Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-08-28

| proved; and, nnally, through tn
tears and pleadings OF his mother, tn
death penalty was commuted to lif'
mprisonnent.
At the time of his coming to me b.
had served 8 years of his sentence {;
life prisoner is eligible to parole afte
Is years of confinement). l secured
hin an excellent situation at 5000
per month. and he is now supporting
his haired mother and little boy
with his earnings.
! My third case was of man serving
10 years for manslaughter, also com
mitted while drinking; he had alread,
/ been paroled but had violated the
terms of his ticket of leave and was
about TO be returned to the peniten
tiary when l interceded for him. and
gave him employment, and furnished
money for his needs; and he was Civ
en- another chance, and allowed to com
plete his sentence outside of the pris
on walls. He is now a free nan, il
still working for the same firm, il
highly regarded by his employer. is a
member of a Los Angeles church, and
the support of family.
The fourth beneficiary was an hab
iitual pickpocket and sneak thief; was
/ serving his second sentence of II
years, in San Quentin for grand lar
ceny; had been years and 9 months
in the county Jail on an appeal, and
years and months in the peniten
tiary. He worked faithfully here fol-
several months, repaid promptly all
the expenses of his paroling, and now,
with his sister in San Francisco, is
living an honest, law abiding, industri.
Gus, contented life.
The fifth man helped with the fund
was under 3-year sentence for big
amy; he had little over a year to
serve when l procured his release on
parole; he is now filling a responsible
and skilled position, and has the so
ciety of wife and two children, whom
he is able to support in comfort from
his salary.
have since made application for,
and look for the speedy release of a
man sentenced to 60 years imprison'
ment for Staying the insulter and de-
faner of his much loved sister, re-
fined and gentle girl; he has already
served IA years, is regarded as a real
ly worthy and repentant man. / have
secured him lifelong situation and
expect to see him at liberty within a
very few days.
And every one of these men has
repaid me to the uttermost cent all
that l have used in their bhalf, and
now have the original $500 in my
possession.
Is it a good investment? Have you
any to invest?
A man was paroled for me Saturday
the 18th inst.
Recently l was intrusted with an
additional $500 by Mr.. H. A. Getz,
of Los Angeles, and l Immediately
wrote to the warden of Folsom peni-
Tertiary, Offering to use this sum for
the paroling of prisoners in Folsom in
the same manner and under the same
conditions as l had already done In
San Quentin penitentiary.
With nay present resources l might
possibly help to liberation perhaps 10
or II prisoners yearly. but there are
many times that number of men who
each year become parolable, and who
for lack of friends and funds are de-
MED the advantages of the parole law,
and must complete their sentence in
prison, and return to the outer world
dissatisfied and resentful, to exact re-
tribution from society, and to become
a menace to life and property.
There could not exist more ideal
conditions for helping men to reform
alton than those of the present Cali.
fornia state parole law; the proper
ton of the sentence served in prison
is sufficient to teach the Improbable
nature of wrong doing; the stringent
conditions of the ticket of leave re-
quire a clean and orderly life; pleas
ing and remunerative employment will
incite to thrift and prosperity; a fav-
orable environment assists to the per-
lection of good resolutions; gratitude
for favors received inspires to unwont-
ed exertions; and in addition, here is
the trained Judgment of expert GRIMM
ologists to select for parole those most
fitted to profit by it's provisions.
have never before used money to
so great advantage. If we realized
the torture of mind and dreadful de.
spondency arising from the ever pres
ent consciousness of the need of a
friend and a few dollars to avoid long
years of unnecessary imprisonment;
did we understand the living death
that is endured behind prison walls;
had we an appreciation Of the fervor
of the good resolutions asking an OPP
portunity to fruition, but through be-
ing long deferred at last abandoned in
despair; could we only dimly conpre-
bend a shadow of the intensity Of feel.
ing and the greatness Of the issue to
those directly concerned, we might
have to pause when asked, Am l my
brothers keeper" and wonder wheth-
er we had done our full duty.
There are many men this day in the
California state penitentiaries who,
given another chance, under the par
ole law, would undoubtedly make
good"
The state parole law is undoubtedly
the greatest modern advance and fac
tor in helping prisoners to reconstruc-
ton; by it's terms prisoner having
completed a fixed proportion of his