Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-21
PEZZIMENTI CASE
CAUSES SPLIT
CONTINUED From First Pagel

CONTINUED From First Pagel
bers of the pardon board, which in
cludes Secretary of the Commonwealth
Woods and Secretary of Internal At
fairs Houck in addition to Mr.. Nc
Claim and Mr.. Brown, publicly an
nounced themselves to be at logger
heads
After reciting the reason for Pizzi-
menti's being in prison, Lieutenant
Governor McClain said:
Take Opposite Sides
His liberty had been placed in his
own hands, he knew of its conditions
and it was his own act that sent him
back to prison. /. for one, am in favor
of keeping him there"
At this point Attorney General
Brown rather heatedly broke in:
ITO make my position clear l want
to say right here that l think he should
be released"
Mr.. Woods nodded his approval to
one or the other in the quick firing
argument so rapidly that it was i'm
possible to determine which side of
the question he took. He refrained
from saying anything as did Mr..
Houck.
Warden McKenty, of the Peniten-
tiary. appeared before the board and
declared that Pizzimenti would have
been released on parole eight months
ago had it not been for a legal tech
nicality. The board of prison inspec-
tors, he said, was greatly in favor of
his release but could not effect it
under the law.
Wanted His Picture
When the strike began" said Mr..
McKenty. the Pennsylvania Railroad
80 60 o-lrA e..
menti's picture. This l refused to give
as he had not committed a crime while
on parole. l learned later that the
company wanted it to show to new po-
licemen."
From Attorney Carroll's view of the
case Pizzimenti was arrested for tres
passing on the railroad and interfering
with employees. He served four
months waiting for trial and six
months for trespassing This term
was enough to send him back to the
penitentiary as a violator of parole.
District Attorney Stroup opposed
the appeal on the ground that Pizzi-
menti had previously been granted
pardon. He reviewed the law which
makes it impossible for the prison
board to parole convict a second
time and asked that the board favor
an act of the Legislature to cover the
point rather than give Pizzimenti his
freedom.
Medical Ethics in Balance
Medical ethicsfi the board heard
earlier in the day, is the reason why
John Nelson is under sentence of
death in Wyoming county. The charge
was made before Governor Brum-
baugh and later before members of
the board that J. N. Sicl<ler, of Mill
City. died not from Nelson's stab
wounds, but from malpractice on the
part of the physicians who attended
him.
DIR. Charles E. Thompson, who
made the charge, refused to appear
before the board. II. s. Harding,
counsel for Nelson, declared that the
physician had already lost much fin
ancially because of making the infor-
nation and that he thought he had
already done his duty. Thompson's
charges were refuted by e. B. Farr,
district attorney. who tried the case.
Nelson's respite came from Cover
NOR Brumbaugh almost on the eve o
his electrocution when DR.. Thompson
| told Governor Brumbaugh and Attor.
| ney General Brown that the physician
who dressed Sickler's wounds had
done the job so badly that part of the
wounded mans intestines protruded
and that death resulted from their
drying against the bandages.
Would Not Testify
testifying to this point at the trial,
he said. Attorney Harding informed
the board this morning that Dr.
Thompson had told him that he did
not go into the courtroom with his
story because he had hopes that at
the last minute something else would
turn up that would keep Nelson from
conviction on the first degree charge
He hesitated and hesitated." said
Mr.. Harding, until at the last minute
he went to the Governor. 1t was a
matter of conscience with him."
Members of the board intimated
that they were doubtful as to the
truth of Thompson's story. Thomp-
sons failure to appear before the
board added to this, they said. The
question, according to Mr.. Browns
view, really is q controversy between
doctors. And when doctors dis
agree" said he, who is to decide?"
District Attorney Farr. intimated
that Thompson had some reason for
making the charge.
What is DR.. Thompson's reputa-