The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-01-15

to term of life Imprisonment in the
North Dakota penitentiary Dec. %,
1891, an escaped convict? Here are the
facts, shown by the record in the case:
Remington was sentenced in 1891 to
life Imprisonment. Dec. 2. 1911, the
state board of pardons at It's regular
meeting, committed his sentence to a
term of thirty years, contingent upon
good conduct for the ensuing time"
Remington was discharged Nov. II,
1912, by ex-Warden F. o. Helstrom.
Figuring on a thirty year sentence,
his time would expire Dec. %, 1921.
Under the North Dakota law Every
person committed to the state peni-
Tertiary under sentence OTHER
THAN FOR LIFE, who shall have no
infraction of the rules and regulations
of the prison or laws of the state
recorded against him, shall be entitled
to a deduction from the term of SEN
tence for each year, etc." (see Sec
ton 1886, R. c. 1905). How then
could Warden Hellstrom, under the
law and in conformity with the action
of the pardon board, committing his
sentence to thirty years, turn him
loose Nov. %, 1912?
Below is Hellstrom's only authority
for the release of Remington:
Dec. 10, 1911-To the Warden of the
State Penitentiary: l beg to inform
you that at the regular meeting of
the state board of pardons, which con-
vened in the executive Office on Dec.
2, 1911, the sentence of Joseph E..
Remington, convicted in Cass county
of the crime of murder in the nrst de-
gree, and sentenced to life Imprison-
ment in the state penitentiary, was
committed to thirty years, contingent
upon the good conduct of the prison.
err for the ensuing time.
(Signed) P. E. Byrne,
Clerk, Board of Pardons
Why did Remington, Immediately
upon leaving the penitentiary, take to
the tall timber and gracefully remove
himself from North Dakota? Was it
because he knew he had no right un-
der the law to be turned loose and
that it would make it rather embar-
RAISING for his friend Hellstrom should
someone make complaint and have
him returned to the pen?
A friend of the Flett family, who has
investigated the case, says: What is
Hellstrom's position in this matter?
Was he, as warden of the penitentiary,
above the law and above the rulings
of the state board Of pardons, con-
sisting of Lieutenant Governor Bur-
dick, Chief Justice Spalding, Attor'
ney General Miller and the two ap.
pointive members Of the pardon
board? Remington could not earn
good time until after Dec. 2, 1911, a.
which time his term was to be figur-
ed on a thirty-year basis, because
prior to that he was serving a life
sentence and no good time could be
earned under the law. Is Hellstrom
guilty of aiding and abetting a con-
vict to escape?
"Was it that, even with the state
wide protest upon the part of the
citizens against Remington's pardon
and even granting that the action of
the pardon board in committing his
sentence to thirty years was entirely
right and proper, Hellstrom thought
to put one over on the public, knowing
that few, if any, would ever think to
look up the records and law with re-
lation to this case and any good time
which might apply?'
The announcement they had ex.
ercised clemency to Remington Great
ed great furore over the state and
caused indignation meetings in some
localities. The two lynchings, the one
at Steele and the later one at Willis
ton, have been attributed by many as
the direct cause of the communication
Of Remington's sentence, because of
the brutality and premediation of
crime.
To the credit Of Remington, it is
stated that during the twenty.one
years he was a prisoner at the state
penitentiary, there was not an infrac-
ton of the rules Of the institution on
his part. He was a model prisoner in
every respect and for the last few
years was trusty and twice had
charge Of the pen exhibits and the
industrial show at Bismarck.
He killed Elevator Agent Flett at
Arthur, this county. Remington had
been employed around Casselton and