Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-13
In reply; shanldns me for giving her

L d. .
In reply. thanking me for giving her
the information Il did. !,
Since the passage of the fiery resolu.
ito nof last Sunday evening. l have re-
| ceived an anonymous letter containing
a threat to lynch me- If the writer be-
lieved what Ia set out In the resolution
he had perhaps some slight excuse Tor
writing the letter, but none for his
lack Of courage In failing TO attach hs
| signature thereto.
Now. as to my humanity and fend-
ishness toward young men. A young
man, We VIII say, has stolen s25. I'm
| der the law, am compelled TO give him
the maximum sentcnce-iiye years In
the penitontiary. The. commutation
and mercy must come from the board
OF parole, but the fact still remains
that while, IL could have had my way
| would not have sent him to the peni-
Tertiary for more than three or posi-
bly, six months. Still i am compelled
to send him for Ave years, and then
am TO be called ruthless and inhuman,
| having no regard to a mothers tears
or fathers prayer or a sisters cry
Some years ago, law was passed
allowing the judge to parole for the
first offense persons between the ages
of 16 and rs years during their good
behavior. and to place them under
guardian who should report their con-
duct monthly to the court. ] have
paroled many very many, young men
under this law. AT the last term OF
court in Eidora, paroled two younS
men, aged, respectively, 10 and 90. The
mother of one lives in Nebraska, the
mother of the other in Michigan.
gave them fatherly. advice. and. when
dismissinS them. called them TO the
desk, shook them by the hand, and
gave them my best wishes. A man
who had been in the court room and
saw what had done and heard what
had said remarked: Il like that
judge. he has heart in him" I have
seen many men charged with crime
who were more than - years old
whom ] thought ought to he paroled.
Conceiving the idea of having the %.
year age limit removed from the stat
ute, mentioned the matter to my good
friend. Senator Chase, OF Webster
City. who was then q member of the
legislature, and he took up the matter
and the law was passed. think. thru
his instrumentalitY., Shortly there
afer Robert Healy had a client more
than % years old. who had pleaded
guilty to the crime of grand larceny,
and instead Of sending him to the peni
Tertiary for FIVE years, 7 parOled him
under the law which think / was in
strumentai in having passed, and
placed him under the guardianship Of
Mr.. Healy, and, the man having con-
Quoted himself properly, I afterward
wrote a letter to the hoard Of parole,
asking them to inteTcede with the gov
ernor. and have the. man pardOncd and
he was pardoned shortly thereafter.
In all candOr, ] ask, was this "inhu-
man?
Now as TO the charge that 'he
(meaning myselfJ personally was al
ways delighted in sending to reform
schools young men who lightly tres
passed upon the strict letter Of the
law" I have never made a practice Of
sending them to the reform schools
for the first offense committed, but
have given them chance to better
their conduct, and have called them to
my desk, giving them fatherly advice.
taken them by the hand, and asked
them to promise that they would never
have to be brought before me again;
and have told them that II they were
\ should send them to Eldora. told
them this to deter them from commit
ting a second offense. When they
broke over, and did commit second
offense. was compelled either to send
them TO Eldona or make the law
farce. Now, the records Of Webster
county show what hays. done with re-
spect to these. boys, and when they
we're brought before me second time
was compelled 70 send them to FL
dora. Instead Of being delighted, it
has been, and say it ID all sincerity,
one of the greatest sorrows that have
ever experienced while on the bench.
When at Eldora holding court, I
walked all the way out to the school
to see my boys, as I call them. to talk
with them. and to shake hands with
them and wish them well. I have gone
so far in some instances as to write
letters to their mothers.
Now, In view of the facts as above
stated, was it not wicked thing to say
that 'The delights in sending to reform
| schools young men" etc? For what
purpose was this statement made in
! the resolution? Was It for the pur-
pose OF prejudcing the public against
me, and causing the newspapers Of
! the state to say but all agree in stat
| ing that the judge has been unforgiv-
| ing in his sentences Of young men,"
Was it for the purpose Of making "the
nrecer+ cnSn stand ont c+ropuer than il