Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-03
FAIR PLAY DUE
FROM STATE
PRISONER CASE
john L. Whitman Thresiles Out with
Mayor Situation Created by
Paroled Hen.
REPRESENTS THE GOVERNOR
Promises Prompt Action in Reno
val of IS Per Cent Of Those
Now In Twin Cities.

I'll concerned In the situation
brought about by the presence of
paroled prisoners in this commun-
5ty are promised absolutely fair
treatment as the result OF an agree
5Dcut reached between Mayor Mil
Liam McConochie and John L. Whit
nan, Illinois superintendent of
prisons, at a three-hour session
yesterday afternoon at the city hasI
a provision OF the agreement on
the part Of Mr.. Whitman Is that IS
per cent Of the paroled prisoners
rem aiming IN this community are
- be removed rapidly and that
when this percentage has been re-
moved Mayor McConochte will be
notified 10 this effect.
Those to be removed first will be
men who are found to be slipping"
Gud in this connection the superin-
tendsnt OF prisons stated that such
1eHiarsy as has been shown by
parole cnlcars IN turning men loose
after they have been taken into
custody by the police and shown to
1s9r9 violated the terms of their
parole, will not be tolerated in the
future.
Worthy Not PenalfZed.
On the other hand, men who have
abided strictly by the regulations
Of their parole are not to be penal
ised under the agreement, but, on
the contrary, men who have worked
steadily and otherwise conducted
ITEMS elves according to the stand
ards Of law-abidiug citizens, are to
be rewarded by being transferred to
other parts Of the state and in some |
cases to communities where they
formerly lived, and positions will
be obtained for them.
Mr.. Whitman came at the instance |
Of Governor Frank 0. LoWden, to |
whom the Rock Island mayor for
warded a telegram Tuesday after /
noon, demanding that some action /!
be taken to remove the paroled !
prisoners before public sentiment, I
aroused by depradations culmiEat- !
ing in the murder Of Sheriff Jake +.
Wigers, produce a fermentation of !
mob spirit.
When pressed for an exact state !
m2ut as to a definite date when re- !
noTaI Of prisoners would be made, /
A1r Whitman said:
Il do not want to make a pledge /
that I cannot keep. [ do not want /
to be aTraigned for a pledge that I .
ind that I have been unable to /
carry out, but l will say that when |
get to Springfield I will be press |
ed harder than I am here for a /
fixed time for action. as the desire /
there is to ameIiorate This situation |
at once"
Were Needed Here.
He said that during the war, t
when the need of labor was imper-
etire, employers Of this vicinity had
sent representative asking for par !
oiled prisoners to work here, and |
that the situation was so acute that I
controversies among such represen-
tatfyes actually took place as to /
the distribution among plants de-
string to obtain paroled prisoner
labor
This was given as the reason
why such large numbers of prison
ers were sent here, and the present
labor need was still evidently in the
mind of the superintendent of pris-
ems, who said he understood that
much important work is still in
progress in this community, some
portions Of which can we'll be done
BY the DaroIed prisoners.
Many Being Discharged.
In answer to this, Mayor McCon-
ACHE stated that over d thousand
men have found it necessary to
leave their positions at the arsenal,
and that in addition to this it is
fer aseen that more than that num-
Der viii be affected by the closing
Of the harness shop and other de-
paTtments, plans for which are now
under way. The mayor felt that
there viii be no labor shortage in
this community from now on and
that paroled prisoner labor is not
needed.
answering a question put by Mr..
Whitman whether or not the mayor
would be opposed TO the remaining
in this city Of parOled prisoners
who have brought their families
here and who are living upright
lives, Mayor McConochie answered:
4 would be as slow as anyone
to deal unjustly with such men and
would forcibly demonstrate against
any persecution of such men. l
realize that, as you have said, this
community must watch over its
fair proportion of prisoners releas-
ed under the parole law, which is !
substantially based on the number
sent from the county to the penal
Institutions i
Mr. Whitman added that this COM
munity's share would be slightly in :
creased because of the large manu- ]
featuring interests, which can bet !
ter use this class Of labor and can
absorb more than can be done in
some other communities.
Regarding the total number of
paroled men sent here, it was said
that one-third OF them have already
been removed, and in addition to i
this rs per cent Of the remainder
viii be taken away under the agree
ment, which will leave probably
leo of them in this community, or