The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-05-07
THE WHOLE STATE OF MISSOURI PLEADS
WITH ROOSEVELT FOR CONVICTS FREEDOM
A Jean Vatican in Real Life Has Aroused
the Sympathy Of High and Low.

anything to do with you" -.
The convict knew there was a
standing reward of $50 for informa-
ton that would lead to the recapture
of escaped prisoners. He got in COM
munication with the prison authors
I ties, and promised, if the money was
forthcoming, to reveal the where
abouts of January.
The authorities promised, and the
information was given them, with the
result that the police of Kansas City
were requested to arrest Anderson.
Two policemen, hating their task,
took the man they knew to have been
good citizen for nine years, and
locked him up. Then it developed
that the convict who had betrayed
him could not receive the reward af-
ter all, because such money could be
paid only to citizens, and he was out
side the pale. So it was offered to
the two policemen who made the ar
rest. Both spurned it.
There was nothing for the court
to do but remand Anderson to prison.
He did not attempt to deny his iden-
tity and went back to Leavenworth
to serve out the unexpired portion of
his full sentence, all his good conduct
communication having been forfeited
by his escape. That was about
week ago.
Kansas City rose up in his behalf,
and all Missouri followed the lead of
the city. The two policemen who
had scorned the blood money accept
ed it and turned it into the fund that
was raised to help obtain Anderson's
pardon. Everybody in Kansas City
lent hand. Doctors, lawyers,
judges, merchants, the Mothers and
Homemakers' Club, the Board of
Trade, the Chamber of Commerce,
labor organizations and private indi-
vidIals, either signed petitions or
wrote directly to the President.
The House of Representatives of
the State Legislature, by formal reso-
luton, added its weight to the appeal
to Mr.. Roosevelt. The judge before
whom January had been tried wrote
one of the strongest letters ever re-
ceived at the Department of Justice,
and the warden of the penitentiary
made an appeal. Nothing, he said,
could better serve to convince the
prisoners now in the penitentiary of
the relentless pursuit of wrongdoers
by the Government than the manner
in which January had been brought
back after nine years. But the mere
bringing him back had served to en-
force that lesson. Now there was
opportunity to add to it a lesson
equally striking, in the mercy as well
as the justice of the Government, by
giving the man who had proved his
reform a pardon for his old offense.
Neither the White House nor the
Department of Justice knew at first
what it was all about. By the time
the slow-going official mail had
brought the information there were
thousands of unofficial appeals for
mercy for January. Then came a
sworn certificate that petition signed
by $1,000 citizens of Kansas City was
on its way. Senator Warner and
Representative Ellis took up the case.
Their constituents in solid mass de-
manded that they should act
The red tape OF official methods
compels little delay. Usually 1t is
a great deal of delay. But in this
case the pardon attorney of the De-
partment of Justice will have his
opinion ready promptly after the off,
cial application from Mrs. Anderson
for her husbands pardon is in his
hands. Then it will, so to Attorney
General Bonaparte for his recommen-
dalton, and thence to the President
for action.