Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-10-11
SHOULD WARDEN HELLSTROM
RESIGN

F. o. Iellstrom, the present warden
of the state penitentiary, is the demo-
cratic candidate for governor Of North
Dakota, and just now he is touring the
state in the interests of his candidacy.
He is said to be basing his candidacy on
the record he has made while he has
had charge of the chief penal institution
Of the state During his absence the in
stitution which was placed under his
personal charge when he WdS~ given the
appointment as warden. is being neg
lected. When he overlook the institu-
ton he could not help but know that
the statute specifically stated that the
warden should not have any other occu-
patton. This part Of the law means
that the warden should remain constant
ly and personally in charge; ne should
devote his entire time to the institution;
and if he has in this present campaign
decided to enter the political contest as
a candidate for governor. or for any
other office he should have resigned the
stewardship which Governor Burke ten
dered him nearly six years ago. If, how
ever he continues in the race, and while
he IS on the campaign stump, he should
make some attempt to refute the ugly
run1ors that are being scattered broad
cast over the state regarding the pre-
sent condition of the institution he is
supposed to protect in the interests OF
the people of the state. He should
stamp out the report that the inmates
of the institution are at the present
time practically masters of the situa-
ton at the penitentiary. He should con-
vince the people that it is untrue that
some of the older guards have resigned
lately because they considered their life
and body in danger if they remained
there longer, because they were not
now permitted to control the conduct OF
men who have ueen sentenced to confine-
ment for having committed murder, dar-
ing robberies and other henious crimes
and because the management of the in
stitution constantly favors the inmates
in place Of supporting the guards in the
performance Of their daily duties. War
den Hellstrom should deny, If he can.
the. fact that inmates maintain an or
ganization Of their own that has become
~
yond the control Of the warden and his
management. He should deny that
fights and dangerous assaults constant
1y occur among the inmates, and that
often times inmates are seriously in
1ured, as was the case last winter when
Convict Robinson had secretly hidden a
sharp knife upon his person with which
he nearly 6aca inflated Convict ropro,,
He should also deny the fact that he as
sisted Convict Wooden in securing pa
tent in which he assumed a personal
interest, and afterwards became person.
ally active in helping Wooden secure a
pardon. when the record shows that
Wooden was one of the most desperate
characters that was ever committed to
the institution. He should also den
that as warden and member Of the
parole board he disregarded the statute
in permitting parole to be granted to
man from the weatern part of
state who had been convicted of rape
and who now holds position in a
business establishment here in Bismarck
and who enjoys the same social freedom
as do the best moral and most law abid-
ing citizens of the city, when the law
states that he shall remain confined till
he has completed the sentence passeG
by the court. He should also deny that
when the four convicts made their cs.
cape over the east wall few months
ago that the guard formerly stationed
there had been removed ~ the homo,
system for some time, and that the con-
'victs through their organization anc
planned a general outbreak by hay
ing the four men who went over the
wall open the gate. He should deny that
frequently when guards attempted to
enforce strict demeanor among the in.
mates that If it is displeasing to then
the guards have been court martialed b,
= convict court, with Murderer Noah a:
the Judge and Bank Robber Conroy a.
the prosecutor. He should deny tina
meetings Of the convicts are permittet
weekly to occur in the palatial audi
torimu room, and that on these occa
sions no guards are allowed admittanc
thus giving the convicts who are mem
bers of this inside organization an ex
cellent opportunity to plot all name
Of diaboltcal plans, maybe Of escape o
depredations even worse. He shou'
stamp out the rumors that the institu
ton since the alleged honor system ha
been in vogue, as far as the conduct @
the inmates is concerned, has becom