Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1914-01-16
Is Remington
Still a Convict?
.s,se,esa e. LIE in lsel-DA Ward
V;ol.s. Law IN 0rdssins his ks-
le... .. '4CssG Behavior"

boas0 % Oooo
Th. following article which appear
"A in Friday, svea;as's Fargo Forum
Ia. caused eeas;Sesabie gossip about
N. ..a.te: ~.
|. Joseph E. Remington. sentenced
.. . term Of life imprisonment in the
North Dako.. penisens;ary Dec. sz.i
1891. an escaped convieta Here are
the f.cts, shown by the record IN the
case: ana.
Remington wa. sentenced in 1891
-. lf. ;npr;,onment. Dec. z. 1911. the
state board Of pardons at it' regular
meeting, commuted his sentence to q
term Of thirty years. contingent up.
on good conduct for the ensuing time.
was discharged Nov. W.
1912, by ez-Warden F. O. He'l'tro"'
Figuring ON q thirty-year sentence
II. crime would expire Dec. ~. lsz'.
Under the North Dakota law Every
o.r.on committed to ehe state penn.
.sen.i.ry under sentenee OTHER liza"
FOR LIFE, who shall have no '"tr.e-
ton of the rules and regulations OF the
prison or law. # the state RECORDED
.e.;n.. him. shall be entitled to de-
auction from the term Of sentence tor
-,ch ve.r ETC." (.ee section ,o35e' X
C. leo5). How then could wsrde"
ti.ll,trom under the law and in con-
tormity with. the action OF the pardon
board. committing his ssntenee %
thirty years, turn hiza lsass shev. ~
1922
Below i. Hellstrom' only authority
for the release Of Remington: /.
Dec. 10, l9Ii;.-Ie the W.rdes dt
II. State Penitenti.ry: l beg to inform
you tha. 1t the regular meeting Of the
state board Of pardons. which conven-
ed in the executive Office on Dec. &
1911. the sentence Of Joseph E. Rem
ineton. convicted Of murder in the hrss
degree. and sentenced to life irnprison-
nent in the state penitentiazy. Wal
.eommuted to thirty years. contingent
upon the good conduct Of the prison
er for the ensuing time.
<Sisned) T. e. b1NNs'
Clerk, Board Of Pardons.
Why did Rssainston Immediately up
on leaving the penitentiary take to the
<all timber and gracefully remove him
self from North D.kotas Was it be
e.u.. he knew he had no right un'
der the law to BE turned loose and thai
i. would make il rather embarrassing
for his friend Hellstrom should some
on. make a complaint and have hin
returned to the pens
A friend Of the Fleet family. who ha'
Investigated the case. says: What II
flell.trom's position in this mattsr'
Va. he, as warden Of the penitentiaEy
above the law and above the rnlins
Of the state board Of pardons. consist
ing Of Lieutenant Governor Burd;ek
Chief Justice spauldins. Astorne,
General Miller and the two appointiv'
member. Of the pardon boards Rem
inston could not earn good time unit
after Dec. z. 1911. at which time hi
term was to be figured on thirty-ysa
basis, because prior to that he wa
serving a life sentence and no soos
time could be earned under the law
I. Hellstron guilty Of aiding and abet
ting Q convict to escapes
WAS it that. even with the state
wide protest upon the part Of the cit
;zen. against Reminston's pardon. ant
even granting that the action Of tn
pardon board in committing his sen
tence to thirty years was entirely r;sh
and proper. Hellstrom thought to pu
one over on the public knowing tha
few, Il any. would ever think to loo'
up the records and law with relation
TO this case and any good which nigh
.pply,"
The announcement they had exer
cised clemency to Remington esease'
. great furor over the state and cau'
ed indignation meetinss in some 10
ealitie.. Tho two lynchinss. the on
at Steele and the latter ono at Willie
ton, have been attributed BY many .
the direct cause Of the cominutatio
Of Reminston's sentence. because
the bIseality and d'prsmsdiation Of Rsm
.ingtol's crime.
To the credit Of Remington il
stated that during the twenty-tw
years he was prisoner at the stat
penitentia.y. there was not IN infrae
ton Of the rules Of the institution .
his part. He was . model prisoner ;
every respect and for the last to
yeevs was q tsusty and twice ha