The Washington times., 1924-01-19
ANDERSONBOY'S 5
LIFE STAKED
F.. | ON APPEAL
Youth Convicted Of Staying on
Fathers Testimony Goes
to High Court.

BY COsmOpoIitan News Service.
NEW YORK, Jan. 19.-What
will the New Jersey court Of par
dons do with the life Of Arnold
Anderson, the twenty-three-year-
old Brooklyn boy convicted Of
murder on the testimony Of his
own father?
A Tangled Skein.
1t was a peculiar twist in the
tangled skein Of Fate that con-
demned Anderson to die. In the
first place 1t was the steadfast be-
ief in the sanctity of the oath that
led his father, Albin Anderson. a
ailor with shop at 1877 Montague
street. Brooklyn, to admit on the
witness stand in the Jersey City
:ourt, his knowledge Of the boys
guilt. Young Anderson killed Harry
9. Moore, Jersey City real estate
man. and. in his cell, confessed to
mis- father, devout churchman. Al.
lin Anderson related this confession
o the court.
Then came another strange thing.
The jury found the prisoner guilty
Of murder in the first degree and
recommended clemency. Under New
ersey law, such a recommendation
means nothing unless 1t specifically
alls for life Imprisonment instead
Of death. For that reason Judge
Lyman Lazarus, could do nothing
but sentence Anderson to death.
Interest Widespread.
The case has attracted wide
spread attention. The fortitude of
the father, resembled that of Lu-
cius Junius Brutus, one of the two
first consuls of Rome five hundred
years before Christ. Brutus re-
mained forever the brilliant hero of
the Romans, not only for his lead
ership of the revolt that overthrow
the proud house of Tarquin" and
caused the establishment of the re-
public, but also for his sitting of
paternal feeling in condemning his
two sons to death for conspiring to
restore the fallen dynasty.
Albin Anderson's words had great
a son by the man whose testimony
brought about his conviction Of
fell upon attentive ears.>
He was always irresponsible"
said the father, but a lovable lad,
and sometimes very good"
A Drug Addict.
Later 1t developed that Arnold
had been a drug addict from his
twelfth year until he was cured in
prison. -
The father told of efforts he had
made to have the boy restrained.
Six years ago." he said, II ap-
piled to the Kings county court to
have my son committed to some in
stitution. He was. found not legally
insane, although mentally irrespon.
sible. If a persoA Is insane he is
sent to an. asylum, and If he is
criminal he Is sent to Jail. There
Is no place to which a boy like
mine can be sent"
A movement was set a-foot to
save the boy from electrocution. An
appeal was laid before the court of
pardons. The court also received a
letter signed by all Of the Jurors
In which they said that 1t was
their intention that. the boy be
sentenced to life Imprisonment.
Few Similar Cases.
History records, beyond the ex.
ample of Brutus, few instances of
fathers condemning their own sons.
There is, of course, the instance of
Peter the Great of Russia. Peters
son, the Crown Prince Alexel Petro.
witch, was implicated in a conspi-
racy to undo the Cars great re-
forms. Alexel Petrovitch was a
and that was probably
the reason why the plotters chose
him as his fathers successor, be-
lieving they could control all of
Russia through him.
Tsar Peter did not hesitate when
he was convinced Of the princes
guilt. He ordered him killed. But
when Alexel Petrovitch was cast
INTO a dungeon, Peter relented and
pardoned him. 1t was too late, for
the Prince died from the effects Of
the torture to which he had been
subjected in order to wiring from
him the names Of his fellow con-
spirators.
Strangely enough, Arnold Ander.
son approved of his fathers action.
Visited by his parents in the Hud-
son county jail, the convicted man
said:
TITS all right with me, dad. II
think you did right. Maybe it sent
me- to the chair, but 1 think you
lid the best thing to stand by your
oath. Don't worry think 1t was
IL