The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-17


Some men have been released who
should have been kept in confine-
ment. Some, perhaps, have been
kept in confinement who should have
been released. We have, however,
acted upon our best Judgment. 1t
must be remembered also that, while
there are failures, and always will
be, under a parole system, there are
doubtless many more successes.
Many men who would return to
crime if given their liberty abruptly,
by the gradual process are safeguard
ed until the habit of the free life
enables them to be normal in con-
duct and in character. 1t is the
Judgment of the board that after the
experiment stages have passed, bet
ter results will be secured.
while the old idea of punishment
as retribution has practically been
given up and is indeed denounced
by many enlightened philanthropists,
it still remains that the deed called
crime must be considered in the
problem of penology. If the punitive
idea is no longer retained, the con-
duct of penal affairs must be such
as to have a deterrent effect. The
prisoner must not find confinement
so agreeable that he will be likely
to be willing to come back again,
nor must the sentence be so lacking
in both shame and pain that the
average boy will think it is, on the
whole, not a bad thing to be con-
victed and sent to the reformatory.
The indeterminate sentence rests
fundamentally upon the theory that
there is a difference in criminals that
cannot be provided for by statute.
The act does not always indicate
the man, and a sudden access OF
temptation through the influence of
association, through the lack of FAM
lily influences, may cause him to COM
NIT an act which the statute declares
a crime. The shame and shock Of
exposure are enough in many such
cases to lead to an early reforma-
ton"
Anton Marsek accused of Staying
his own child a day or two after its
birth, at the farm home near Owa-
tonna, was acquitted by the jury
brought forth in the district court
at Owatonna last week. The jury
retired during Saturday afternoon
and early Sunday morning brought
in a verdict of acquittal. The de-
Tense raised the point that the baby,
accidently fell out of bed and frac.
tured it's skull.
At the coroner's inquest one of
the sons of Marsek testified that he
saw his father beating the child's
head against the wall. However,
when he testified at the trial he was
reluctant to tell the same story.
The report is received from DIVA.
tonna that the jury on the first bal
lot stood seven to five for convic-
ton, but later those for conviction
began to switch.
S. B. Wilson, Of this city was the
principal attorney for the defense.
DR.. ]. w. Andrews of Mankato
was an expert witness for the de-
Tense and he testified that it was
possible for an infant less than a
day old to be Killed by a fall from
a height Of ,twenty-one to twenty
nine inches and that its skull might
be fractured in this way. Dr. More
house corroborated this testimony
and also said that discolorations on
the childs body might have been
caused by the natural congealment
of blood
Faribault. Mimi, January 13.-The
good roads enthusiasts of Rice,
Steele, Dakota, LIE Sueur and Wa
SEGA counties are organizing to OBJ
tain the proposed fifty miles of fed
eral road. The commissioner of
Rice county unanimously adopted a
resolution voting their share of the
cost OF construction of the road. The
commissioner of Steele county will
do likewise. A meeting is called for
on January IA, at Pennington, which
will be attended by many good roads
enthusiasts from Faribault, Ovation.
ma, Waseca, Mortified, Madison
Lake and Dakota. county. The Rice
County Automobile association. Fari-
bault Commercial club and Mortified
Civic league are active in trying to
secure the selection of the road from
the twin cities through Pennington,
Mortified, Faribault, Owatonna and
then on down to the southern boun-
Diary of the state
st. Paul, January 13.-Mrs. Marie
Blaisdell of Park Rapids, Mimi, the
Minnesota Blizzard, sixty years old,
was injured slightly yesterday after.
noon at Fourth and Robert streets,
and so prevented from taking a
train last night for Washington, d.
c., where she intended to take up
the matter of her pension from the
government.
She was taken to ST. Joseph's hos.
pital, where it was said last night
her injury was not serious, but she
would have to stay at the hospital
a few days. She was hurt when
crossing the street, she brushed
against passing wagon and was
knocked to the pavement. Mrs.
Blaisdell is the widow of hero of
| former days in Minnesota, who was
killed during the Indian fights by
being lost in blizzard.
st. Clair, Minn., January 11,1913.
The annual meeting of the Stock
holders of the st. Clair bank was
held January 8, 1913. Officers and
directors were elected as follows:
N. Juliar, president; John Bestman,
vice-president; G. H. Hubmer, cash
Ter; T. Penn, assistant cashier; d.
rectOrs III Thielman q paoen