The New York herald., 1921-12-26
Poses for Movie Men as He
Goes to Train to Washing
ton to See Daugherty.
HURRIEs TO WIFE NEXT
Socialist Happy and Healthy
on LiberatiOn-Little to
Say About Pardon.

Special Dispatch to THE NEw York HERALD.
ATLANTA. Dec. 25.-Smiling in his
pleasure at release, with the shouting
appreciation Of thousand prisoners
In his ears. Eugene ". Debs, Socialist
leader and five times a candidate for
President, walked out of the United
States penitentiary here this morning
at 1880 o'clock into the Christmas
sunlight, free again after serving two
and half years of ten year SEN
tence for violation of the espionage
act. His liberation was an act of
executive clemency by President Har-
ding. who commuted his sentence.
At 1880 o'clock Debs. his brother
Theodore, David Karstner, representa-
tive of the Socialist New York Call.
and a party of others who had waited
his release, boarded a train for Wash
ington. ito confer with Attorney-Gen-
eral Daugherty, which was condition
of my release" Debs said.
-."Then am going to my dear little
wife in Terre Haute. as fast as the
train will take me-" he added.
Like schoolboy ON Vacation.
Debs smiled and chatted and acted like
a schoolboy going home on vacation. At
the prison gates he gripped hands fer
vently and kissed the women and men
alike who had gathered to welcome him
to liberty.
The first statement of Debs. when
newspaper men were permitted to meet
him Just before he was escorted to free
dom, was a message to one whose pen
had daily frightened his prison hours.
After shaking hands warmly all around
he turned to an Atlanta Consultations re-
porter.
"Will you convey for me a message
to Frank L. Stanton?" he asked.
Gladly" answered the reporter.
Garry my Christmas greeting to him.
requested Debs. Tell him that / have
clipped hundreds of his little poems and
sent them to my friends. Tell him /
hope he will live and write till he's a
hundred years old. and l hope will be
living TO celebrate his centenary"
few minutes later, when the grated
chieftain and he walked down the steps
and toward the outer gates between
Warden ]. Edyche and Deputy Warden
l.. J. Fletcher a roar Of cheers swept out
from the prisoners.
Debs raised his hat in one hand and
his cane in the other and waved back at
them. He continued to wave while they
continued to cheer him until he reached
the gates, where a battery of movie ma
chimes and cameras, trained on the
three when they emerged. was in action.
Debs was smiling. happy and ap-
parently In the best OF health.
Poses for the Camera Men.
At the gates Debs willingly posed for
the camera men. They mad also been
cranlslng away furlously as his friends
rushed to meet him and received warm
hand clasps and joyful kisses from their
leader. Mrs. II. L. Flanagan, her hus-
band and two children, who live near
the prison. were among the first to reach
him He kissed them and then kissed
them again at the request of the movie
men, while cameras clicked. Debs then
entered an automobile with the warden
and was driven to the terminal station.
Here the entertain declared tndt, lne
party would ride In day car to WASH
ington and the money saved by avoiding
a Pullman would be devoted to the Rus
sian relief fund.
At gray dawn this morning newspa-
per men and photographers renewed a
vigil begun two days ago, when Debs's s
release was expected hourly Until al
most the last prison officials had main
aimed strict secrecy as TO the hour of
his release. and this led TO two Incl
dents exciting and amusing, when
others who emerged from the prison
were mistaken for Debs.
As the morning wore on II was wlis-
pered In the group that Debs had been
taken out secretly by rear exit and
was even then speeding home His at
torney. Sam Castleton. and newspaper
men refused to credit this story. Sud-
denly the doors were flung open. group
descended TO an automobile and sped
out of the grounds. A roar OF cheering
went up from the inmates.
That's Debs that's him. somebody
shouted. Castleton, who had been walt
ing with others In his own car. threw
In the clutch and gave chase He finally
caught the warden's automobile, only TO
find that II was another freed prisoner
going away.
by the time this excitement subsided