Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-23
HOW AN 40 UNLOCKED A CELL
story of Hard Luck Revealed in n
successful Try for =
Prize.

A committee Of advertisers in Oklahoma
City, who had been selected to act as
judges in an advertisement-writing contest,
recently awarded the pirst prize to the fol-
lowing Ingenious advertisement in q local
newspaper:
"Wanted-Young man in jail wants out;
suggestions solicited that might result in
immediate release; wants poets address
that wrote stone Walls Do Not a Prison
Make Nor Iron Bars a Cage Address
John l.. SLIDER. Kay County Jail, New
kirk. Okl."
The award Of the prize occs stoned some
sentation. and letters began pouring in both
TO the prisoner and to the newspaper from
people all over the state, wanting to know
on what charge the prisoner was confined,
and whether it was possible to secure his
liberty. The newspaper itself took up the
case. attorneys were employed to draw up
petitions for his pardon. and an investiga-
ton which was made disclosed the fact
that SLIDER was in all probability the vic
tim OF a judicial error.
SLIDER. as the facts transpired. is a young
man some p years of age, by occupation
a switchman. He desired TO try his for
tunes in the west, and, being a member Of
the Trainmen's union. which gave him
transportation to all points, he left his
home in Buffalo, n. Y, and went to Okla
homa in the spring OF 1907. He stopped off
at Newkirk, and was looking over the
town when he was accosted by the town
marshal. who demanded to know what he
was doing there. SLIDER, resenting the
question. replied that it was none of the
marshars business. The official, enraged
| at this affront. followed Silber for most Of
the day. and finally confronted him just as
At H. ..aaN- -.
the switch light, which happened not to be
burning.
SLIDER was at once arrested on the charge
Of blowing out the switch light. Two OF
the marshals assistants swore at the pre-
liminary hearing that they saw him blow
out the light. Being a professional switch
man and having a switchman's key in his
possession, the case seemed likely to GO
hard with him, especially as he was with
out money and friends, and refused to
notify his relatives in the east. After
seven months Imprisonment, on the ad-
vice Of acquaintances in Newkirk he
pleaded, guilty, and accepted a jail sen
tence rather than run the risk Of being SEM
to the penitentiary when the case came &c
trial.
Letters were written to the governor by
the prosecuting attorney who had beer
engaged on the case, by the Judge OF tht
district court before whom the case was
tried, and by the county sheriff, all recon-
mending that the prisoner be granted &
pardon. The absurdity Of the charge be
came apparent when it was shown tina
the switch light which SLIDER had been &C
cused OF blowing out was within 100 fee
of the depot, and that II was broad day
light. between 4 and 5 o'clock in the after
noon, at the time when the crime was al
legged TO have been committed. Numeroui
persons resident in Newkirk also mad,
affidavit to the effect that the switcl
light was not properly attended to, beini
allowed to go out and to remain in thi
condition for hours at a time.
The petition was conveyed to the COVER
nor by Senator Roy z. Stafford, of Okla
homa City, and a pardon was grante'
almost Immediately. Just ten days hat
elapsed since the advertisement appearet
when SLIDER was set at liberty.
SLIDER proved to be a man OF exemplar!
habits and with a good record, which h
could have established on the occasion o
the trial but for his reluctance to com
municate with his friends. He is a v~iolin!st
and has literary aspirations. A number o
his poems and other compositions wer
published in the local paper at Newkirk
Advertising men are jubilant over thi
success of a six-line want ad., which re
leased in ten days a prisoner who had spen
eleven months in jail. as we'll as establish
ing his innocence. Developments are nov
looked for in Oklahoma advertising circles
-Harper'S Weekly