The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-08-18
GANG PLOTTED HIS MURDER.
Colorado Metropolis Judge Talks of
Prospective Magazine Articles in
Which He Bares "Beast" in Politics

SEATTLE, Aug. 16.-"My forth
coming serial story in Everybody's
magazine, to run in twelve separate
installments beginning with the Octo-
Der number" said Judge Ben b
Lindsey, of Denver juvenile court
fame, who is here to attend the Am.
erican Prison Association congress,
will have to do with 1.-THE Beast in
the Jungle The beast that 1 have in
mind is the singularly corrupt gang
now holding sway in the jungle of
Denver politics. 1 shall endeavor to
give a faithful portrayal, so far as
my pen will permit, of the unscru-
pulous city council that has sold out
the city of Denver to the greedy. re-
morseless public utilities corporations.
l shall tell how this same bunch of
well-dressed, prosperous crooks, some
of them wearing the veneer of re-
spectability, 'fxed'-that's the word
the supreme court of Colorado. I
shall relate if you please, how they
manufactured the supreme court.
Il will name the men who manu-
featured the supreme court and
fixed the judges. I will name the
fellows who did the job through
which they sought to gain special
privileges worth $20O,000,00O, and I
shall tell how they tried to fix me.
I will tell of a midnight ride in a
carriage into which I was inveigled-
how 6ryt
gave them my support how they flat
tered me, then offered me money to
win me over and threatened me with
murder if 1 did not, as a chosen rep
resentative of the people, bow to the
gangs will. Then I will describe how
they finally tried to kill me, and I will
name the deputy who was commits
stoned with that bitter business. All
of the stirring events in Denver poll
tics with which I will concern myself
have happened within the last six
years.
Similar Conditions Elsewhere
Judge Lindsey wishes it made plain
that he will not write of a situation
peculiar to Denver, bu. that what he
has to say, given conditions similar to
those that have prevailed in the Colo
RADIO metropolis, will produce precise
other American city, The point he
wants to make is that Denver is just
as good and just as bad as Seattle and
vice versa, and that Denver happens
just now to be the prey of the infiuen-
ces that, if not properly guarded
cendancy in Seattle.
In Denver as in every other NUM-
cipality in the country, he says, it is
a case of special interests against the
people; of plutocracy against the fun
dam entail popular government doc
trines of the republic with democracy
on trial.
With regard to the report at the
prison congress next Tuesday of the
committee on Prevention and Pro-
bation,' of which he is chairman.
Judge Lindsey, who arrived this
morning from Denver, says that he
will urge reforms of decidedly
revolutionary character for national
application that are just now being
worked out in Denver. Briefly, he
will advocate the removal of all cases
of a probationary nature from the
criminal courts to the civil court and
the power of the state technically
known as parens patriae-the lover
demonstrating considerably and
helpfully with certain of it's citizens
as its wards to be cared for, aided
and assisted.
Curative. Not Punitive.
1.-The legislature just ended" said
Judge Lindsey, gave Colorado pro-
baton law, making a new application
of the principles of chancery courts
to cases of adult criminals 1t is be-
lieved to be the first law of its kind
1t only applies, so far, to misdemean-
or cases. Even where adults guilty
of crime are subjected to probation
as may be done in many states al
ready, the proceeding is in the GRIM
inal courts In cases of non-support
and contributory negligence by adults,
probation has been permitted by law
in our own court for the last six years,
but under a criminal court proceed
ing. The new proceeding is also
somewhat analogous to cases against
lunatics dipsomaniacs, inebriates and
Dependents proceeding always to
save them, to help them and not to
hurt them. If man of weak char
acter steals money, for instance, I'M
der eXtenuating circumstances, his
case may, on petition of the probation
officer or the district attorney, be re-
moved from the criminal to the civil
court. where he is given a chance to
tell the truth, not to be prevented
from telling it. as is often the case in
the criminal court. Then, if possible,
he is given a chance to pay back the
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