The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-06-08
Lorraine Banker, Serving Ten Year
Sentence for Murder Of Gina Lem
Has Quick consumptlon-0oeto'
says He Has Small Chance to Live

L. W. Dale, convicted OF second
degree murder in connection with tho
death of Gina Lem, the pretty Union,
N. D. school teacher, which occurred
in Minot, has been pardoned. 1t was
lust three months and half ago, that
Dale, a splendid physical specimen
of manhood, arrived in Minot to give
himself up to the authorities, after
he had given up hopes of receiving
any consideration from the supreme
court of the state, and determined to
take his medicine, ten years at hard
labor in the states prison. He told
an Independent representative at the
time that he hoped to be pardoned
after two years, when he would step
out into the world and try to show
the world that he still possessed
spark of manhood. Little did he real
ize when he left for the penitentiary
what sort of treatment he was to re-
ceive. Tuesday, accompanied by his
father, a prominent citizen Of Willmar,
Mimi, who had gone to the penlten-
tiary to meet his son, he arrived IN
Minot, weak and emaciated, the pict-
ure of death. His voice has almost
left him and he is exceedingly i'll OF
quick consumption. Dale. is victim
of the prison Irvine plant. 1t didn't
take long to deal him a death blow,
for the prison doctor realizes that
he has but few months at longest
to live, and practically told Dale so.
Prison life is full of sorrow. 1t is
worse. According to Dale's story it
is He'll, and Dale's appearance would
bear out this statement. The
Board of Pardons did the right thing
in pardoning Dale. 1t saved the state
the expense of burying him. 1t was
a business proposition with the state
to say the least.
Dale talked of his treatment to an
Indepedent representative. He said
that for ten hours a day he had to
work in the Irvine plant, rolling balls
of Irvine. The dust and lint from tho
Irvine soon fixed his lungs and it was
but six weeks before he had develop
ed a bad case of consumption. he
had two hemorrhages and nearly died.
The men in the Irvine plant are al
lowed no protection from the dust and
lint, and it is a shame that any human
being should be compelled to work in
such a place under those conditions.
They may have committed great
wrong, and they no doubt deserve pun
ishment, but it is little less than
criminal to place a lot Of human be-
ings in such a place and compel them
to work for long hours, day in and
day out, without some protection
against the ravages of the dust whic
is certain to bring on lung trouble in
short time. ......
When the prison doctor saw how
Dale's case was going, he ordered him
placed in tent, consideration
scacely ever given to any prisoner.
and for five weeks, he slept in the
tent This seemed to help him some,
and his temperature which was 102,
went down. When Dale first went to
prison, he was compelled to sleep in
the fourth tier of cells, where the air
is very bad. He asked the deputy
If he could not open the window to
get better air, as he often awOke in
the night to find the air was so stiff
ling that he could hardly get his breath
The deputy told him that the prison
was perfectly ventilated and refused
to open the windows. When Dale
learned to make his complaint to
Warden Hellstrom, himself, the win
dows were opened.
Dale said: 81 appreciate the fact
that / was pardoned, and l don't
want to say anything which will make
them sore down there and have them
bring up something else against me.
l don't want to go back. II should,
It would be but two months when they
would have to carry me out in coffin.
When I went there I weighed 145
pounds. Now look at me. l weigh
Just 112 pounds. T am so weak That
can hardly walk.
everything looks nice and clean
and orderly to visitor, but. let me
tell you that we had it tough. Three
evenings In the week, we were given
apples, bread and water for our sup
pers. am ashamed to tell you what
got the ether times. I don't want
to do any knocking.
"My father met me when was re-
leased and he is taking me home to
Willmar, Mimi, where Will visit
three weeks, when expect to leave
for California. / hope to get better