South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-19
SOUTH BEND MAN
Is FREED FROM
FEDERAL PRISON
Appeal TO War Department
Causes Authorities
to Act.


Former Sergt. Peter S. Kaminski.
Of South Bend. sentenced 20 life
imprisonment at TT Leavenworth.
Kas. on a charge or murder by an
army court martial. sitting at
Ehrang. Germany. in February,
1919. and whose sentence was COM
muted 20 Is years imprisonment
last September after an appeal had
been made 10 the war department
by State Sen. Charles a. Hagerty on
behalf OF the young mans relatives
here, has been released from the
federal prison and is now on his
way here, a free man
This information IS contained in
telegram from the former SER
geant received Friday by his sister,
Miss Anna Kaminski, 1149 w.
Thomas ST. saying that he is on his
way home, and in a letter received
Friday by Sen. Hagerty from the
board OF parole OF the Fl. Leaven-
worth penitentiary.
ParOlcd TO Hagerty.
The former army sergeant rs
paroled 10 Sen. Hagerty. he is eN-
pected 70 arrive in South Bend the
first Of the week.
Letters from the former sergeant
to his sister here. telling of mis-
treatment received at the hands OF
army officers prior and during the
court martial caused the young
mans relatives here 10 seek the
advice of an attorney Sen. Hagerty
was retained. and he Immediately
ent 20 Washington where he placed
the case before the war department.
Appeal TO Washington.
The appeal to Washington was
made in the summer of 1919. In
September OF the same year Sen.
Hagerty received notice from the
war department that Sergt kamin-
skis sentence to life imprisonment
rad been Commuted 20 8 years con-
flnement at 1T. LeavenwOrth.
The war department also notified
Sen. Hagerty that a sweeping yin
quiry would be conducted by the
department into the conduct of the
court martial held at Ehrang, Ger
many. in February Of the same
year. The parole Of Sergt- Kamin-
ski is the result of the war depart
menLS inquiry.
Tried For Murder.
Sergt. Kaminski was tried along
with four others for the murder OF
Albert r. Carmichael at Trier, Ger
many. The men pleaded not guilty
and at the end of the court martial
AL save one were sentenced to life
imprisonment at Fort Leavenworth
The fourth defendant was sentenced
10 10 years Imprisonment at hard
labor. the court martial hnding that
he was less guilty than the three
others including Sergt. kaminski-
Miss kaminski received the FIRST
letter from her brother In April
following the court martial. lie
was then at 1T LeavenwOrth. I'm
the first letter the former sergeant
insisted that he was innocent OF the
crime for which ne was being pun
ished. He wrote that all he knew
about the murder was that one of
the men with him had a revolver
and that he killed a man.
Tells of Mistreatmcnt.
In a letter written by Sergt kam-
inslxi July s, 1919, he wrote his sis
ter that he had been mistreated by
the army officers at Ehrang, going
into the details Of the mistreatment.
other letters were received by Miss
kaminsld from her brother.
The letters from the former ser
geaut 10 his sister We're placed in
the hands OF the war department by
Sen. Hagerty. An immediate investi-
cation into the conduct Of the court
martial at EhTang was conducted
with the result that the life sentence
was commuted. The inquiry OF the
war department was continued at
the insistence OF Sen. Hagerty, and
Friday ne received the notice that
the application for the parole or the
former sergeant had been granted.
The telegram received from Sergt.
Kaminski by his sister here told of
his preparation for his departure for
South Bend.