The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-19
WILL LEAVE CELL
AFTER 81 YEARS
Gov. Foss Decides To Grant Famous
boy Murderer" Relief From
Solitary Confinement.

BOSTON, July l9.-Jesse II. Pome-
roy, known for almost four decades
as "the boy murderer" and held by
an earlier generation TO be the most
desperate criminal abnormality of the
age, is soon to leave his cell foT great
er freedom in the state prison az
Charlestown after having spent 81
years Ia solitary confinement.
This announcement was made to-
day. when IL was declared that Gov.
Foss, impressed by evidences submit
ted to him from many sources of the
great change in PomeroY.s character.
has decided to allow The life convict
to enjoy many OF the liberties grant
ed well-behaved prisoners.
Gov. Foss will never grant Pome-
roy a full pardon, and II is generally
believed no other governor ever will
take such action; but to give the man
who has inspired dread In the hearts
of even his keepers ever since the
day when, as l4-yeaF-old boy, lie
was thrust into punishment cell
I'm the Cnarlestown prison, any por'
ton of the freedom enjoyed by trac'
table convicts is considered evidence
of a transformation in the criminars
makeup.
Women Sign Petitions.
Gov. Foss's determination TO do
what many OF his predecessors have
refused to do, in the face OF prayerful
petitions signed by women in al
parts of the country, is set forth in
a letter ne has sent TO John Ernest
Warren, librarian OF the American
Dramatists' club of New York. wal
rem, who was a playmate OF Pomeroy,
recently made an eloquent plea In be
half OF his lifelong friend, and Gov,
Foss I'm his reply made known that
Warren's presentment of the facts
had much to do with his reaching his
decision.
But Pomeroy's greatest. champion
has been his mother, now sad raced,
white haired woman nearing her seV-
entieth year. Although denied even
the right to see her son and havins
10 accept the truth of the fact that
he was regarded all over the civilized
world as the most atrocious example
of n wanton murderer his mother
never faltered in her faith In his IN
nate goodness nor forsook for a mo
ment her plan To gain for him his
freedom. At each holiday season, on
THANKSGIVING and Christmas. as we'll
as on his own birthday, she has gone
TO the prison with big basket Of
good things 10 eat, and IL Is she also
who has kept him supplied with cur
rent magazines and books.
Pomeroy killed two children, boy
and a girl. after treating them with
barbaric cruelty He inveigled other
children into isolated sections, stril'
ped them OF their clothing. tied them
10 trees or upon boards and then beat
them until they were unconscious. lie
delighted in sticking pins into their
unconscious forms and cut them deer
Iv with a knife. When this Juvenile
monster. then IA years old, was hnal-
ly run down and captured he barely
escaped lynching. His youth alone
SAKE him from the death penalty.
Last October he wrote his own
story of his crime and attempted TO
show what he characterized as legal
errors in his conviction. In his plea
he said:
.Is respectfully suggest that this
prisoner may have some encourage
ment in doing we'll. He Is no worse
than his neighbors. Kindness Is
never lost on any one, and this pris.
oner has all his life shown himself
responsive TO kind treatment. Al
though | have made some erroTs
here. I have never once bcep violent
or dangerous. No officer has ever &C