Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-13
UNDER ATTACK BY HIS
TOWN sMEN ANSWERS cRlTl-
cISM OF OFFICIAL ACTION,
NOT MORE SEVERE THAN
THE LAW coMPELS
Judge Says Sentences Of Men and
Boys Brought Before Him Have Been
in Accordance With Statutes and He
Has Not Been Severe in Dealing
With Sons Of Other Fathers.

Fort Dodge, Oct. 1S.-The following
communication is received from Judge
r. NJ. Wright for publication:
Fort Dodge, oct. IL, 1919. To the
public: / have never made II pfac-
tice to notice things that are sale
against me, but there is one thing con-
tanned in the resolution passed on last
Sunday evening with respect to whiCf
the public should know the truth III
said resolution, II is said, among other
things:
He (meaning Judge WrighD per
sonally was always delighted in send
ing to the reform schools young mon
who lightly trespassed upon the strict
letter Of the law. Older boys and men
before his bar. encountered a ruthless
ness that was inhuman. In his court q
mothers tears, a fathers prayer, sis
ter's cry. a lawyers plea, fell upon
stone Terrible. memorable, rernorselcSs
was the judge when another mans son
was in the dock.
This resolution has been copied into
all the leading newspapers of the state.
and the Dies Moines Capital says in the
issue Of Oct. 3. 1919, influenced no
doubt by this resolution:
1T is related that not long ago Judge
Wright sentenced a young man to the
penitentiary for ten years for stealing
chickens. This may or may not be
true. but all agree in stating that the
Judge has been unforgiving in his SEN
fences of you lg men. This the en-
pgiE,
case stand out stronger than it would
otherwise"
Now. the highest sentence that can
be given a chicken thief is two years in
the penitentiary, and under our parole
system, the judge is compelled to give
the maximum sentence, and II is tor
the board of parole TO reduce II. The
judges hands are tied. Only a FEY
years ago, | sentenced a man to ten
years in the penitentiary for uttering
a forged check. He had forged the
check for s34 in order TO get the money,
just before Christmas time, so that he
could visit a sick sister in Nebraska. A
newspaper published this. and. OF
course, never mentioned the parole law
OF the state. After passing sentence
for ten years which, under the law, !
was compelled to do, / wrote the board
of parole, and pleaded for mercy. Had
the matter been in my hands, his sem
tence would not have exceeded from
three to six months. Shortly after
pronouncing judgment, received let
ter from a man in Minneapolis, another
from a man in Chicago. and another
from a lady in Grinnell, Iowa, and still
another from lady in Nebraska, tell
ing me that they had read in the news
papers that l had sentenced man &c
ten years imprisonment for forging 6
check for s34 In order to raise money
with which to visit a sick sister. The
Minneapolis man said that I was 9
brute, a monster in human form, anc
ought to be kicked out Of the position
I dishonored The Chicago man SAID
that such judges as I ought to be
strung up by the neck until they were
dead. and he would like to do it. The
lady residing in Grinnell said that
was cruel, and had done what sht
would not have done to her bitteres
enemy. and asked me how I could hope
to have heavens forgiveness. I pait
no attention to the letters from thu
men, but wrote the lady at Grinnel
a letter explaining the functions Of thu
board Of parole. She sent me iettcI