The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-11-04
In Prison IS Years Man, 25.
Asks For a Pardon In Kansas
Convict Writes Governor
That He Has New err
Known Joys of Free
dom-Has No Friends.

Topeka, Kan, Oct 31.-For Is years
Arthur Patten has been confined in ;
Kansas reform or penal institution anC
has had just two weeks of liberty since
he was seven years of age.
Patten has just asked Governor w
X. Stubs to release him. Patten was
a bad boy and is years has been spent
in prison. Apparently he never real
lied the fine times he had missed until
few months ago, for he never asked
for pardon or parole before.
Something seems to tell me-" he
wrote to the governor, that l am
missing a lot of good things of life
because was bad when a little fell
low, and l want taste of them now"
Patten can hardly remember any
home but reform schools and prisons.
He has no parents and, as far as
known, no friends outside of prison.
No one has tried to help him to free
dom. There is no one to tell the gov
ernor that he will give him a job
and watch him.
Gov. Stubbs has a set policy of new
er releasing a prisoner unless he is
sure some responsible person will see
that the man or woman has a place
TO go, has a job and that some one
will watch him and advise him as to
things he ought not to do. The gov
ernor said several months ago that
he would not pardon one prisoner dur
ing his term except those who proved
worthy by good conduct while on pa
role.
IN PRISON AT SEVEN.
When Arthur Patten was seven
years old, his guardian heard of his
pranks and so the child, an orphan
without a friend, was turned over to
the probate court and sent to the re-
form school at Toledo. He was in
that school until he was 16 years old,
the age at which boys are trans
ferred to the state reformatory at
Hutchinson. The Hutchinson prison
is for boys and young men convicted
of a first offense or those whom the
courts believe had best be kept from
the hardened criminals of the peni-
tentiary.
Patten was kept at the reformatory
for year and then released on pa
role. He had no friends and no work.
The reformatory officials did not then
see that the parolled boys had place
to go or a means of earning an hon
est living. Patten wandered from
place to place hunting work and fin
ally landed hungry and broke" at
Usage City.
He wrote to Gov. Stubbs that he was
almost starved when he came to a
house. He knocked at the door, but
no one answered. He tried the door
and found 1T unlocked, and went in-
hde and Sn;SFae straight for the pantry.
While he was eating he heard some
one coming. He ran into the bedroom
to hide, The owner of the house, find
ing things disturbed, began a search.
Patten found an unloaded revolver in
the bedroom and taking it made the
owner of the house give him clear
way to escape.
CHARGE is HELD OPEN.
An hour later the boy was arrested. |
This was just two weeks to day from |
the time he had been released on pa !,
role. He was taken back to the re-
formatory and kept there until he was
is years of age. Then he was released /
but was arrested at the door by Usage |
county officials and taken back to
Usage county to answer the charge of
burglary.
He had no friends and pleaded
guilty. The Judge being informed of
the boys long terms in the reform !
school and reformatory, sent ntenced him
10 the Kansas penitentiary.
Patten has been in the prison seven
years now and has several years yet |
10 serve. He never asked a pardon or
parole until last summer, after ne had |
been made a "trusty" and sent on. er-
'ands outside the prison walls. Then
he realized what he had missed by be-
ng bad boy and asked the governor
% give him one chance to make a good
'itizen of himself.
Gov. Stubbs has the matter of a pa
ole under consideration. He WIN take
10 action until he can find some re-
liable man who will look after Pat
en-, as the latter knows no more of
he ways Of the world than a mere
mild.