Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-02-03
MOTHERS PLEA TO
PRESIDENT FREES
IMPRISONED SON
FORMER PRINCETON WOW AN
WALKS FROM KANSAS TO MA.
TONS CAPITAL TO BEG FOR
BOYS RELEASE FROM FEDERAL
PENlrENTlARY.

Princeton, H., Feb. 3.-Returnine
from Washington with pardon fol
her son, who is a federal prisoner at
Fort Leavenworth. Mrs. Margaret
Erickson. a former resident of Bureau
stonped here "Wednesday for brief
VISIT with friends. She walked from
Kansas City to Washington. ID. c., TO
personally appeal to President Hard
ing for her sons release. The pitiful
story of the aged mother touched the
Presidents heart and he ordered her
son to be released. She is hurrying
back to l.eavenworth to be at the
prison gates when her son comes out.
Mrs. Erickson was known here as
Mrs. Karl Anderson. Her husband
was an engineer on the Rock Island
railroad about ten years ago. After
his death she lived at Bureau for
several years and earned living for
herself and son by taking in wash
Ing. she is now 62 years old.
$" According to her story, her only
son, Joe. a lad of l6, ran away from
1. home and enlisted at Jefferson Bar
racks on Dec. 80, 1917, and went over
seas with Company X, One Hundred
and Thirty-ninth Infantry, which was
part of the Thirty-fifth Division. He
was gassed in the Argonne on Sept.
26, 1918, and was reported missing for
several months He was finally To-
Gated IN a field hospital and returned
to his regiment.
AT the close of the war he was dis
charged at Camp Dodge Iowa, and on
4 the same day re-enlisted and was sent
TO the Mexican border. There he was
taken sick. While in the hospital he
ran away but soon after he enlisted
at Fort Russell at Cheyenne, Wyo,
Under the name OF John f. Johnson.
He was there almost year before his
deception was discovered and he was
colirt-martialed and sentenced to Fort
l.eavenworth for a term of two years.
His mother, who had not heard from
him since he deserted on the Mexican
border. was notified OF his arrest and
Immediately set about to get him out
of prison. She moved from her home |
In Wisconsin to Kansas City TO be
near her son, and, while earning her
fiying by washing and scrubbing, she 4
btSieged the prison officials with pc.
titlons to have her son released. /
Failing to get results there, she
started on foot and without funds tol
walk to Washington to lay the case
before the President. Folks were kind
TO her on the way. They gave her
food and lodging and occasionally a.
kind motorist gave her a lift along the
way She finally landed in Washing
ton. secured an audience with Presi-
dent Harding and poured out her tale
into his attentive ear At the conclu- 1
slot OF the interview the President
made an investigation, and, harken- |
ing to the mothers prayer, granted al
pardon for her boy
Filled with gratitude toward Presi- |
dent Harding, Mrs. Erickson left
washington on her homeward jour
ney, happy at the prospect of once
more taking her son into her arms as
he leaves the prison gates. Officials
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
hearing OF her mission to Washington
gave her transportation to Chicago,
and Supervisor John" S. Skinner help
ed her on from Princeton to Gales
burg, where she said she could get
work in a hospital to earn enough
money to pay her transportation the
rest of the way back to Kansas.