Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1910-11-17

ENSNSSsM Imprisonment. has writ
ten an account of his prison life In an
effort 10 have the conditions OF his
confinement alneliorated.
Pomeroy has been in prison for
thirty-siN years He was fourteen at
the time he committed the frightful
crimes which won for him the title OF
the boy fiend.' Only his youth saved
him from hanging. The condition on
which his sentence was committed to
life imprisonment was that his con
finement should be SOLITARY. and he
alone OF the inmates of the Charles
town state prison is never permitted
to see his fellows There Is cou-
vict whose duty II is to shut the door
OF Pomeroy's cell whenever visitor
enters the corridor
He was newsboy, and his reading
was confined to dime novels But in
the course Of his imprisonment he has
educated himself He understands
several languages and is an omni-
vorous reader
He has made at least ten efforts to
escape. all of them characterized by
the utmost ingenuity. Aside from this
he does not give his keepers much
trouble In his written statement he
does not ask for liberty, but for the
mitigation of the hard terms OF his
imprisonment
The statement in part is as follows:
Massachusetts State Prison
Dear Sir:
Whether my case can have your
sympathy l do not know. Still. an
effort to uplift this life would bring
you pleasure. as 1t brought pleasure
to Governor CASTOR in 1873. His mes
sage to me 0ssSl was: I am not
sorry, am glad l saved that boys
life He would not sign my death
warrant (See council records July.
1851
You know all about my case. Pub
lie feeling against me is responsible
for the deeply rooted and persistent
newspaper misrepresentation. all
these years, and that public feeling
was due to newspaper eNaggeration
and notoriety in 1874
"Of course it cannot be denied that
the crime was dreadful and that pub
!ic justice required satisfaction, but
the truth is no effort has been made
from that day to this to better this
prisoners condition
II have no friends, no influence. I
cannot get hearing from the COVER
nor. l have been left to my own de-
vice In this cell all these years.
Il put down a few of the mitigating
features in my case.
Mitigating Features.
Il. was fourteen years old when
arrested in 1874
"2 Public feeling swayed the
course of justice to my prejudice The
Judge at the trial told the jury to
bring In verdict in the first de-
gree or acquit for insanity
THAT was illegal
'3. The attorney general was so
abusive that the jury interrupted
him, saying. Cease your invective
~. My case was recommended to
mercy by the jury.
Calls His Penalty Cruel.
Solitary Imprisonment at hard la
Dor for life. on boy fourteen years
old "a contrary Ia tho constit,,tinn
and laws of Massachusetts 1t is a
cruel penalty; ex post facto; it VIC
lates the statute of pardons-(G. s.,
M 8 10 So g 1se7 ,s1, H.
not defintng what he meant nv bic
solitary. T. 10 nncertain and y.c,,a.
the law saws n ts a darl coli IN mood
and water 1sea a 8 1-4s 1s.
17e 4o9 And he should have.
said what he maant
nI,y tba oonstjtut,on .na low,
ono can he mt ant Of tho nrotect,ar
~ mo Law ~ s,ffar i,lasa, = , ass,tn'.
1sea q s IA . IL a1,an :
hs10 for cust omarv nenalt;es. fina1iv
~. ~ - 800 psn 80, !. il'a,is