY, NOT JUSTICE, URGED
Debate Calls Out One of the Largest
Audiences of the Session
Eloquent Speeches
Made

obtain the parole of Jim and CCle Young
err from the state prison at Saltwater. It
went through the house on a vote of 50
TO 81.
The amendment introduced by Mr.. Dob
bin tends naturally 10 make more difficult
the release of the banditti, Vet Mr. De-
ming believes that he gline1 a victory
and that his primary object may even
be accomplished under the measure as IL
raised. provided il gets through the SEN
6te This sams amendment, which was
offered two years ago, when a similar
bill was under discussion was not con-
sidered an inevitable bar to the effective
hess Of the bill
During the deliberations. which began
as a special order at 2 o'clock and con-
tirIed until $780, the house was thronged
with spectators who listened attentively
TO every speech delivered. No event of
the session. excepting the election of the
United States senator's and the Inaugural :
tiCn proceedings, has attracted as great
public interest, judging from the audi
ence. Speeches on both sides of the
question were delivered by number of
members and some of the most forcible
and eloquent addresses of the term were
made. Most of them were delivered from
manuscript, which showed that they
had been carefully prepared.
Representative Deming, the author Of
the bill. began the argument with a schol-
arly address, consuming forty-five min
Utes. He was forceful, eloquent and at
times very dramatic. 1t was apparent
that his remarks carried conviction to
at least Some of his collea CUES
Mr.. Deming pleaded not for a basis of
Justice but for the extension of mercy.
He maintained that the YOungers have
shown. conclusively, during their term
OF twenty-fOur years in the penitentiary
that they are penitent. They are abso-
lutely reformed he said, and have ex-
plated their crimes. He held that, since
the men have been reformed. the ends
of justice and the law have been met
and their release should be given. He did
not ask, nor did the prov ,sions of his bin
call, for a pardon, but simply a parole.
Mr. Deming reviewed the early careers
OF these men and undertook TO show thai
they were not drawn into their crimes
by ordinary conditions, such as have
witnessed the beginning of the careers Of
1cany outlaws. He did not justify their
deeds Of lawlessness, but said that they
had been subjected to similar deeds of
violence before their careers as desper-
ADDE'S began.
DOBBIN OPPOSES MEASURE.
Mr.. Dobbin. of Hennepin. was the first
to take up the side against the bill. He
made a strong argument opposing the
S>lease of life prisoners under any cir
e11mstances. He said the objects of i'm
prisonment We're threefold: TO reform,
punish and deter others from crime. He
believed such crimes as the YoUngers
had been guilty of could not be adequate
" atoned for if the prisoners were given
their liberty Mr. Dobbin evidently had
faith in the success of his amendment
defeating the purpose of the bill, for
after delivering sllch a mastery speech
against the original measure, he voted for
the bill as amended.
Mr. Kelly was aggressive IN opposing
the bill His argument was clear and
eloquent He was an eyewitness to the
depredations in Mortified for which the
Youngers are now in prison, and recited
with thrilling interest the experiences of
that fatal day when many of the best
citizens of the town were shot down. Mr.
Kelly said it was the universal verdict
Of the people of the state at that time
that the men should -be hanged, but as
the law provided that any murderer who
would acknowledge his guilt should be
admitted to life Imprisonment, the Young
ers were not executed.
IF they are men of such rare exem-
plarv characters now as the gentlemen
who want this bill passed tell US they
are why do they still conceal the names
OF their abettors?' asked Mr.. Kelly. The
speaker believed the bill, If enacted,
would be applied beyond all reason.
Mr.. Roberts was eloquent in his sup
port of the bill. He answered the ques-
ton put by Mr. Kelly by saying: The
reason why they do not divulge the
names of the men who were associated
with them in these crimes is simply be-
cause they (the Youngers) are men and
not criminals 1t would do no good now
to stigmatize other men with crime
when they cannot be reached" The ut
terance called forth a loud applause.
One of the most forceful arguments on
either side was that delivered by Mr..
Hickey He upheld the bill. He said the
meaning of the bill should be thoroughly
understood as it offered an advantage
to the law, and not a menace. 1t provid-
cd that no Iife-termer be pardoned or
paroled lestshe had served thirty-tive
years of his sentence, whereas under the
existing laws g criminal may go free
within any unlimited time. This is a
solemn matter to me, and should be to
every one of US Let us understand the
purpose of the BILL" said Mr.. Hickey.
RILEY GETS RATIFIED.
Mr.. Riley, in opposing the BIN, got
fits badly mixed. He made the asser-
ton that Frank James, an associate in
crime with the Youngers, after his par
don from prison, had exhibited himself
in dime museums and other places OF
that character all over the country,
when as a matter OF fact, the famous
bandit was never imprisoned IN the pen
itentiary at ALL but was allowed to go
free by Gov Crittendon, of Missouri,
upon the specific conditions that he
should never leave the state, which re-
quirement he is said to have kept fully.
having been outside of Missouri but once
that being a visit to the Worlds Fair at
Chicago Mr.. Riley declared that James
is now on~exhibition in California His
occupation is, however, a doorkeeper in
theater in st. Louis. Only a few weeks
ago he was defeated for doorkeeper In
the house of representatives of Missouri.
Mr.. Riley's argument, which was AMI
mated, was to prove that the Youngers,
if liberated, would do as James did, but
was met by several subsequent speakers
on the opposite side
Messrs Rich and Phillips were eye
witnesses of the tragedy at Northtield.
and spoke for the bill, while Mr.. Whit
ford, who also saw the bloody affair was
against the bill. Messrs. Hillary, JACOB
son and Burns all spoke enthusiastically
in favor Of the measure. Mr. jacobson
called attention to the fact that the men
who had been eye-witnesses to the crimes
for which the Youngers were Imprisoned
could not have sat upon jury to try the
original case, and were not therefore
the best qualities to act as Jurors IN the
house.
At least half dozen amendments were
drawn up after the discussion had closed.
but two Of them were adopted. One was
that of Mr.. Dobbin, which makes it nee
essary for the unanimous consent of the
members of the board of pardons to be
obtained before a prisoner under this acs
can be pardoned or paroled. There is stip
q question in the luinos OF some of the