The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-10-05
HAS BEEN MODEL IN PRISON
Letters From Many People Including
Kenoshans Urge Minister Be Releas-
ed at End of Half of His Three-Year
Term-Going Back to the Farm.

Inc Rev. James M0ff1S0n' Darnell,
former pastor of the Henry M. Simmons
church in this city, who is serving a
term Of three years at the federal
prison at Ft. Leavenworth following
conviction on 'white slavery" charges
appeared before the Federal Parole
Board at Leavenwoth, Kansas, on
Thursday afternoon and made per-
sonal appeal for a chance to start life
over again. Darnell urged his former
record and his prison record as his
claim for clemency. He presented
many letters to the board and among
them were letters from prison officials
who declared that Darnell had at all
times been model prisoner.
It is declared that the parole will
probably be granted and that Darnell
will be released, probably within
month. The former Kenosha minister
has served almost year and half in
the prison and he will be eligible to
parole at the end of eighteen months
service. Guy d. Golf, who was United
States district attorney at the time
Darnell was convicted in the United
States Court in Milwaukee, has taken
no steps to oppose the minister being
released from prison. Mr.. Golf declar-
ed several days ago that he had not
taken any interest in the Darnell case
since the minister had been sentenced.
In his plea to the parole board Oar
nell announced that he would start life
all over again if he could be released
from prison. His father, Milton OAR
nell, has never stopped for minute in
his efforts to secure the release Of his
son from prison and it is declared that
If Darne1 is released he will 90 back
to the old home in Illinois and aid in
the support of his father and mother
who are now well along in years.
1t is supposed that Ruth Soper, the
Minnesota girl, who lived with Darnell
IN Kenosha during his pastorate at the
Kenosha church, will join him after his
release from prison. She has cores
pended with him almost constantly
since he went to prison and she has
been living quietly at the home of her
father at Owatonna. Little HsJimmie''
Darnell now nearly three years of age,
has remained with the mother. IF
Darnell is released from prison he will
have no tangling alliances to look af-
ter as the courts of Illinois have freed
him from both of the other women who
had claims on him as "wife.o Some
time ago in the Circuit Court of Du-
Page county, divorce was granted to
Ethel Sturgeon Darnell, who alleged
in her complaint that the minister was
guilty Of statutory offenses. This
young women is now employed in an
Illinois city and she has declared that
she has forgotten all about her rather
sordid life with the minister. Doris
Vaughn Darnell, the young Chicago
woman who Dafnell married shortly af-
ter he accepted the call to the Kenosha
church and who never lived with him
as wife, was divorced from him be-
fore he was tried in the United States
Court. She was given the right to re
Suul0 ucT u1dI0eu udlu0 ana as LOFTS
Vaughn she has been living with her
mother in Chicago.
1t is said that several Kenosha peo-
pie who were friendly to Darnell, have
written letters urging the Federal Pa
role Board to give him another chance.
The trustees Of the Henry M. Simmons
church here have taken no action in
the matter, but appeals have been made
to them to aid in securing the release
of the minister. The trustees have
taken the stand that they are not in
terested in the case in any way and
that as they had nothing to do with
the prosecution of Darnen there is no
reason that they should interest them
selves in securing his release.
No regular minister has been employ
ed by the congregation since the early
morning fight of Darnell from Keno
sha. It is not expected that Darnen
would return to this city in case favor
able action is taken on his parole by
the federal board.