Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-29
LIFE IMppIsONM ENT AND EASY

with which life prisoners secure par
dons at the hands of soft-hearted ex-
ecutives. SO long as murderers sem
fenced to Imprisonment for life are
able to get out of prison after serv-
Ing Ave or ten years at hard labor SO
long Will the cause of Justice cry
out for some moro certain form of
punishment, for the certainty of pun
ishmcnt is after all the chief deter
rent of crime.
The world has just had one of num-
whiIh life imprisonment for murder
ers bccomos a farce through the par
don evil in the case of George Huber,
a c~old-blooded wife-murderer, who
has now been pardoncd by Governor
Draper of Massachusetts after stay
ing in prison only seven years.
The pardon in the case is all he
more inexcusablc owing to the record
of Huber. A detective named Woods
from Massachusetts discovered rec
ords in the old Kings counts court
house showing that Huber had been
convicted of killing a man in New
York. and after serving time had been
p%ardoned by Gov. Hill. Woods also
found a certificate of Huber's mar
riage to a Mary Levine, who was
still living and had not been divorced
from him at the time he met Ger
trude Rentel on a Sunday school pic
mic and induced her to run away with
him. Here is how the New York Sun
outlines the progress of the case:
Rentel. father of the murdered
wife, said that job Z. Clarcy. for
mer editor of the Berkshire Courier,
came to him and his wife some time
ago and asked them to sign a petit
ton for Huber's release. This petit
ton, 1t was set forth. coming from
the most injured party would be a
potent factor in getting Huber's re
lease. The Rentels did not see why
the man -hould be released so soor
after he had committed murder anG
they refused to sign. the petition.
Mr.. Clarey said at his home in Mad.
ison. n. j., where he Is connected
came interested in Huber's case eigh'
years ago. He said he talked will
Gov. Draper and secured hts sympa,
thics by showing him the facts II
the case. hut the Governor was un'
willing to pardon Huber so soon. Tha
was two years ago, Clarey said, blu
when Gov. Draper was defeated 70,
another term Clarey tried again t'
get him to pardon Huber.
Senator Allan +. ~Treadway o
Southbridge. Clarey said, also becam,
interested in Huber He didn't know
what proceedings Treadway and other
associated with him took to get Hube
out. Clarey thinks Huber was di
vorced from his first wife before h
married Gertrude Rentel. He said h
had heard the story about Huber hav
ing shot a man on Myrtle avenue SOM
years age. but never heard any yer
ifcation of it.
Huber and Gertrude Rentel wer
found in Harlem by the girls father
IlNttI Sfli lh'N Itu b'Nh iih " l
Jersey City. but Rentel insisted upol
another marriage. Later he discov
cred that Huber had been married be
fore.
Soon after the father told the cir
about this she ran away with a ma
named Fearing. Huber traced ther
to Monterey in the Berkshires. II
saw them coming o u of a boardinj
house and he shot twice at Fearing
w%ounding him slightly. and then h
shot the girl. She died shortly after
ward. He was convicted in PittsfelC
This story runs in a way familiar t
citizens of Vermont, who have watche
the progress of ~ex-party hearings !
Legislatures to secure the commutin
of death sentences to life imprison
! mcnt. The men who convicted Hube
have gone their way. Most Of them ar
t probably out Of office, and nobod
( takes any particular interest in keer
ing Huber in prison to pay for shed
ding the blood of his wife. On tn
other hand his relatives ard friend
and paid attorneys have kept cor
stantly at work until they have at La
y played upon the sympathies Of a GOV
t ernor, and after a one-sided hearin
in which apparently no pains WEI
e taken to secure his fun record, his RI
lease has beer secured. He is a FIRE
e man in spite of the fact that he h'
q twice committed the awful crime
murder.
RI the state Of Vermont puts II
A. burden OF sentencing a murderer
'c capital punishment on juries, as col
templated by the new measure, and IL
crcascs the anc OF substitutir
life Imprisonment for hanging.
" should by all means make
d pardon a life prisoner without Il
- fullest hearing and a review
~ the case by some judicial tribunal b
fore full freedom Is granted. Othe
:" wise the punishment Of murderers
likely to become a farce, in decid
- contrast to the conditions prevallil
v" In England. where the punishment
pretty sure to fit the crime.
THE WAY OF THE wc-LD.