The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-19

protection of the community and pub
lie: that believed in longer sentences,
which would have good effect in
the community to deter others from
com uniting similar crimes; and that /
then believed in parole: in other
words, the board, who has made a
careful study CT each convict. felt that
IL q prisoner had changed. or that his
conduct justified a parole, he should
be given chance; and that that had
been the policy of the board as far
as the law gave them the power to
do SO. believe, however. that the
power of the board should be widen
ed for the exercise of their official dis
cretion in these cases.
II explained fully my reason for
saying l believed in parole as above
pardon, and illustrated in this way:
For instance, man Is sent TO the
penitentiary fer eight years In case
the man was pardoned in three years
the authorities would have no control
over that man, there Is no power given
to see that he is thrown under the
best influences possible: while. under
parole, the man Is paroled to a re-
sponsiblo citizen, who reports as to his
conduct and exercises a restraining in
fuence over him; and IL he violates
the terms of his parole. or does not
In every way conform to the laws of
the State. he realizes that he must re-
turn to the pen1tertiary. This Is a
great deteHrent.
THE second reason that made me
recommend the passage OF this bill
was that we find some turies will give
q verdict, say for the crime o. FIR
gerry, seven or eight years, while an
other jury will give a lesser term for
a greater Offer se We have several in
stances, in cases of thefts of large
amounts, on account OF the promin-
enee OF the people they are given email
terms; TN other cases, where the men
have no friends and are largely the
victims OF circumstances, they are
given practically the maximum term.
Are Close TO Prisoners
1.-THE board of directors Of the peni-
tertiary are in close and constant
touch with the prisoners. and know
their merits and dement's. Under
these conditions. I believe the parole
system has more to do with reforming
prisoners who can he reformed than
any other system which can be in
stalled: and, believing this. I ad-
vocaked the passage of this bill before
the committees of both houses. After
a full hearing b. the cornntittee on
asylums and prisons OF the house. as
we'll AZ the general laws comm ittee
for the assembly, they unanimously. /
believe reported this bill with the
recommendation that IL pass
While this bill was UP, some mem
Der Of the house suggested to the
patron OF the bill that the bill was An
troduced for the sole purpose of re-
leasing the Aliens. ! stated that such
was not the case. and that that could
easily be remedied so that the Aliens
would not be affected in any way:
that this bin was not suggested for
that purpose: and had the writer of
the article. or the friends who the
article states have asked the governor
TO veto this hill. read the bill as re-
ported by the committee and as passed
by nhe senate and the house, they
could easily have seen that the Aliens
could not In any way DO affected.
The records OF the penate ntaary In
connection with the Aliens arc as fol-
lows:
Floyd Anen-conv4cted Of murder
IN the flrst degree: electrocuted March
%. 1919
Claude Allen-Convicted in two
counts. frst count murder in second
degree; fifteen years IN the pend
Tertiary. Second count, murder in
first degree; eiectrocuted March %,
1918.
''Ssdna Ailen--Conwcted in three
counts on second degree murder: first
count, fifteen years in peritenttary;
second count. 1--WE years in persiten-
tlary. and third count. fifteen years in
penteNtary; total thirty five years.
Frdel Ailen-Convfcted OF second
degree murder; eighteen years in peni-
tertiary.
Sidna Edwards--Con OF muir
der IN the second degree; fifteen years
in penttentiary.
Wesley acknowledgements OF
murder In the. second degree in two
counts first count. eighteen wears.
second count min years; total, TWEEN
ty-seven years
AS stated. it can readily be seen
that the bill passed could not in any
way affect the Aliens and shows con.
clusively that the friends of the Aliens
had nothing whatever TO do with the
passage OF this BILL"