The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-25
PAROLE BOARD
/ SEEKS TO STOP
PRISON P ROBE
Terrorize Prisoners for
Testimony

efforts are being made by the state
board of paroles and pardons to sup
press facts and evidence showing that
pardons and paroles were bought by
convicts from politicians at prices
ranging from 500 to $4,000.
Inmates of the Joliet penitentiary
have been virtually gagged by the
| board. Those who knew of deals be-
ing made between prisoners and poll
ticians for their release for sums of
money or other favors have been
handed the pink Slip of the board
notifying them that the time they
must serve has been extended. Oyer
100 pink slips" we're handed out on
one day at the Joliet penitentiary.
Prisoners that have testified before
the Will county grand jury have lost
their good time" and are being pun
ished for minor infringements of rules.
Many of the convicts, realizing that
the pink slips" issued by the parole
and pardons board can only be re-
scinded by order of this board, refuse
to testify at the hearings.
Frank Enos, convict in Joliet for
life, told of how he was released from
the penitentiary thru Attorney w. S.
Mcnamara, with offices in the Ashland
block, 1876 North Clark street, Chicago,
for a sum of $500.
Enos told the grand jury that he
was a cellmate to Ira d. Perry, jr.,
who was released on parole and was
brought back to the penitentiary only
after a scandal broke over the heads
of Chauncey Jenkins, head of the pa
role board, and the other members of
board. He declared that when he
heard that he could buy his parole and
that Mcnamara was the 'flxer" he
sent for Mcnamara. Mcnamara. de-
manded $4,000 for an unconditional
pardon.
Enos sent a letter to his parents
and relatives in California asking for
$4,000. They wrote back that all they
could raise was $500. Mcnamara de-
manded that his sister send him the
$500. Enos wrote his sister to send
him the money. The sister sent
check for $500 to Enos. This was YER
flied by Prosecutor Austin, who de-
clared there was a record of the check
on the prison books.
81 let Mcnamara know about it and
he said he would get me parole
for it. got the check on Nov. %,
1924, and in January, 1925, there was
parole board session." declared
Enos. 81 was expecting a notice of
my parole. Instead / got notice that
my case had been continued for two
years. l accused Mcnamara of double
crossing me.
"He laughed and said, Don't worry,
that's just for effect. You'll get yours
next month when l get Charley Buns
worth out" went on Enos. HE was
right. His man came down and got
me. Bunsworth got out the same
time"
He then related how after being offer
ed a job in China and having a chance
to go straight" he sought an uncon-
ditional pardon. For this Mcnamara
demanded $3.50. A member Of the
Volunteers of America promised to get
Enos the pardon for nothing. Enos
and this man wrote a letter to the
parole board. The parole board an
swered that If he didn't quit fooling
around about his parole he would be
back in the prison. Enos then stopped
reporting to the parole board and
planned to leave the country. He en-
tered Illinois, got his wife, and was
leaving the state when he was ar
rested, questioned and sent back to
jail. His sentence, which was from
one year to life for holdmp, was
changed to one of life.
e. Eddington, another convict, tes-
titled that prisoner whom he knew
was released on paying $3.50 for a
parole. He declared this parole was
secured thru paying this sum to a
downstate politician, who is now
member OF the legislature.
Robert McCullen. another convict,
testified that he was sent to Jail for
robbery with gun with Raymond
Costello, who was recently hanged for
the rape and murder of Chicago girl,
and that Raymond Costello was pa
rolled after paying sum of $500.
A letter to Warden John L. Whit
man from a convict was read which
involved Major M. A. Messlein as one
of the "flxers" in procuring pardons
and paroles for prisoners for stipu-
lated sums. Messlein is the head Of
the Major Engineering Company of
which VIII Colvin, head of the state
pardon and parole board is a heavy
stakeholder. 1t is stated that Messlein
gave Colvin $4,000 worth OF stock on
the release OF Ira d. Perry, jr. Peter
Klein, deputy warden, slain by seven
escaping convicts at Joliet, was an
other member of the directorate OF
the concern that has been disclosed as
| a pardon mill.