The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-12-03
FORMER LEWISTON LAWYER
TO PEN FOR THREE YEARS

A career of crime covering a number
of years and many states was brought
| to an abrupt end here today when Judge
| Dietrich of the federal court sentenced
James F. Wall to serve three years in
the federal prison at McNeips Island
upon his plea of guilty to charge of
using the mails to defraud. There are
many charges against Wall, according to
the testimony of John R. Fullenwider,
postoffice Inspector, with headquarters
at Spokane, who told of alleged crimes
that Wall is charged with having COM
mitted ranging from ST. Paul to Spo-
kane. Toppenish, Los Angeles and
Phoenix, Arizona. He was arrested at
Cincinnati and brought to Boise, where
he is alleged to have planned jail break
which was frustrated.
The particular crime for which Wall
was sentenced today was defrauding the
Pot1atch Lumber company out of $4,000
for an alleged forged deed to 100 acres
of land near Bovill, in this county. He
was indicted by the grand jury and upon
the advice of his counsel, l. N. Smith,
of Wallace, expressed desire to plead
guilty, accept sentence and begin serving
his term.
The land sold by Wall to the PotlatcI
Lumber company was taken as home
stead by Mrs. E1vira B. Carl, now of
Spokane, about ID years ago. She made
final proof number of years ago and
has been living in Spokane for the past
10 years. She and Wall were born and
reared in the same town, Glenwood City,
Wisconsin. She was county school sup
erintendent there and issued Wall his
first certificate to teach school, The evi
dence shows that Wall was a graduate
of the University of WISCONSIN, had
been admitted to practice law and had
law office in Lewiston for several years
and later worked in an abstract office
in Spokane He is alleged to have used
a number of aliases and to have had five
different notarial seals which were used
in completing the abstract and the forged
deed to the land. The evidence was
gathered by John R. Fullenwider, post
office inspector of Spokane, who travelled
long distances following the trail and
Mr. Fullenwider told an interesting story
of Walla's operations.
When Wall had pleaded guilty Judge
Dietrich asked Mr. Fu1linwider to take
the witness stand and tell of the crime
for which Wall had been indicted. He
did so, detailing the efforts of Wall to
sell the land to the Potlatch Lumber
company by writing letters using Mrs.
Carps name, and how he had written
from Spokane, Toppenish, Los Angeles
and Phoenix, Arizona, where he had
been interested in an abstract business.
Judge Dietrich asked if, in tracing this
crime Mr.. Ful1inwider had found any
other crimes that Wall had committed
and the witness stated that he is wanted
at St. Paul, where the postoffice inspect
ors had clear case against him.
The defendant had nothing to say, but
his attorney, l. NJ Smith, of Moscow,
who had known him intimately at Lew
iston, reviewed the case and paid high |
tribute to Mr.. Fullinwider, who he said
had given a correct account of the case |
He said that after he had talked with |
Fullinwider he had advised his client to |
plead guilty and had refused to make a |
fight He said the defendant had lost a |
brother by death within the past three
weeks and nephew had been killed in
battle at Argonne forest in France. He
pictured the defendants mother, and his
wife and asked the court to deal as leni-
emily as possible with his client and pre-
dicted that he would reform when his
term expired and "yet make a man of
himself, for he has the ability"
Judge Dietrich said he could find no
extenuating circumstances for man of
the ability and intelligence and opporr-
tunity of the defendant to deliberately
plan and execute crime which required
more than two years TO accomplish and
pointed out that he had tried to rob
woman who had. been his friend. He
then sentenced Wall to three years at
McNeil's Island penitentiary The court
said he would not hold against the de-
fendant his attempted jail break at Boise
of which the court had cognizance and
he admonished the defendant, for the
sake of his mother, wife and other rela-
tives to lead straight life when he
serves his term.