New-York tribune., 1907-09-01

to consider your interests first-that is what L
always do. That is the reason 1t is hard work
for me to perform If ] did not have to think
about YOU it would not be a very difficult mat
ter TO dispose of this kind OF situation. You
twenty-three years old, and you nave got
lots OF chance yet to get away from this. L am
going to reduce the punishment from what /
inclined think II ought TO be- because ol
your mother and sister. / am gong 10 90 II IL
YOU will promise that when you so to the penI-
tentiary-I have got to send you to the peniten-
tiary; | can't escape that-you Will write me
every three months while you are in prison anu
send me copy of your prison report WhlIe you
in prison; the warden will give II TO you IL
YOU tell him II is for me. II your conduct III
prison is good. you Will have an allowance from
the sentence I impose upon You II VIII be
shortened up substantially. and If that happens
I will get you employment when YOU get out OF
prison. So you will have a chance. L DO that
because of your mother and sister ana youIseh-
You can get away from this and start new aDSo-
lutely new. and ten years from now you can De
a good citizen, and you VIII pc saUshed Win
your service in prison as having discharged your
debt for what YOU have done. ii IS the Juds-
ment and sentence OF this court tnat you pe
imprisoned at hard labor. at the joliet peniten-
tiary for two years. one month before your
release I want you to write TO me and call my
attention to the TACT Ihal you VIII oS ltie'9SN
another case was that Of a letter carrier. with
a wife and four children besides his mother VINO
had been convicted of stealing mail. he hdu
been receiving 81 900 year, and his record hdo
been good up TO the time of his arrest. Nelgn-
bors testified that the standing Of the tanlly
was excellent but there WAS no DOUBT oI the
mans guilt
The everlasting pity is that the real pun
isbpent In cases like this falls ON innocent
people" said Judge Lands after inqulrihS INTO
every aspect Of the mans case. 1T does seem
as though every who comes here has a
wife and children and an old mother. haplVS
and gray hairs. l have got to send you 70
the penitentiary-there isn't any help Tor II;
Here Is an army of employees, a big army OF
employees. It i to the credit of that army OF
men and women that as rule theN dl$cnatkG rs t
their duties. that is to say, they care Tor the
property intrusted to them once In a VIM" viii
there is a slip. ] nave not peth mere iona
enough 10 be impressed with the fact thdt any
man or any woman is wholly wrong or Whoiy
bad l firmly convinced that tnete i -, -
way of getting at every fellow that has mace
a slip, of helping him out. and VIII 90 thtt
for YOU If you will help nae do it
The man looked squarey in the Judge 3 eyes
as he said:
II viii do anything in my power
The whole thing Is up to you SAID Juuee
Lands with finality. IF man behaves him
self in prison-and have studied the question.
and he is pretty hopeless character that
won't behave himself there-when, ho gets out
he won't have much trouble standing straight.
If a man goes TO the penitentiary and comes
out he can feel that he has squared himself l
with what men call society He has pald
his debt and wiped IL off the slate. ana starts
with an absolutely clean slate Now, II you
behave yourself in prison. have got 20 scho
YOU TO prison, I stated before-it you DehANc
Yourself you will receive encouragement there
and Your time will be shortened. You under
stand that. 1 don't know how much. but II
is q matter Of monthS-l thlnk Two OF three
months in two years I want you TO write TO
me- unless you feel that you don't care 10
write to mel want you 10 write to me every
three months, and send me copy Of your re-
port IF your record is good l viii get you
emDloyment when you get out-employ ymeht
that YOU will be ready to take Let me know
a month before your release. VIII you do
that?'
YES, sir
1T is the Judgment and sentence Of the court
that YOU be imprisoned at hard labor In the
penitentiary at Joliet for the period OF Two
years l have cut that down on account OF
your mother and wife and the babies"
Another case was that of young man who mad
stolen a letter by applying for it at the general
delivery Office. The judge dismissed the case
entirely and gave the young man PERMISSION
to go home for Thanksgiving time.
Such is Judge Lands. of the federal court
of Chicago. He comes of American stock, and
several of his brothers are politicians He
himself has had good schooling in pontlcs'
but is intensely proud Of his judicial position
His father was Abraham Lands, surgeon IN
the Both Ohio Volunteers. At the battle OF
Kenesaw Mountain he stayed too long on the
field OF battle, under fire. and was wounded
by a spent cannon ball. Two years later the
present Judge was born and was named after
the battle Of Kenesaw Mountain.