Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-13
Iowa Humane Society Will Ask
Law For Adequate Punish
ment of Offenders
CHILDREN ARE MURDERED
Present Law, However, Only Provides
for Five Years in the Penitentiary
as Punishment for Such crimes-in-
spection of Lying in Hospitals May
Be Provided for by Law.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Nov 13.-Imprisonment
that cannot be longer than five years
awaits the matron of the baby farm i'll
this city who abandoned two little baby
girls less than one month old, the
abandonment resulting in the death OF
the Iowa Humane Society will lay these
facts before the proper committees Of
the next legislature and use them not
only as lever to get more adequate
punishment, but also for the purpose
of getting bill for an inspection Of
such homes.
At the last session Of the legislature
an effort was made to get a proper
punishment provided for persons who
mistreat little babies that first see the
light of day in hospitals. Some
of the tales told by the Officers Of the
Iowa Humane Society, in cases where
they are convinced in their own minds,
but lack sufficient evidence to prose-
cute, are simply horrifying. The legis-
lature however, turned down the re-
quest for better laws at the last ses-
sion.
The last case to come to public no
tice. is the abandonment Of two little
baby girls in a house near Greenwo I'd
park. The persons running the lying
in-hospital moved out Friday and 1t
was the Monday following before the
babies were discovered by accident by
neighbors. The babies We're less than
a month old One of them died from
starvation a little. while after discov-
cred, all efforts to save it proving fu-
tile. The other under skilled medical
attention survived and is now adopted
into Highland Park home.
For the murder of the baby that died
the only punishment is mot to exceed
five years in the penitentiary," pro-
vided for by Section 4766 Of the code.
At the present time there is no SUI
peryision whatever of these baby
farms" and there are many Of them In
Des Moines as we'll as other cities OF
Iowa. The mothers of the babes try to
forget them and are in a position TO
task no questions" as to what becomes
Of the infants. In many cases they
are told that the infants are dead and
never see them after they are born.
There is no state supervision over their
DISPOSAL and Indications seem to indi-
cate that many Of them are disposed OF
according to the worst fears of the Of
f1cer Of the Iowa Humane Society, but
IN a manner more humane than that or
the infant starved to death last week,
because the suffering is less prolonged
aas
Tn the entire assignment OF cases for
oral argument and submission 70 the
supreme court for the period opening
this morning, there is but one case
that has attracted any attention over
the state. This is the case of the state
against Loon Loser, charged with
swindling in a foot race In which, thru
other hands, he put up money against
himself and then allowed the other fell
low to win the race while he won the
money and the bet.
This period of the supreme court Is
chiefly important because OF the cases
which the court has before 1t and which
he NAV determine at this session. The
case of IIafe Young charged with over
charging the state to the amount of
several thousand dollars, the case of
the state against the Amana Society
to- dissolve the society, and the case
involving the question of whether or
NOT the Des Moines street railway has
anv franchise, have all been submitted
to the court, and decisions may be
handed down at this period.
A total OF fifteen applications to the
legislature for pardons have been sent
to the governor by persons serving life
sentences for murder in the first de-
gree. This is already more than were
presented at the last session OF the
legislature. Five new petitions came in
this week Jasper Mason, OF Dallas
county. committed to the penitentiary
Oct. 27. 1876 at the age OF "a years,
asks for pardon on the ground that
he shot his man I'M self-defense, the
other man. having drawn knife with
which to stab him; John G. Steele.
committed from Monona county, Sept.
21. 1897, at the age of So, was among
those asking for a pardon at the last
session. G. A. Williams, committed
from Union county, April 10, 1900, at
the age of so, for shooting sheriff
who came t,o serve warrant upon him,
claims there are mitigating circum-
stances. M. B. Foster, committed from
Taylor county, Dec. "a, 1890, at the
age of 80. also asks a pardon. Elmer
warren. committed from Tama county,
Aug s 1891. at the age of 26, claims
the murder was committed in the heat
of passion, but that he was defending
himself. and that his sixteen years inn
prisonment have quite paid the pen
atty.
Senator Lester w. Lewis, one of the
Iowa delegates to the convention OF
delegates from all the states to meet in
Des Moines next month to urge the
election of senator's by direct vote of
the people. may remain on the dele