The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-06-19
SEEKS PARDON FOR
emil WENDLAND
TAYLOR cRuM TO MAKE EFFORT
TO GET PAROLE FOR MAN IN
FOR LIFE FROM cAss COUNTY
GETS LETTER FROM JOLIET
PRISON CHAPLAIN.

i
is to make an effort to get a parole
for Emil Wendland who is serving a
life sentence in the state prison
Wendland was sentenced Is years ago
from Cass county for killing a man
named Johnson at the Job farm.
At the recent conference for the
study of criminoIogy at North west
attended by Judge Chas. A. Pollock OF
this city, the matter of paroIeing life
prisoners was fully discussed. One of
those who spoke before the confer
ence was Albert J. Steelman, Chaplain
of Joliet prison OF Illinois,
| Mr.. Steelman, in response to q re-
luest from Mr.. Crum sent the latter
the following letter which explains
some Of the reasons advanced for the
parole Of life prisoners: ..-
Illinois State Penitentiary, Joliet, ILL.,,
E. ]. Murphy Warden. "
| Joliet, June 16, 1909. Taylor Crum,
Fargo, N. D., Dear Sir:-At the Chi
cago meeting of the American Prison
association with the approval of my
warden as follows: o..
| Recognizing the high moral charac-
ter of many life prisoners in our PEN
itentiaries it is resolved that com
mittee be appointed to make suitable
Investigations and report upon the ad-
visibility of extending to such pris-
oners the benefit of parole"
In accordance with the rules this
resolution was referred to the Execu-
tive committee which reported unam-
inously in It's favor at the Richmond
meeting OF the association last Novem-
ber. A committee OF five consisting ol
Thomas S. Wells, a prison commission
er, Of Hartford, Connecticut, chairman;
Rev. Albert j. Steelman, chaplain;
Warden Henry Wolfer of Saltwater,
Mimi; Prof. T. w. Blackmar. OF Law
renee, Kansas; and DIR. Theodore
Cook, jr., of Baltimore, Md.
| This committee is making its invest
! igations and will report at the next
meeting of the association to be held
at Seattle in the coming month OF
August.
The Chicago conference called by
the Northwestern university law
school offered an opportunity for brief
discussion which / could not let pass.
One hundred and thirty-three careful
chosen topics were divided among var
ious committees with the result that
two committees reported independent
| ly recommending the extention of the
parole to all penitentiary offences
in fact to all except short work house
sentences
| Supt. John L. Whitman was chair
man of one of the committees and the
report of the other committee was
presented by Bishop FaIlows: both re-
ports were unanimously adopted and
show the opinion of many minds as to
the advisability of paroling life men.
The length OF time to be served by a
given prisoner before he becomes elig-
able to parole is a question abou.
which there are many different opini-
one. My own opinion is that the pris-
oner who has had no previous bad rec
ord as citizen and who has main
tanned highly honorable record as a
prisoner for twelve or fifteen years
should be trusted to work a parole, es-
pecially If his old neighbors whose
lopinion may be worth consulting, fay-
or his release
| Supt. Whitaker of the Jefferson
vile Reformatory of Indiana told me
in the hearing OF some others that he
was In favor of a maximum of forty
years and a minimum OF fifteen years
for such prisoners, so that the good
prisoner would be eligabIe to parole az
ter fifteen years and the bad prison.
er would be likely to die in prison.
am informed that In California. ten
years of good behavior would entitle
life man to consideration; in New
York life prisoners may be paroIed af
ter twenty years and in Louisiana a
good life prisoner may be discharged
after fifteen years. The opinion seems
70 be quite general among those who
believe In making the prison a reform
atory agency, that any man worthy of
release on parole should be released
before he becomes old and helpless.
The Chicago Journal and the Even
Ing Post OF June s, both reported me
correctly. The News (that is the Chi
cago Evening News) changed the
wording of my remarks SO as to show
life men and all short time men. /
had only a moment and spoke rather
emphatically.
II we do not win out at once. am
sure that public opinion Is being edu-
Gated to the point of giving the life
man the benefit Of any good opinion
(which he has earned for himself by a
general consistent life both inside and
outside prison walls In cases where
the prisoner acted In the heat of ex-
citement, defending real or imaginary
rights Of property or family or life.
he might be entitled to pardon after a
suitable term OF imprisonment RI the
crime was committed as result OF in
toxication. think the parole would be
the safer course. Then If the prison.
er becomes an inebriate he can be re-
turned to the prison without leavins
him at large to repeat his flrst offense
Il ~ A.