The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-19
TOO EASY

l HE release on parole of a Philadelphia drug
i peddler with criminal record covering ten
years. m arks a weakness in the administration Of
deserved punishment that has been more prolific
source of crime than almost other contributing
When a criminal can proceed. year after year.
with arrest and conviction following another
and by crooks and turns of law escape during ten
years of crime, with the serving of but one SEN
tence in penitentiary, sentence of years
duration, wonder that crime prevails and law
is treated with contempt.
The criminal released in Philadelphia procured
his parole from an upstate judge, who. released,
to prey upon the city, man who was arrested in
1913 charge of ticket scalping and plead
guilty, receiving suspended sentence. In 1916 he
arrested for burglary and acquitted. In the
{ year he arrested for selling heroin to a
person who died from the effects of the drug. He
discharged writ of habeas corpus. In
1918 he was arrested charge of selling drugs,
convicted and served year in Atlanta. In
1919 he entered plea of guilty to drug selling
charge, and received suspended sentence, he
yet in the penitentiary. There were five in
dictments against this man when he was last ar
rested in Philadelphia. He found guilty of all
of them. He could have been sent to the peni-
Tertiary for five years; instead he received SEN
tence of three years to the House OF Correction
upon the plea of the prosecution! From the House
of Correction he could be paroled, from the peni-
Tertiary he could not. His parole was granted
upon his second application and this wolf is free
to prey upon the people Of Philadelphia
The trouble with the courts of the United States
is that they do not punish criminals for crime.
Bail. suspended sentence parole, all play huge
with the blacklist of previous records are released
to continue their miserable depredations upon
society.
Scant mercy should be extended to any criminal
with previous record. The last crime always
exceeds the proceeding one, in vicious intent and
hardened feelings, if not in accomplishment. Mete
out punishment that hurts, and make it impos-
sible to eyade, and the crime wave in this coun-
try will beat abrupt retreat.
West Virginia has been made independent
Rotary District and it is fine tribute to the
work Rotary in the state tina. such
cession has been granted. The creating of the
district will the organization on to fresh
endeavor, and the splendid personnel Of the clubs
in the state should work hard get West Virginia
before the public West Virginia really is. The
West virginian hopes that Rotarians throughout
the state whose interest and success lies wholly in
the prosperity of the state will make the twenty
fourth district West Virginia district will be
called, outstanding in Rotary; nothing
would quickly impress persons outside the state
this.
a story states that the road between little
Indian Creek and the Marion County line is going
to be held up r5another year in completing the
work on it, because forty carloads of material are
dead where along the line and construction
is tied up. This sounds largely like fairy story,
a good alibi for work that must not be progress
ing swiftly it should. Transportation facili-
ties in bad shape but short time, and if
the work this part Of the pike as far along
it should be- ten days delay would not produce
point blank statement that the work would have
to go until next spring. If such statement
should made after months delay, because Of
lack Of material, it would sound reasonable This
contracting firm il too quick to grab at excuses.