The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-01-05
SEVENTEEN L|FERS
ASKPARDON BOARD
TO REDUCE TERMS
List>AppIying for Commuta-
ton Includes Fifteen
MurdererS.

Seventeen life-term prisoners will
seek pardons or paroles at the meet
ing of the State pardon board, which
convenes Jan. 10. OF this number
fifteen have been sentenced for MUIR
der and the other two for rape.
lightweight new and fifty-eight
reopened cases are on the docket.
Work of the board is being greatly
handicapped by the reopened cases
and Secretary Charles c. York is
making a vigorous protest to pre-
vent unworthy cases from being
heard time and again"
OF the new cases, those from Ma
rion County include Forrest Apple
gate, sentenced to Indiana Reforma-
tory, Feb. 6, 1926, ten to twenty
one years for robbery; Fred Martin,
March 3, 1926, two to fourteen years
for larceny; Bruce p. Conger, State
Prison, Feb. q, 1926, one to five
years for fraudulent check; Oliver
e. Jackson, Reformatory, Jan. "a,
1925, ten to twenty-one years for
robbery; John Burt, State Farm,
July 20, 1926, one year for grand
larceny; Harry Logan Long, Re-
formatory, March 10, 1926, two to
fourteen years for burglary; Thomas
]. Rogers, State Farm, Sept. Ia,
1926, six months and $500 for child
neglect; Beatrice Saunders, Woman's
Prison, Dec. /, 1925, thirty days and
500 for blind tiger.
Roberts Included
Reopened cases from Marion
County include Joseph Benson, State
Prison, February, 1917, life for MUIR
der; Roy Lucas, Reformatory, April
II, 1922, ten to twenty-one years for
robbery; George darlington. Re-
formatory, March IA, 1925, ten to
twenty.one years for robbery; Ed
ward Wilson, Reformatory, Oct. Z,
1921, ten to twentyone years for
robbery; William Childers, State
Prison, April 81, 1918, life for rape.
Although sentenced in Hamilton
County, Edward Prater might also
be included in the Marion County
list, for his case was taken there
on a change Of venue. He and a
companion attempted to hold up an
Indianapolis street car motorman,
and during the scuffie Prater shot
the man, the wound resulting IN
death. He awaited trial for months
in the Noblesville jail, where d. c.
vic
ing the famous murder trial. When
at last Prater's case was tried he
was found guilty of manslaughter
and sentenced two to twenty-one
years in the Reformatory.
The list also includes the case OF
Carl Roberts, former FIT Wayne po-
liceman, sentenced to the Reforma-
tory for ten to twenty years for
robbing a Hagerstown, Ind, bank,
with Jack Pritchard, also a former
TT. Wayne officer. Roberts was SEN
fenced Nov. %, 1924. His plea for
a pardon has been augmented by
letters from Walter Kavanaugh, FIT.
Wayne police chief, and Congress
man David Hogg.
Physician in List
Should the plea Of James Walker
be granted, the State Prison would
lose it's assistant physician" Walk
err is serving 81 double life sentence
for numbering two policemen at
Alexandria and each time his case
is heard a delegation Of Elks from
Marion County appear against him.
He was sentenced April 3, 1911.
Henry Romine, who received life
sentence for a murder in Bartholo-
new County in March, 1913, is on
the list again. He is a Civil War
veteran and has enjoyed the privi-
lege of attending encampments in re-
cent years. He is 80 and broken in
health, according to prison author
tiles.
Blythe Lamb, sentenced to life i'm
prisonment for murder of a woman
in Dubois County in November,
1919, is on the "reopened" list. He
has already enjoyed several paroles
and is still out on one signed by
Governor Jackson