Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-25

Tells OF Problems Faced During
War Period-The Way Fed
eral Prisoners Are Treated at
Expiration. Term-The Ger
man Liner at Bar Harbor-
Congressman-Elect Nelson
Gets Big Bunch Roses
The policy in the State of allow
ing a man who has served sentence
in Jail to leave the institution with
out money and with no friends to go
to, is wrong and is likely to lead the
man into crime once more. The
United States Government has a
much better plan. When a man is
discharged from a federal prison at
the end of his term, he is furnished
with Il new suit of clothing, he is
given n ticket to his home city or
tcwn and he is given SIS IN money
with which to take care Of himself
until he is able to secure a position.
Ex-Cnited States Marshal John
esting comparison of policies and
explained the system in Use at the
Federal prisons for building q man
up and fitting him to follow some
useful and honest occupation, in the
course of n Illuminating address
given at the regular meeting of the
Augusta Rotary Club on Friday eve
tho
seven years experiences in the Of
flee of United States Marshal. Mr.
Wilson reviewed in his comprehen-
slNe discourse, recalling n number of
very important problems that came
to that department during the years
or the World War. Rotarians found
III Mr.. Wilson an able speaker and a
ity.
Mr.. Wilson was introduced to Au-
gusta Rotarians by President Elmer
l.. Newbert of the Club, and was ac-
corded hearty applause by the
large gathering. In opening his ad-
dress, Mr.. Wilson stated that he had
anticipated that it would be good
meeting for w en- the people in Ken
nebcc have thing to do. they Go il
well and whole heartcdlv and when
they have .an election they have a
real one.
The Office of United States Marsh
al is more exclusive than that of
United States Senator for whereas
Their" are 90 Senators. there are only
10 nted States marshais in the en-
tire country. SO the office should be
filled with dignity and respected, the
speaker declared. Many people have
the idea that the duties of a United
States marshal are like that of a
sheriff in county or of city marsh
AL Some of these duties arc sim
liar. The United States marshal's
Office is the strong arm of the De-
rartmcnt of Justice, but on the other
hand the office has to do but little
investigating. That is done by men
trained in these particular lines
The term during which Mr.. Wilson
held the office of United States mar
shall was during war time. The Of
flee had no precedent to go by and
in many instances was obliged to
make its own laws. In the next
room to the Office were the secret
service men who did the Investigate
ing. Speaking of the secret service
mon, Mr. Wilson told of the value of
the Yankee inquisitivencss of the
man way down East, for making the
best detectives. All were anxious to
10 tbnir- ~ nd Il, ;,,+
was thoroughly investigated.
During tho war hundreds passed
through his office as slackers Many
were arrested and held until their
status could be determined. OF these
mon who passed through the office,
very few were American Maine born
yankees. Most of them were of for
cicn birth. and the speaker thought
that their trouble was due mostly to
ignorance. He cited one instance in
which the man arrested declared
firmly that he had registered, but he
would not tell whore. Finally Mr.
Wilson had a talk with the man, ex-
planning to him that it would do him
no good to keep silent on the mat
ter. The man then confessed that he
had registered at Sing Sing prison,
and this was confirmed by telegraph
communication with the Sing Sing
authorities. The man had not wished
to tell that he had registered and had
served n term in the prison.
The most important event during
.1r. Wilson's term of office as United
States marshal was that of the Ger
man steamship which was held at
Bar Harbor, the details of which APP
pearcd in the newspapers at the time
Tie ship carried a cargo worth about
$11,000,000. She was nearly across
the ocean when war was declared
and fearing that British and French
ships would be laying for her, she
started back to this country. The
ships officers did not dare to take
her into Boston or New York, and as
one man on board knew the coast at
that port. A civil suit was then
brought by New York bankers for
tho ships failure to carry out its
mission, and the ship was attached
for S1,400,000. This. the speaker
thought, was the largest attachment
ever made in a civil suit.
After q time it was decided to send
the vessel to Boston, where other
German vessels were held up. Mr..
Wilson was asked to use diplomacy
in taking up the matter with the
captain of the German boat. for at
that time the United States was not
IA war with Germany. Mr.. Wilson
informed the captain, who said that
he did not want to move the boat,
fearing that the British or French