The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-02-25

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The popular cynlclsm that riches
keep men out Of prison. while the poor
have 10 suffer the full rigOr Of the LAW,
has had number Of severe Jolts re-
Gently. The long line OF men IN high
positions and seemingly the possessors
OF vast wealth who have violated the
law, been detected. tried and now are
undergoing punishment 4 a strong In
dication that the millennium OF equal
Justice has at last dawned.
In the consideration OF such instances
OF this nature as that most recent one
In Chicago, Peter Van ylisslngen. and
@. W. Morse Ia New York. a prominent
feature Is the fact that. while reput-
edly wealthy. when the bubble burst
the millions they we're supposed TO
have owned we're found never 70 have
existed. or. II they aid exist. to have
been OF paper. tho fictitious value OF
which was demonstrated when the first
winds Of adversely struck the fragile
dgment
In the case Of Van vilssingen. like
that Of Paul o. Stensland, whose "a.
reer as a f0rgcr was 20 nearly parallel
10 that confessed BY the Chicago real
estate man. conviction was swift and
sure. Stensiand STAYED Il on for a
time by becoming a fugitive. but found
that the law was lnex0rable. when
he was arralgned be pleaded guilty and
asked the privilege Of beginning bis
sentence with the least possible delay.
To-day he wears the prison gray uni.
form OF the good couduct convict AZ
Joliet prison. the same a. does the
poorest criminal IN the penal instltu
tion. For him, 100. the rule Of silence
Il enforced as completely a. Il Is IN
the case OF the most obscure thug or
cheap thief who t. bis companion IN
ignofnlny.
Fate Of Vas vii..iaE~n.
To the same fate Van yllsSlngcn was
sentenced after a trial lasting little
longer than an hour. No abJectiy poor
man could have had a more speedy en-.
FictiOn than has this mau who. suppos
sily wealthy. found himself in such
position that be was able to steal the
'ast sum OF more than 100000 from
people who trusted him as much be-
cause they thought him beyond the
necessity OF pcculation as for any other
reason
or course. the cases % Van vlissln.
zen and stensland are no; true exam.
Pies OF the alleged condition arninst
which socialists and others who harm
on the favors OF the rich
Ind the troubles Of the poor complain.
When they were finally discovered IN
heir crime neither put up n light. In |
'eality their fortunes were such bub-
lies that when the deuouement came ,
hey vanished into nothingness
A somewhat similar condition con. I
ronted George X. McReynolds. the FOR. l
ner grain broker and warehouse man I
onvicted for dcfrauding banks By '
feans OF fictitious warehouse recrlpta
dcReynolds. however. put up n hard q
egal fight extending over a number Of =
months. The highest courts were In r
oked in an effort to have him his lib.
rty, but, despite sufficient money 10
ecure all legal aid possible and the c
owerful influence OF the friends he r
ad made In his afiluent days when no '
'as rated millionaire. he had TO 20 b
, prison and don the hated gray uni n
orm. A
Newton c. Daugherty, the embczzling q
eoria educator, had short shrift. al m
lough an effort was made to save him d
ne disgrace Of going to prison. But It y
as unavailing, ms have been efforts II
Iade since to have him pardoned q
John A. Cooke, the Chicago pollff- e
an, reputed 10 have amused q com. Al
'rtable fortune through his connec-
ON with politics FOR years, fought AZ
lrd rs any man, possibly, who ever :,
ent to prison. Not only his own y
cans. but millions Of dollars OF the !,
oney Of his wealthy associates, were =, -
bis disposal. and used lavlshly. But =
'ither that nor political pull saved =
m. I"
Morse Not saved BY Riches. 4.
The Morse case In New York Is an :,
her example Of the inexornbleness OF ~
VS. made for the government Of rich :,
ID poor alike. Dealing IN millions. the
> king had trnnsgressed the laws at
mes when In bis arrogance be believed
mseIf stronger than the law. His a.
rd-fought trial, only recently finish
, which resulted In bis being sen W
need to prison for fifteen years. which W