The Alaska citizen., 1916-03-27
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

II WllCn IlllS SeuleuCe "dS paoo1I upon four prisoners who had been adjudged guilty either by a jury of their peers or pleas of guilty by the accused Il enselven
 This article Is intended to deal with only two of the sequences i7 an attempt to show the Inequality of them.
 The first case was that of an Indian boy who pleaded guilty tC the statutory crime of rape upor the person of q young girl under the age of consent, for which he was given ten years In the penr tentiary.
 This Indian boy committed th' offense upon the person of & native girl. Less than year ago another indian was sentenced to the same institution for the same crime upon the same person.
 The tribal laws are much more lax in these matters than are the laws of the white race and they do not look at the matter in the light of q crime. They confine their atten tion wholly to their own race, and do not consider they are committing SO heInous ] crime as the white man would have 1t.
 hos nf a man who has lived in the communi ty for a number of years and has had the respect of majority ot the people of the community. H. is man of more or less education and supposed refinement and know the laws of the country as well as or better than. the ordinary man of affairs. He has held responsible positions ever since he came to the country The man in question is Harry Badger
 The crime for which MT Badger pleaded guilty was far more eerieus than that of the case of the In dian. though the laws of the terri tory are very lax and the punish ment very inadequate. The as sault on small girls-the mothers of later years-is repulsive to ev cry man with red blood In his veins and 1t Is the opinion of the majori ty of the community that imprison ment for siI months in the federal jail or a fine of $500. or both fine and imprisonment, Is the least pun ishment that should be meted out to such an offender.
 There were three such charges against MT Badger. and had he been given the extreme penalty he would have received eighteen months and $500. Instead of the extreme penalty, however, he was sentenced on the first count to pay fine ol $25O, on the eecond count to fine of $500 and on the third count to imprisonment in the federal jail foI a period of six months.
 In the light of things was not the sentence of the Indian boy toe much and that of Mr Badger toe little?
 In imposing sentence upon MT Badger, Judge Bunnell stated that a number of influential citizens had seen him and interceded for MT Badger on account of his former good reputation. His attorney. Leroy Tozier. made an impassioned plea for his client. and stated that t was a disease with MT. Badger which no amount of imprisonment or punishment would remedy, but that it would have to be met by science. and the prosecuting attor. ney was willing to accept :ke sane theory. stating at the time that MT. Badger was personal friend of his. and left the matter of ar irving at 6 suitable sentence en. tirely in the hands of the judge.
 The Indian boy, because he did not have influential friends to in- tercede for hlm and no paid attor. ney to present a plea for leniency to the court. was sentenced to Nc Neil's Island for ten long years for doing that which his race does not consider particularly out of the way. while MI, Badger. who is thor. oughly familiar with the laws of the land and knows the enormity of his crime. is sentenced to six months in tho federal jail and fined In the sum of $750, which fine was immediately raid.
 The people of the community cannot help tut marvel at the inc. quality of tho sentences, and justly
 ALL Erwin wants these days is ah excuse. The liouor habit is growing