The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-02-05
August Blank Prevented
Loveday's Escape from
Waupun Says Report.
CUT TO TEN YEARS
Governors Report on PardOns
Gives This as Reason for
Extending CIemency.

How August Blank, one of the pals
Of Earl Loveday in the notorious Brass
Mill robbery and murder here, frus-
trated the latter's plan to escape from
the state prison and thereby won
communication of his sentence from
thirty to ten years, is revealed in the
report of Governor Blaine to the state
legislature on the pardons and COM
mutations of sentences, which be has
granted, copy Of which was received
in Kenosha today.
News Of the communication of Blanks
sentence was received in Kenosha
when the order was handed down last
June, butt the strange story of what
happened behind prison walls and
caused the extending Of executive
clemency was not made public at
that time.
Nipped Jail Delivery.
Blank, as the governors report re-
calls. was convicted in the municipal
court here in March 1920, on his own
confession on the charge Of larceny
and was sentenced to the wisconsin
state prison for term Of thirty
years. He was connected with the
notorious Brass Mill robbery here with
Earl Loveday and Carl Carlson. In
the getaway from that crime Loveday
shot 'Patrolman Tony Pingetore, but
Carlson and Blank were not particl-
pants in that ofFense. Loveday was
sentenced for life; Carlson for thirty
years, later committed to twenty, and
Blank for thirty years.
The report then tells of the attempt
ed Jail delivery planned by Loveday
and how Blank baked it, as follows:
"After Loveday was received at the
prison, he started cabal to effect his
escape, even through the killing Of
prison officials. Blank was considered
their ally in this, he receiving their
code and intercepting the notes that
passed between the prisoners engaged
in the conspiracy, but Blank was not
in fact part of the conspiracy. He
delivered the code and the intercepted
letters to the prison officials and as
sisted the prison officials in preventing
a Jail delivery, and even to the saving
of the lives of certain officials at
the institution. -
"The warden says, Blank has rend-
cred the officials of this institution
estate PRISON. as we'll as the state,
irrespective of his own life, service
which cannot be compensated with
money. Where prisoner voluntary
aids the prison officials in promoting
discipline and in preventing escapes,
executive clemency is extended to him,
for the reason that such information
readily spreads among other prisoners
and thereby creates a spirit of obedi-
ence and loyalty to the prison officials
and prison discipline that oftentimes
saves lives and prevents the escape of
inmates. Carlson having been sent
enced for only twenty years, Blank
should ordir arily have his sentence
committed to twenty years, regardless
of extenuating circumstances. In rec
ignition of the services he rendered
the prison officials,--a service which
as the warden says, would ultimately
sacrifice his life should his co-partners
learn the, actual part he took in as
sisting the officials in preventing their
escape and possible murder of prison
officials, his sentence should be COM
muted to one-half the time of that of
NaAASSAy bhoS 49, bSA yOoA OOASOASS
so committed. Communication of sent
ence granted June 16, 1924"
a. The report that Loveday had at
tempted to make his way out of the
state prison recalls the fact that he
actually did escape from Jail here in
one of the most sensational escapades
in his exciting criminal life. Loveday
had been brought to Kenosha after his
arrest in Florida and was awaiting
arraignment, being a prisoner in the
city lookup here. He managed in some
way to tear the door off of his cell
and calling goodbye" to other prison
ers climbed through cold air duct
into the chemical laboratory at the
city hall and from there through a
window to freedom. He was re-arrest-
ed months later in Detroit and again
brought to Kenosha for trial,