Evening star., 1934-12-23
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Of FREEDOM WAIT
MANY PRISONERS
Illinois Convict at 73, How.
ever, Refuses YuIe
Parole.
ARIZ0NA'S CLEMENCY
LIST INCLDUES WOMAN
Boards in Score of Other States
Holding Timely Meetings
Before Holidays.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December 22.-Freedom
will be the priceless Christmas present
to scores Of American convicts thii
year.
Christmas pardons, paroles or com.
mutations Of sentence will send them
from prisons to q new start in the
changing world.
In some States the gift Of freedom
merely because it's Christmas Is not
accepted policy, but parole boards
none the less, have planned timely
meetings before the holiday.
Here in Illinois q 73-year old con.
vict at Joliet Penitentiary, Fred c
Woods, surprised the State Board oi
Pardons by turning down its invita-.
ton to be paroled. He was too old
he said. No friends, no home but in
prison. He begged to stay with hi,
prison flowers, and finally convinced
the warden he couldn't legally be
ousted until his full term is completed
five years hence.
Wife Slayer May Go Free.
A Christmas pardon may bring free
dom to Jacob c. Nesbitt, q principal
in one of Ohio's most sensational
killings-the "bathtub murder" OF hii
wife.
There was q previous rumor that
Nesbitt, who pleaded guilty to the
charge eight years ago, asserting he
would not testify for fear Of hurting
those I love-" would be granted q
pardon from his life sentence before
expiration Of Gov. George Whites term
Of office.
It was disclosed that the files in
the case were sent to the Governor's
ofice several days ago.
In Arizona q Governors pardon will
free Katherine Encinas, Q nurse who
was convicted in 1922 for the staying
Of DR.. Wallace @. Randall of Florence,
Ariz. She was sentenced to life i'm
prisonment.
Six Others 10 Be Pasdoned.
Six other prisoners besides the
Encinas woman viii be given Christ
mas pardons In Arizona. Twenty
seven others will be paroled.
A Virginia custom prohibits the
granting Of Christmas pardons, but
Gov. Peery, who has sole pardon
powers, said he is trying to free be-
fore Christmas all whose papers are
in order and whose records and cases
deserve 1t.
The Minnesota Pardon Board q
week ago granted two full pardons,
four combinations for immediate re-
lease and four reductions in sentence.
They were not directly connected with
Christmas, however.
Although there are no real Christ
mas" pardons in Nebraska, about q
dozen pardons and combinations will
be granted about Christmas.
Pardons Rare In New York.
New York rarely issues Yule par
dons, but there are usually dozen
combinations by the Governor before
Christmas.
Gov. Clarence D. Martin Of Wash
ington said no Christmas pardons
were in sight, but last week he granted
executive paroles to SO In the pent-
tentiary and % in the reformatory.
Several pardons are expected In
Wisconsin shortly before Christmas
but no ofiicial announcement wa.
made. Also, . few pardons may de-
velop in Iowa, II hearings are com
pleted in time.
The Christmas season viii bring
paroles to at least SO Stateville con.
victs In Illinois.
New Hampshire has abandoned the
policy Of Christmas paroles and Ala.
bama has suspended the custom thil
year.
No Christmas paroles will be giver
in North Dakota, Louisiana, Rhode
Island, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont
Oregon, Kansas, Nevada, Missouri ol
Indiana. No action has been taker
In Massachusetts,,