South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-16
SNOW RELEASED,
Gets CHANCE TO
ESCAPE PRISON
Officers Drop Parole Violation
Charge-MOtherS of Boys in
Fink Plot Blame Bad Com
pany for Sons Downfall.


Michigan av., FEB. =, has been re- /
leased OF the suspicion OF being the I
man who committed the hOld-up, and I
officials viii give him another chance /
10 rake good before sending him back i
70 the TefOrmatOTy at JeiferSOnVille.
Since the capture Of Floyd Fifec /
and Joseph Smith and the confession !
Of the former. even though Mr. Fink 4
asserted snow has the identical cOun- /
tenance OF the man who committed /
the shooting. snow was released. He !
was arrested in saloon and, IL is /
alleged had been drinking These /
acts, according 10 Chief Kuespert. JUS |
tfy officials in sending him back 10 I
prison. However. he was allowed his |
liberty on his promise TO do better
Following the operation at EpwOrth !
hospital Saturday, in which one OF the |
bullets was removed Mr. Fink's con
dition has beea rapidly improving.
Until Tuesday evening, when their
sons were arrested Mrs. F'ifer and !
Mrs. Smith We're strangers. but the |
bond OF common tragedy brought them |
together.
Floyd has confessed and MRS. Fifer
IS glad he has relieved his mind and |
heart OF the crime. Joe Smith main /
tains an obstinate silence. bat his !
mother says she knows he is impli |
Gated in the crime and wants him 10
confess and take his share of the !
punishment she feels he deserves. IF
they would only let me talk TO him, |
I'M sure he would tell me-" she says. |
"But as long as the officers try to |
get him TO tell, he'll never say word.
Would BE Lesson.
After a long talk. both mothers
agreed that their sons are probably |
equally guilty and should be pun |
ished. 1T viii be a lesson they VIII |
never forget" is the comment of both /
women. When "a boy gets into tTOu /
ble as serious as a hOldup, it's time
ne should be punished says Smiths /
father in reference TO his sons ar
rest.
At the time Of his arrest. Firer was
living with his mother and brothers. J
Smith was also living with his pa !
rents. Fifer's father deserted his |
family some years ago. the children !
have been brought up by the mother |
until two years ago.
Just when ne needed me most"
says Mrs. Fifer. ia speaking of Floyd. /
he went 10 Warsaw TO visit his IA /
Their. lie was out of work and we !
were a little pressed for money. His /
brother told him he would pay his way !
10 Warsaw, where he could visit his !
father. until he could get employment !
there.
Days grew into weeks and weeks |
into months. work was scarce and he |
stayed OH with his father in Warsaw I
Tor the space OF two years. This |
was when Floyd was / g. Mrs. Fifer /
said her husband had been in trouble I
before he married her but not since. |
Unless YOU would call deserving his I
family trouble was her comment. II !
hope they won't send for his father |
she continued he wouldn't help him |
out and wouldn't think anything of !
this" IL was while he was i'm Warsaw !
he learned whatever he may know |
about "A gun
Always a Good Boy.
a q "A
20 me. He never was in trouble be- |
fore. never had an enemy, never had |
a quarrel with anyone. He wouldn't |
hurt anyone. not even a caI. II II
could only see the man he shot, and |
tell him." sobbed the heart-brOken |
mother.
"He was always a good boy, but cas-
ily influenced by anyone. either good |
or bad" continued Mrs. Fifer. and /
We constantly had To warn him against |
bad COMPANY
Joe was also kind boy to his
mother about the house, Mrs. Smith !
maintains Town is very different /
from what 1t seemed 20 us a little over
"A year ago when we lived in the cOun- /
try "a few miles ont and brought our |
butter ard eggs 20 town on Saturdays
= the opinion of James smith Joe's
father.
Joe was never i'm any trouble before !
the family moved into town. Then |
the boys he met in the west end made !
fun OF him and his country ways and !
Joe resented their slurring remarks. /
These remarks gave rise TO blows and !
having defended himself successfully /
against the best fighters in that end /
of town. the young man found him !
self something or a hero, with a repu |
tation which the gloves made That
Joe never picked "a quarrel is the
testimony OF his brother. who was
present at the beginning of the quar-
rel with Mike Jakcy. which is the
cause o. Smith being under suspicion
by the police. That Joe always de-
Tended himself. was the equally strong
assertion OF his older brother.
Bad Company Blamed.
When Mrs Fifer. i'm her home at
e27 $. Jackson ST.. talked about her
hoy and the incidents surrounding the |
crime 20 which he has confessed. she. !
like Mrs. Smith. dwelt On the influence
OF bad company, which both mothers
feel Co be the cause of their sons
character at least stronger than her
son. is the opinion of Mrs. Fifer. He
was a fighter and ] dread Floyd's
having anything 10 do with him. The
night the CRIME was committed. Joe
came after Floyd 20 go 10 church.
Good bye. boys. be good. 30 was Mrs.
F'ifer's parting injunction. i VIII.
mother called Floyd, as he closed the
door.
Since both bows have been out of
work. Joe has often been at the Fifer
home. After the shooting took place,
Mrs Fifer noticed her son being un-
usually moody. she urged him To go
out for walk occasionally instead OF
sitting in the house all day. On sew
eral occasions she SAYS she urged both
BOYS 20 go out and continue their
search for work, but they always
made dishearteEed replies 20 her sug-
gestions Don't 60 with Joe smith.
Mrs. Fifer was heard 20 say 20 her
son. but he always replied that ne
was afraid not to go with him and
repeatedly showed that he was afraid
OF not doing whatever Smith wanted
him 20 do.
The night the officers arrested him.
Floyd showed no emotion. To was
about midnight when they came to