Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-11-30

keSJHyYse@g impris9pmsntu 9es wrrt'f
ten al account of his prison lie IN an
effort to ahvs 4 Ee r i fASSfttf II hisl,
Pomoroy has beehtsoHEFgp !fo3b
thirtysx years He was fourteen at
y Iitf glFse iNe cemeaittedStB4 Ertahtflil :
crfrnez- -rlrfrt, won, fvr' 'lrttss
the boy ,lendri5i,, Only ,hiS, YOUTH -s2lsqs \
him from hanging The CONDITION OH I
which his sentence was commuted 10
life IMPRISONMENT was that his con [
hnement should be Solitary pad ihe4
alone of the inmates or the ChHrles"
town state prison is never permitted |
to see his fellows 3 There Is CON 4
Wet wbdso,dpty,itlis lisstq shut tResdper
OF PomeTbys een whichever visitor |
enters TIE corfidcrE N NANl
lie was 'hewsboy, and his reading
was confined 60 dime. noysls.---But-4n
the course of his Imprisonment he has
educated himself He upderstands
several iaaeuagesR Add IS an oTnrt
vorous reader.
He has made ~ ileast ten eiforts4tpJ
escape. all Of them characterized BY /
the utmost ingenuity. Aside from this
he does nos eive'ihis akeepetsJm1h
trouble. In his written statement he
does not asialYof libettS lint sfer the I
mitigation Of the hard terms Or his
imprisonment U-r Egr \
The statement in part rs az follows: /
Massachusetts State Prison.
Dear Sire k'
whether my case can have your
sympathy | do not know. STILL an
EFFORT To ,iupiift. ttiis life would bring
hVnN oh
tdGogerpor Castor In 1876. His mes
saao to me ffSss) was. I am not
sorry. am glad | saved that boys
life lie would not sign my death
warrant. (See council records July,
6E1STs3 Al.iai iia- s..iA.,.i f'
--..s.,~,'Yo,- know. all bout my case Pub
lie feeling against me Is responsible
for the deeply rooted and persistent
newspaper hisfepresehtation, all
shese years. and that public feeling
was due to newspaper exaggerah0n
and notoriety in 1874.
"Of course It cannot be denied that
the crime was dreadful and that pub
lic Justice required satisfaction; but
the truth is no effort has been made
from that day to this TO better this
i''Spitsoner's condition. ,,I .
1i394 u have no friends. no influence.
.cantot get a hearing from the goverr
nor. have been left TO my own de-
vice IN this cell all these years. '
81 put down few Of the mitigating
-,..- features In my clse. ...
Mitigating Features.
Il. was fourteen years old when
. arrested in 1874.
I "a. Public feeling swayed the
course of justice to my prejudice The
Judge at the trial told the jury to
hiring In verdict in the first de-
gree or acquit for insanity
d.. 'n d, That was Illegal
"3 The attorney general was so
abusive that the jury interrupted
him. saying, Cease your invective.'
q. My case was recommended to
mercy by the jury t.a ..
'"* "5 Sentence. as in this case, to
solitary imprisonment at hard labor
o for life IS Observation-Disclosures have
been at least five capital commuta.
tons 10 this prison since 1874. Not
one was fourteen. Not one was a
solitary. sentence. AT least two of
.ts them have been .pardoned, 81 ....
&c. | have shown a disposition to
reform have not led a criminal life
here would do web II given an op-
portunity! fM iNtt tah .a>
"7. There IS doubt whether |
:, was fairly tried, legally sentenced
legally held all these years in a cell
4, Nor, reasplG. Which have duly laid
before our supreme court. and to this
i'alp-date t4ne Judges have given no answer
2 ar SAs to the merit OF said coutehtioll
1See lthe7r decisions herewith.)
.FsReason as above. u was trieh un
~ s~dsr' Gs 81. Gen. Stats. 1867, 3L
.Catls His Penalty Cruel.
SOLITARY Imprisonment at hard Ia
Dor Tor life, on a boy fourteen years
old is contrary to the constitution
it1d laws OF Afsssachuasetts Ia is
ctuei PENALTY I, iiex post tacto:Eit VIC
lates che sstastits OF pardons7(G. S.
Il, IgY. y gBg &c. 81. iS37 d 1SlJ IL
sl1t deanina what ne meant by his
solitary itt "a uncertain and vhgtre
the isw saysfti Is dark cell on breal
and water lsea q. s., c. 1T4s, s. 49,
O. IT9. 42l. tAnd he should have
said what he meant
my the constitution and laws. n,
one can be put out OF the protection
OF the law, or snfier illegal penalty
(see @, 81 O. ia. 8. l, 1s Allen. p
SSH for Aouslomary penaities; fnall!
tho warrant does not show II to b,
conditional II so intended.
Ms "Ail OF which gives rise 20 we'll
i ta.s founded doubt. ~ I was convicted b.
good process Of law; as per artici,
4 gv Of amendment TO United States con
stitution No. 10. which by Article
III OF said constitution is the 'suprem,