Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-30

Polk and Plymouth counties, both of
which have high land valuation were
also given the highest per cent of in
crease, 5 per cent, which increases the
farm land valuations in those counties
over one million dollars each. The as
sessment of the railroads was increased
from 500, 1916 to $63,6S6, All, an in
crease of s15s.795.
1t was stated few days ago in this
correspondence that last year the coun-
Gil made a decrease in the railroad as
sessment. This was incorrect The
mistake was made by taking figures
from the auditors report which in
Guided sleeping cars and interurbans
and comparing them with s <etln road
assessments of the year following. Tie
council has never failed to FAKE some
slight increase in the railroad assess
ment.
I 1t is being intimated that Governor
| Carroll will be in no hurry to act on the
pardon of Dr. J w. Crofford, of La
moni, recommended by the board of
parole. Friends of Crofford were in
hopes that the governor would act
soon. Since it was made public that
the board had recommended the par
dor on the belief that Crofford was in
nocent there has been some protest
from the people in Decatur county VIII
insist that Crofford should be punished
to the full extent of the law.
1t is nearly always the case that
there is some protest from the people
in the vicinity of the crime when pa
role or pardon is recommended OF
granted In the case of DR.. Crofford il
! is claimed by many of those who live6
in the vicinity of Lamont, where his
H sanatorium was located and where he
is alleged to have operated criminalll
on Maude Stone, causing her death
that whether he operated criminally
causing her death or not the chance;
are so strong that he operated Grim
inally on other girls when deaths did
rot result that he ought to be pun
ished the limit any way on genera
principles.
Crofford's case was twice before iht
supreme court In the evidence Offered
on his trials in the district cour'
testimony was introduced of one Won-
an who claimed that DR.. Crofford tolt
her he had operated on Maude Stone ir
the same way he had on this woman:
daughter which he admitted was {
criminal operation. The state sough
in other ways to show the character
of the business he did at this san.
atorium.
l Crofford's attorneys on his tra
sought to persuade him to allow then
the defense that the operation had al
ready been performed when the CIR
reached his sanatorium and that he
merely doctored her. Crofford refused
and claimed none had been performed
Members of the board of parole are
satisfied that DR.. Brown is telling the
truth now when he says the girl came
to him and said the operation had al.
ready been performed and wanted hin
to doctor her. He came to them volun-
tarily and offered his testimony to the
board before having told anyone else
They think Furthermore that his excuse
that had he testified to the facts at the
trial, in the light Of the defense Of
Crofford, it might have been claimed
that Brown was the guilty one and he
didn't care to take that risk The
board thinks his reason is good one
and that his course was justifiaole
On the trials of course he was never
asked any question that would brint
out the facts and had he told them HI
would have disclosed it on his OWL
motion.