Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

Continued From FlrSt Page)
est Of Senator Borah, the Idaho SEN
ator has declared himself foe of the
spy" plan on several other occasions.
1.-THE system involves. In the first in
stance" Senator Borah said, I'm order
to get the spy, or undercoyer man, into
the penitentiary. fake or fraudulent
commitments and then fake or fraudu-
lent representations or procedure IN
order to secure his release. These COM
nitments must either ostensibly. or In
fact, involve the courts or the officers
of the courts. Any plan which draws
the courts. or the officers of the courts
into a scheme for issuing fake or fraud
ulent processes or commitments is es-
sentially vicious. would not hesitate
myself to vote to impeach Judge who
had signed or issued such papers or
who would authorize 1t to- be done.
Urges Confidence In Warden.
Secondly, If it is necessary to place
men under. cover. in a penitentiary, 1t
would seem that 1t ought to be done
by the authority and with the knowl-
edge of the warden. If the warden
himself has not the confidence Of the
department so that it is necessary to
spy upon him. then he had better be
dismissed out of hand. There must
necessarily be the UTMOST faith and
confidence in the head of such an in
stitution upon the part of the Govern
ment, or the Department OF Justice
When this confidence ceases. the plan
ought not to be to put a spy in the
penitentiary. but to put another warden
at the head OF 1t. Unless this conf
dence exists. spy can not make the
administration success.
There Is the other question-1ts
effects upon the prisoners also. Pencil
ogists very generally condemn 1t as de-
moralizing.
But the whole system is based upon
wrong theory There is way to deal
with our inmates in the penitentiary
other than that of debasing and pros
tituting the courts or rejecting upon
the wardens of the penitentiaries. In
addition to this. it Is about 300 years
behind the times in prison manage
ment."
Warden Shocks protest against the
placing of Department of Justice agents
in the prison as bona fide prisoners fol-
lowed published reports here Of agents
being placed in the penitentiary on two
occasions.
The first instance published was that
of Peter Hansen" who the published
report identified as William Larsen,
Department Of Justice agent from De-
troit.
Parole Request Denied.
''Hasen" was committed to the prison
January 6. 1928. on commitment papers
from Detroit to serve year and day
His application for parole in April
1928. was denied and he later was
transferred to Leavenworth and re-
leased.
The second prisoner, that published
reports said was Department OF
Justice agent, was committed from Gin
cinnati, where he pleaded guilty to
the Federal automobile theft
act under the name of Joseph Mon
tana and was sentenced to three years
In the Federal penitentiary February
20, and came directly to the prison.
Released to U. S. Agent.
Montana was released to Thomas
Wilcox. Department of Justice agent,
about two weeks after he entered the
prison, under orders of Mrs. Mabel
Walker Willebrandt. published reports
said.
Warden Shook when the reports were
published, said he did not know the
prisoner was a department agent, but
declared If the system of placing
agents In the penitentiary as bona fide /
prisoners under falsified court orders"
continued he would be forced to re-
sign Ito keep my self-respect,"
congressional committee investf- !
eating conditions in Federal prisons last |
November in It's report praised Warden |
Shocks administration here as efficient. /