The Washington herald., 1908-03-07
Prem a stan Correspondent.

Z
MoundsviIle. ". Va. March Calm
and smiling. betraying emotion only by
slightly trembling hands and flushed
cheeks. August W. Machen. former Post
Office Department official. shook hands
with Acting Warden c. c. Dawson and
other officers Of the Federal penitentiary
/ here shortly after midnight and walked
through the great irtn doorway 70 lib
erty.
Accompanied 10y The Washington Her
aid representative and a few Moundsviue
friends. Machen walked she short dis
tance 10 the railroad station and boarded
a through sleeper for Washington. He
is due to arrive in the city Of his alleged
Vaccinations. trial. and degradation az
noon to-day.
Family and Friends Keep Away.
Through his expressed wish. no men,
Der Of his family and none Of his Wash
ington friends came 10 AIoundsvirIe to
greet him at the close Of his three years
and one month Of penal servitude.
&aehen's release followed an afternoon
or tense anxiety through the sudden de-
vel0pnaent Of a possible obstacle 10 his
immediate discharge from prison
OF the two terms OF two years each. to
which he had been sentenced. he had
served fun time. allowing the prescribed
one-third Of for good behavior. At the
last moment the authorities Of the peni-
ftentiary seemed ar a loss 10 know what
10 do about the Sl00O0 fine imposed on the
IprisU-.-r as part Of his sentence. The fine
has not been paid.
Machen had spent the morning happily,
arranging the hnal details Of his depart
ure. His personal belongings were pack
: ed Al noon he had smilingly taken from
his desk the blank forms and slips he had
invented, part Of the improved system
built up under his clerkship
Makes Ready His Release PAPERS
I These forms were for use upon the re-
! lease Of a prisoner. Machen laughed as
he filled in his name at the top OF the
proper blanks and wrote in the customary
figures and data.
He took the slips TO Capt Dawson for
his signature. The genial acting warden.
between whom and Machen there has
been established a warm friendship, was
! found in state Of visible agitation
r "Old man." he said TO Machen. '';here Is
e a little hitch about your getting out to-
! night Bl0yd has been here and is wor-
= ried about that fine Of yours. He wants
= me to get in touch with the Department
J Of Justice before let you go
nFs.r,.-, ,..r~.1 - ~
God. man." ne exclaimed. Cant IL
| be fixed? Haven't I paid enough for
Z something didn't dos
Capt Dawson communicated by teIe-
! phone with Judge Dayton. OF the North
ern district OF West Virginia. Judge Day
ton granted. last September. a writ OF
habeas corpus in the case Of Frank 5.
Richardson and Jason y. Gust. under
: similar circumstances.
Action in Precedent Case.
e These two Washington men had served
y their terms Of eighteen months for con-
e spiracy. AT the time for their release. the
. Department Of Justice had opposed their
liberation because their fines Of $1,000
each were still unpaid.
Richardson appealed 10 Judge Dayton
and secured writ Of habeas corpus. IN
. der which both men were released Judge
\ Dayton decided that man could not
: be held I'm prison for a me.
Yesterday afternoon Judge DAYTON re-
ferred Capt. Dawson 70 Judge Reese Biz
zard. United States district attorney for
The Northern district Of this State
' Judge Blizzard told Capt. Dawson he
- the strength Of Judge Daytoa's decision
in the Richardson case. as the Dcpsrt-
ment OF Justice had appealed that finding
20 the United States Supreme Court.
: where the question still rests.
= Nothing had been heard from the De-
X partment Of Justice in the Mschen case.
Sought Only TO Do His Duty.
e ! A. Bloyd. OF AIoundsville. resident
4 director OF the prison. was the only OBJ
Il Jector 10 Machen's immediate release. His
reasons were born purely OF anxiety 10
DO only what was expected Of the prison
authorities
Ee told Capt Dawson 70 telephone TO
the Department OF Justice for instruc-
tions- Efforts were made without success
to get in touch with Col L. V Ladow.
= of this department. Superintendent OF
o United States Prisons and Prisoners.
Nfachen walked agitatedly about the
3 prison corridors and courtyard while
? Capt Dawson was trying 10 stralghten
! out the tangle.
u Finally. when Washington could not be
n secured on the telephone. Bloyd took the
IS responsibility into his own hands and
ordered Capt. Dawson 20 release Machen
ar the appointed hour unless the Depart
ment Of Justice interviewed.
The remaining hours dragged like years
10 Machen- Had there been no hitch. the
u last few hours would have passed slow
~ enough. Nervousness and anxiety due
10 TO the prospect of being dragged back
from the gates Of liberty through DELAYED
action Of the Department OF Justice. made
each minute seem an hour to the prisoner
tt Machen at Last Free Man.
n As the afternoon hours passed away
and the likelihood of any message com
ing from the Department OF Justice. halt.
. Continued on Page \. CoIunu 4