The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-01-26
Ex-BANl|T SEEKS
TO Be GOVERNOR
Al Jennings Tells Why He
Wants to Rule Oklahoma.
WOULD REFORM PRISONS.
Man Who Was a Train Robber SYM
pathizes With First Offenders-Ex-
plains Why He Quit Life of Crime
and Scores Respected Roeues Less
Crude Than He Was.

plains Why He Quit Life of Crime
and Scores Respected Roaues Less
Crude Than He Was.
Al j. Jennings, ex-train robber and
federal prisoner. who Won the Demo
cratic nomination for county attorney
OF Oklahoma county. Okla. in 1912, is /
about to announce his candidacy for
the governorship of the state of Okla I
homa
Il am entering the race" said Mr..
Jennings in New York recently. las q
Democrat. Many of my friends have
urged me to seek an independent nom
ination. but | have always been
Democrat. My object is to clean up
the party in Oklahoma. | intend to
fight double dealing. political thieves
with whom no self respecting outlaw
of former years can associate.
"All want is TO see absolutely hon
est men at the head of the government
and after | have announced my candi-
dacy if some man whose integrity and
uprightness are unquestioned becomes
port him with all of my ability
Why Jennings Reformed.
Some people do not seem to be able
to understand how an outlaw, an eY-
train robber and federal prisoner can
become sincerely law abiding and re
former in politics. but the explanation
is simple | made mistake and de
t.xl 81 ~ I
ished-kept five years in prison-and
then saw how | had been wrong to be
come an enemy Of society. / decided
/ TO reclaim my place in society and SET
about doing it. AS soon as | became a
free man. living in "A free community.
/ / began TO appreciate the differences
in lawbreaking and the consequences
thereof, ana that made me a political
refOrmer
Il had been train robher. Il crude,
open defer Of society, and I had been
caught and punished. | saw all about
me men who wore the best clothes and
stood high in society robbing the PEG
pie right and left and not getting
caught or being punished They We're
not as primitive as | had been in the
method they chose. They did things
in the dark and only appeared in the
open when they had on their Sunday
clothes. so to speak"
Mr.. Jennings says he will carry on
the same kind of aggressive personal
campaign for the gubernatoriai nom
ination as he carried on for the coun
~ attorneyship. He claims he has
no money behind him and will not be
able TO establish headquarters.
: Il will stump the state he said
land speak from the street corners
: and halls wherever | can
Mr.. Jennings said that if he is elect
ed governor he will make, il his Chief
object to enforce the law without re
. spect to persons. but that from lesson.
derived during his own prison expert
6 ence he vii! also apply btmse.t t. rris
on reform in Oklahoma.
Pledges AID to Frs. Offenders.
!, Il favor the adoption OF a reforma
tory parole system he said. by which
r first offenders can be given chanc
= to redeem themselves. | think that
young man who is convicted for tn
a first time should be allowed to sta
/. at home and work under the watchfu
eve Of the state instead of being locke
a. up in Il prison where, in all probability
Z, he Will he made "a confirmed crimina
I. There will be no wholesale release @
r prisoners if | become governor. but
t. will exercise the power of pardon an
70 parole with the view Of retaining fe
g society every man | can. As long /:
IN there is Il chance of making a goo
it. citizen of a man we should try to d
So"
y, !. Jennings was n train robber in Ol
5 lahoma and the southwest for sewers
y years before his final capture in ~.
: and subsequent conviction in n FEEDER
:. court. He served Il few wears in ii
Il prison at Columbus. O.. before beir
10 pardoned by President Mckinley. FL
:, citizenship was later restored by Pre-
- ident Roosevelt, and he began the pra
nd tice of law in Oklahoma City. In 10
Us he ran for the Democratic nominate
le as county attorney of Oklahoma cou
Il ty against six other candidates. II
fore the primaries five of the cane
ID dates withdrew 70 concentrate the vo
. against him. but in spite of this he o
no tanned the nomination. At the gener
- election he was defeated by Il narro
margin by Republican who was su
w. ported by both the Republican a
,. Democratic organizations.
ne. ~
- Daniels lauds Naval Heroes.
nd The secretary of the navy has hig