The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-20
PAROLE Of MOBILE
WOMAN STRONGLY
OPPOSED BY DAVIS
Attorney General Dissents
From Majority OF Board
Of PardonS
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU !
THE AGE-HERALD :

Emphas lzing a letter from the So
licitor Who said 10 of the II jurors
voted to impose the death penalty
IIarwell G. Davis, attorney general,
and member of the state board OF
pardons, today filed statement with
he governor opposing the majority OF
the board in its recommendation Tor
he liberation on parole of Mrs. V n
ginia I. Wasserlaben of Mobile, VINO
has served since 1918 on life sen
ence for completely in the murder
If her husband, Frederick Nasser-
laben, Mobile policeman.
s, H. Blan, secretary of state, ana
W. b. -Allgood, state auditor, ma
icrity of the board, recommended pa
role late last week. Their OPINION
stated that Mrs. Godau, Mrs; Wasser-
laben's mother. who is serving a me
sentence for the same offense, eN-
onerated her daughter and always IN
sisted that she was in Mobile at the
time Wasserlaben was killed and
knew nothing about the crime, be-
lieving her husband had gone on
duty ON the night police force:
Mrs. Wasserlaben was In JAN
about A wear before she was sent TO
The state penitentiary," SAID the
statement of the majority. she mas
served for ten years or more IN the
states prison and has for ten years
been sitting each week day at
chine making clothes for convicts,
<eenfnr these machines going stead
fly is almost as trying on one
nerves as fighting fire Mrs. vas
serlaben's wardens have repoItoui
that she has never peen hAaienl -.
to her tasks, but as rule does more
than the state allots her. she mas
Ever given any trouble. Consider
inc her long and faithful service at
tedious tasks during the past decaae'
We believe that she has been su1ii-
GENTLY punished and are Wlilihs 70
trust her on parole cohoi horyapce
good behavior and law opser ValiSe
She saws she wants to do the pest
She can bv her little girl, now IN
convent. and promises to make
dutiful mother and good woman.
O o o
Attorney General Davis, in his dls,
eent said the majority of the poaIa
disregarded the evidence OF the staee
and accepted as correct the stae
meut Of Mrs. Wasserlaben ana Mls.
.adau I'm nv opinion the evidence
'op na,elusive that the statement of
iIrq Wasserlaben and her mother -
,nt,.ue and establishes beyond any
.badow of doubt the guilt OF DOTH,
aid the attorney general VINO pio-
,eeded to analyze the evidence:
He pointed out that the jury -
nV1denCB
that after a lapse of ten years pne
If rho Jurors wrote: Il firmly pc
lieve She is guilty, otherwise l
could not have consented TO her cor
viction. If there had been ooue.
in my mind as to her pelhE suIi.s
her the benefit of the doubt. II was
an awful thing to convict her'
woman. The courts charge to us
vas clear and on the first ballot all
voted for conviction. AltoIHes
General Davis pointed out the solici-
fwelve jurors favored the aeatn
nenaltv on the first ballot and stated
maj the weight of the evidence
must have been overwhelming anu
that on the same evidence man
would have been given the death
penalty
Insurance Is Factor.
He mentioned that Mrs. Godaus
exoneration of her daughter was
presented to the jury which als
regarded it, He cast aside the dec
1aration of the defense that lnsur-
nee companies bribed state VIII
ntyses for their testimony by citing
he insurance companies when heiu
nnlici4s on Wasserlaben's life, the
Woodmen of the World, hnlsh's ol
Honor and Tribe of Ben Hur
The minority statement SAID the
declarations of Mrs. Godau and Mrs.
Wasserlaben were changed MANY
times and should not be accepted
now. Every circumstance points
persistently to the guilt OF Mrs.
Wasserlaben" concluded Attorney
General Davis statement. Many
things too numerous to be mere
enumerated disclose the absurdity or
her contention and fortify the Jury's
verdict of guilt. The murder was an
awful one Mrs Wasserlaben IS a
woman of attractive appearance she
made a personal canvass to secure
pctition in her behalf. In my opin-
ion. the reason she was able to MAKE
any showing whatever in her behai.
is well expressed in the prosecuting
solicitors first letter, which is as
follows:
"Of course. time has mellowed the
memory and also the disposition OF
the Jurors, especially where a good
looking woman in person seeks each
ont and beeseches him to give her
liberty. If Mrs. Wasserlabeh's phy-
sicial condition demands change In
her work, l am sure the prison Of
ficials will grant it. This is a mat
ter for their attention.