The Washington herald., 1907-06-05
JUDGE RECOMMENDS MERCY
Will Join in Appeal to Commute
Sentence He Imposed.
Case of Bessie Bond. Church Worker,
ArOuses Unusual sympathy
I'm Baltimore.
sns-i,l n The Washington Herald.

Special 70 The Washington Herald.
Baltimore. June 4-Judge Morris. Of the
United States District Court. who yester-
day sentenced Bessie l. Bond, an active
worker I'm the Sunday-schooI Of the Cen
tral Methodist Episcopal Church South.
to five years in Jail and a fine Of 81 for
raising a bank note from $40 70 800 last
March. declared to-day that he will Join
in any movement for an appeal to Presi-
dent Roosevelt for Communication Of SEN
tenCe. The movement was suggested by
The Federal grand jury yesterday. when
The indictment against her was returned.
Miss Bond was given Jail sentence,
which will keep her a prisoner in this
city. Had she been sentenced TO the peni-
tentiary she would not have remained a
prisoner in Baltimore. because the United
States prison at Atlanta. which was re-
Gently completed. IS now used by all Fed
eral prisoners who are serving peniten-
tiary sentences. Until a few months ago
the Federal prisoners were kept in the
Maryland Penitentiary when they were
sentenced from the local district court.
the Atlanta prison was finished.
City Building Inspector Preston. who
made good the deficiency in Miss Bonds
account. IS extremely anxious that she
should be pardoned. To-day he said:
L am heartily in favor of a pardon
being granted 20 Miss Bond She is an
excellent young woman. For over ten
years 7 have been Sunday-school super
intendent at the Central Methodist
Church. and l never knew her to do any
thing that was wrong before
How do the other members of your
church feel toward Miss BOnd?' was
asked Mr. Preston.
II can safely say" he replied. that
without exception, every member of the
church wants to see her pardoned. 1
have never known such sympathy In all
my lifc."
Worn ont from the ordeal through
which she passed yesterday. Miss Bond
was allowed by the jail authorities TO
rest to-day.
When the young woman caught the
first glimpse Of the interior of the woman's
department Of the jail. with its white
washed walls and barred windows. she
gave a short exclamation and seemed
inclined 10 SLslIfh from eilltflHE Lllt IbOtil
on which the cells open. Marshal Lang
hammer sOothed her and two Of the
matrons came forward and received her,
speaking kindly words of encouragement
and hope, and telling her that her prison
would not seem such a terrible place after
she had become accustomed TO f.
Miss Bond went at once to her cell,
where she was allowed TO rest until sup
per time. when she ate but sparingly Of
the plain food furnished the inmates
The young woman said this morning that
she had passed a fairly comfortable night.
but that when she first retired TO her cot
the fact that she was sleeping IN an un-
accustomed place had kept her awake for
an hour or two. After that exhausted
nature claimed it's tribute, and the young
woman slept peacefully until $50 o'clock
this morning, when the sound OF the
gongs summoning the other inmates to
arise and dress awakened her.
Warden Hook thought il best not TO
assign Miss Bond TO work to-day owing
10 her exhausted and nervous condition
If her physical condition warrants. she
will be put to work in the sewing-rOom
tomorrow morning, and will remain at
that employment until her sentence IS
completed, or her friends secure the par
don or Communication Of sentence for
which they are striving.