Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-31

quite certain dllLo L Woui'' NV Ds'e'"
much upon it, that the boy olmstead
told the truth, while you have not ad-
mittcd the truth of his story IN toto,
altho you have admitted having had a
conversation with him. His testimony
showed that you had secreted part OF
the stolen goods where you said, IheH
were in a place where, If they never
did you any good, they never would
do MIR. Harrigan any good You told
| him of different burglaries YOU had
committed, and how you went about to
accomplish them. You told him that
the property and money you had stol-
en- would aggregate $1,000. do not be-
lieve this last statement, and consider
it was more Dragging on your part to
your fellow prisoner.
Now this crime Of burglary, of
which you have been convicted. and
have acknowledged, is one of the worst
in our catalog of crimes. You have
told me- you went to the store armed
with a revolver. Now you didn't carry
that revolver to protect yourself from
any body who would harm you, but
that revolver meant YOU would take
the life Of any body who stood in your
road to liberty; that is. If man, the
party owning the store and having
a right to be there, stood in the way
Of being robbed, you would take his
life. That is the character of all burg
lars. I can't imagine more depraved
or hardened condition of mind than
YOURS. Possibly you are SO young you
didn't realize it, but that is what 1t
amounts to. If the whole house should
awake, appear and recognize you, you
would destroy ard xii! all. Such Il
condition of mind is hardly as COM
mendable as that of a highway robber.
There is some heroism in him, for he
always takes chance of hand to hand
conflict but you, burglar, intend to
take advantage and destroy all opposed
| to you when unarmed.
The law treats upon criminals Of
this kind very severely, and the thought
is that the only way to rid society
of them is to put them entirely out of
circulation. The old, confirmed burglar
Gun net be shut up and kept a part
of his life and become a good citizen
afterwards. The experience is always
! the same. OF course shall make a
difference in your case, on account of
your age. There is another thing that
might be said in extenuation Of your
criminality 1t seems that you first
went to dens Of vice, and from there
your tendency to crime can be traced.
wish to say that the study Of this
young mans career has revealed to me
the career of other young men of this
city, who haven't got as far along az
this one, but who are travelling the
same highway. I was surprised to find
that the city Of Marshalltown was SO
densely populated with class that in
all human probability has brought this
young man where he is. Our manu-.
facturfes of crime seem to be permitted
TO run openly, untouched and unmo.
tested. 1t is sad commentary upon
the executive officers Of this city, and
believe you can look upon this youne
man and see the product of the neglect
to enforce the laws OF this city.
L am surprised that the grand jury
could adjourn in so few q number of
days without investigating these con-
ditions, when there was enough work,
discovered by me in the investigation
of this young mans career. to last 1t
all winter There are dens of vice
where criminals congregate, where
| they flee after their burglaries,
and are unmolested. I believe others
were connected with this theft, and
think that the officers will so agree.
Hereafter shall call the grand iury's
attention especially to this class and I
don't think / shall discharge it until 1t
does it's duty regarding these matters,
if have to keep 1t here during an en-
tire term.
Now / might send you to the peni-
tertiary for ten years under the law,
and I want you to understand thatSit
| is not the length of time that I shall
sentence you that I would see you
serve or keep you in prison. We have
a way of doing things when prisoners
feel repentent, by paroling criminals.
and these paroles hang over their
heads until we feel quite sure that
they are permanently reformed 1
want you wheQ you go to Fort Madi-
son, and that Is where / shall send
| you, want you to conduct yourself
as to be worthy Of q parole, and to
write to me and tell me the whole
truth about this matter. When you do
| that we will exercise ourselves and see
that the governor grants you parole.
Now, when you get this parole will de-
pend entirely upon yourself. con-
slider 1t might be very soon, If you take
the proper course. If you satisfy me,
land satisfy our people, that you desire
to reform and become an honest boy,
you can come back among your friends
when you are paroled and go to work,
and every good person will help you.
want you then to put every dollar of
your earnings to pay for these evil do
| ings
Now the fact Of your going to the
penitentiary does not stain your char
acter; punishment for crimes does not
stain any character. that is already as
badly stained as 1t can be. You are
clear down at the bottom, but you can
Ibecome better. know a man who has
lived among us, who has served a term
in the penitentiary, and has since be-
come not only good man, but very
honored man, and you can do the same
LIE you will You will have to cease
gambling, however, cease visiting
houses Of infamy; cease your drinking.
and cease visiting houses of dissippa-
ton. If you soon show disposition
to take this course, everybody will take
especial pains to help you. trust that
you will do SO.
1.-The Judgment of this court Is that
YOU. Owen Ball, shall be committed to
/ and be imprisoned in the penitentiary
| re tha state at Fort Madison, iowa, at