East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-20


wants out; suggestions solicited that
might result in immediate release;
wants poets address who wrote Some
walls do not prison make nor iron
bars cage" Address John L. Silber
Kay county Jail Newkirk, Okla.
For the first time in history man
has advertised for liberty and got It,
The advertiser was prisoner, and to-
day ne is walking the streets a free
man. He can thank his quick wit as
well as the efficiency Of advertising
for his freedom. He saw his oppor-
tunity and seized It even though ham
dicapped by prison bars,
1t all came about through an offer
by the Daily oklahoman of this city
of SO for the most original want ad
written for Sunday issue of the pa
per. Silber needed the SO. SO he sent
the ad quoted to the oklahoman.
Accompanying the ad was the fol-
lowing witty letter:
Mr.. Editor:-Inclosed please find
postofflce order to pay for publishing
ad, also inclosed. Perchance you will
think this want ad unreasonable or at
least unusual. Therefore, l will ex-
plain the why and wherefore of 1t.
| Three Sundays l have read the
poems in your jingle contest, and
they are responsible for an idea I've
| got-to-wit: a man can get anything
he wants through a want ad. There
fore. being lncarcerated, l naturally
want to be liberated. and with that
end in view appointed myself COM
mittee of one on ways and means to
determine the best plan of procedure
in extricating myself from my unde-
srable surroundings.
After a heated debate the aforesaid
committee decided to invest 1.-TWO bits"
of his frenZied finances In a bona fide
want ad. and for a real simon pure
want-well. l feel like l imagine
Patrick Henry felt when he said,
Give me liberty or give me death."
hoping for big returns from little
ad, beg to remain yours expectantly,
JOHN L. SILBER,
Kay County Jail.
A. E. Moroney, r. Y. Conway and
r. E. Kroh of Oklahoma City, who
were appointed by the Oklahoman to
judge the want ad contest, awarded
the SO to Silber.
But that was only the beginning of
Silber's good luck. Readers of the
Oklahoman became interested in the
young man through the want ad. They
called upon the law firm of Burwell,
Crockett & Johnson, Oklahoma City.
and begged the attorneys as an act
of charity to go to Sllber's relief. They
did so. The matter was taken up by
letter with ]. f. Burns, county at
torney OF Kay county. "Silber is a
model prisoner" wrote Burns.
will have no objection to your secur-
ing a parole or pardon for him."
L. B. Hart, undersheriff. represent
ing chief. wrote: II am not In IA
vor of helping criminals out of Jail.
but from what evidence can get this
man should not have been In Jail to
start WILL anu lnlllh IL d HllSCdT-
riage OF justice. If l had any influ-
ence with the governor of the state
would use 1t in trying to get par
don for this boy He was arrested
through spite more than anything
else. Being a stranger, he pleaded
guilty and took Jail sentence rather
than to stand trial and run the risk
Of going to the pententiary."
County Attorney Burns, following
the circulation of a petition for the
pardon of Silber which was signed by
every county officer in Kay county
and most of their deputies, wrote
personal letter to Governor Haskell
asking him to grant an unqualified
pardon to Silber. Judge William NJ.
Bowles, who tried the case; r. E. Ro-
der, sheriff, and L. b. Hart. under
sheriff also wrote personal appeals
to the governor.
The influence of legislators also was
invoked, and a committee made up of
members Of the house and senate APP
peared before the governor and plead
ed in Silber's behalf. The pardon was
granted, and Silber, after going to Ok
lahoma City to thank the lawyers who
had labored so studously to secure
his release went to Lincoln, Neb..
where he hopes to secure a position as