The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-22
JUDGE RAPS BOARD
FOR FREEING NEGRO,
LONGTIME CONVICT
Desperate Released From n. D.
Prison Last Month Gets
SO Years in S. D.
TERM COMMITTED IN 80
Records Show Alvin Strutz Rep.
resented SIedge at Time
Of Action
TERM COMMITTED IN 80
(By the Associated Press)

10y the Associated ffe36D
Released from the North Dakota
state prison after serving four years
Of 2o-year term for bank robbery,
Ozea (Jimmy) sledge was sentenced
to so years Imprisonment Wednesday
by South Dakota Judge who severe
ly criticised pardon boards for reduce
ton Of the Negroes previous sen
fences.
sledge, arrested in Aberdeen, 8. D.,
after his release from the North Da-
kota penitentiary, was convicted Of
robbery, attempted rape and deadly
assault. He was sentenced to the
South Dakota penitentiary by Circuit
Judge Howard Babcock to serve 10
years for burglary. and 20 years each
on the other two charges, the term
to run consecutively.
Began Term In 1859
sledge began serving . 20-year
term in the North Dakota peniten-
tiary August IL, 1880, for robbery Of
the Michigan, N. D., bank. His term
was committed to six years by the
state pardon board in December, 1888.
With time off for good behavior he
was released September II Of this
year. September 20 he was arrested
at Aberdeen for series Of crimes.
Records Of the North Dakota par
don board show that Alvin Strutz,
Bismarck attorney, represented Sledge
before the board. The five members,
recorded as present at that time were
Governor william LANCER. chairman.
his two appointees, Ronald Davies of
Grand Forks and Ole Kittilson of
Dunn Center, Attorney General p. O.
Satire and Chief Justice A. G. Burr.
Prison records also disclosed that
George Taylor, Is, Negro, Sledge's ac-
complete in the robbery Of the Lamb
National Bank Of Michigan. N. D.,
also has been released. He was SEN
fenced to IS years imprisonment in
August 1880, and freed by the pardon
board June 3, 1888.
The two Negroes were sentenced q
day after they robbed the bank Of
$3.122.28.
They were captured after q gun
fight north Of Grand Forks.
The pardon records show that Tay-
lor was granted q full pardon. The
board then was composed Of LANCER,
Attorney General A. J. Gronna, Kit
telson. Davies and Chief Justice w. L.
Nuessle. F. E. McCurdy. Bismarck
attorney, represented Taylor.
Actions Of the pardon board must
be by unanimous vote Of the men,
bers present who must constitute .
quorum.
In sentencing the defendant to the
South Dakota penitentiary, Judge
Babcock sharply criticised the pardon
board for reducing 'Sledge's sentence.
Disgrace TO State
The North Dakota Judge did his
duty" he said, but when their board
Of pardons turned you loose on So
ciety last month they made q mistake
which is . disgrace to the state. The
board Of pardons Is directly to be
blamed for these three crimes with
which this community is now afflict-
ed. Il you had been kept in the peni-
Tertiary =. we would have been
spared these crimes"
Judge Babcock termed mistakes
the release Of sledge in 1880 after
three years for burglary committed
In Michigan, and his release at Wall
kegan. H., after IS days in Jail for
robbery.
II shall not make the same mis-
take" he said.
Sob sisters will say that the
law Is terribly severe with you," he
said to the prisoner. "They will in
dulge in the same maudlin sympathy
which probably induced the North
Dakota board to interfere with
the Judge and perhaps they will
urge that you be let out, given an
other chance; when they know or
ought to know. that another chance
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