Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-05
NO PAROLE, MAXIMUM TERM
Minimum Penalty is Abolished and
{ Criminals Will Give Iowa Wide
Berth-PoIitics Warming Up in Sew
enth District-HuIl Has the Fight Of
His Life Before Him.
Special to Times-Republican

atory the maximum limit of the law
unless sooner paroled by the board OF
| parole, and before he can be paroled by
tha board he must have guarantee of
EMPLOYMENT for at least six months.
1t is very doubtful whether or not
the people realize the full import of the
indeterminate sentence law which is
in full force and effect. B. w. Garrett,
secretary Of the board is preparing an
alphabetical list of the crimes punish
able under the law of Iowa. He has
tabulated thus far 1913 h.. = aot thru
with the list The maximum term Of
punishment for the various crimes var
les all the way from two years to life.
Under the new law there is no min
imum term OF punishment. A prisoner
cannot get out of the reformatory or
penitentiary without being paroled by
the board of parole or else serving the
maximum term.
Here are some of the maximum
terms. For an assault to commit a
felony years, to main, rob or steal 5
years. with intent to commit murder
10 years, with intent to commit rape
20 years. Entering unoccupied build,
ing years, breaking and entering a
car 5 years, attempt to break and en-
ter 5 years, burglary and entering with
intent to commit public offense 10
years, having possession Of burglary
tools S years, burglary armed with.
dangerous weapon life, burglary not
armed with dangerous weapon 20 years.
The maximum punishment for incen-
diarism In its various phases varies
from S years to life. The maximum
punishment for larceny, embezzlement
OF different kinds, forgeries of various
natures and counterfeiting and the
like. vary from 2 to 20 Yeas.
Here is phase Of thu law will. cause
criminals the country over to give Iowa
wide berth. The minimum penalty is
abolished. The prisoner must stay In
the penitentiary the full term unless
paroled by the board. For the various
kinds and natures Of burglary the
punishment is frequently but a few
years under the old system where In
the judge fixes the term of fmprisoh-
ment.
Suppose a burglar breaks into a
building in the night time armed with
a dangerous weapon. He is convicted
and sentenced if under 80 years and his
first offense, to the reformatory. The
maximum term OF Imprisonment is
life Nothing but the board of parole
can grant him shorter term. If
he behaves himself and is Industrious
In learning a trade, the board may
parole him at the end of four years.
parole him at the end of four or five
years. Suppose he commits second
offense either in Iowa and the infor-
nation is laid before the board Of pa
role. Without the expense of a trial
he can be rearrested on the order OF
the board of parole and put back to
serve the rest of the maximum. term
for his first offense. He can be pa
rolled again If the board thinks best
but after a prisoner has fallen from
grace once or twice he will not likely
get much consideration at the hands
OF the board.
If the offense is burglary without a
dangerous weapon, the maximum term
is twenty years, and If after being pa
rolled he commits second offense he
can be reincarcerated for the rest of
the twenty-year term. If his second
offense is in some other state than
Iowa, and he is tried and convicted and
punished there and then ever returns
to Iowa, he can be incarcerated for the
rest of his maximum term. The re-
suit. according to the belief of many
public men, will be that criminals of
all classes, when they come to under
stand the law, and they hear of such
things very quickly, will give the state
of Iowa a wide berth for the way of
the transgressor will be hard here.
AS further tending to show the i'm
pertance of the matter, reference is had
to the biennial report of Warden Hun
ter, of the penitentiary at Anamosa.
The last report shows that there were
sixty-four persons serving terms for
crimes against the person, fot which
the maximum term is all the way from
five years to life. There are 100 serv-
for which in some cases the punish
ment is heavy. There are Is in for
burglary alone For other crimes
against public order and decency there
are II prisoners. These prisoners al
ready incarcerated can not be held for
longer than the term for! which they
have been sentenced. But those con-
victed for crimes committed from now
on can be held for the maximum of
the law, and it means very much
more severe punishment from this on.
FOR when the prisoner Is paroled he
must hold steady job for six months.
If he Jumps his job" or hangs about
saloons or gambling dens, he can be
rearrested and incarcerated and after
the six months he still remains on pa
role and can be made to report con-
tinually to the board of parole. Fail
ing to report, and an endeavor to hide
from the authorities, may result in his
incarceration: In fact, the man will
be on his good behavior from the time
he is paroled till he dies, or the maxi
mum of his possible punishment is
ended
Congressional politics in the Seventh
district is beginning to warm up. 1t
may be expected most any day that
there will be announcements of candi-
dacies in opposition to Congressman j.
A. T. Hull, who has represented the
district since 1891, a period Of sixteen
years thus far. When his term expires |
he will have served the district for
eighteen years.
It Is ,ntin,Ated that n, 2. Coffin, !