Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-12-23
EVERETT JONES THANKS JURY
FOR THE DEATH PENALTY

GFcIGIL JOlcS Will TAKE HIS ScCISl
with him to Ohio penitentiary
electric chair, and the grave The
33year old author, who has passed
nearly two thirds of his life in penal
institutions, thanked the Fayette
county jury that found him guilty
Of first degree murder in the death
of Robert Lindsey, Jeffersonville, O.,
pOOlrOOm operator.
Jones gratitude was not unbound
ed On Dec. 8, Fayette county i;
Judge H. M. Rankin sentenced him
to die March 25 in the electric chair
The next day he was taken to Ohio
penitentiary where four other per.
sons, including Anna Marie Hahn,
blonde Cincinnati poisoner, also
await execution.
The case of the state against Ev-
erett Jones is unique because it fur
nishes penologists solid food for
thought. Regardless OF this mur
derer's mental condition, his case
challenges present practices in treat
ing criminals II Jones is insane
an institution for the mentally de-
ranged. If he is sane, he has shown
the inability of reformatories to re
form. Mute evidence is Jones pris.
on record:
Dec. 1, 1917, (when Jones was IL
years old)-Received at Boys In
dustrial School, Lancaster, o., 20
serve an indeterminate term for
stealing.
June 7, 1918-Paroled
Aug. 27, 191S-Returned for vio-
June 21, 1919-Paroled.
Aug. S, 1919-Returned for vio~
lation of parole.
July 5, 1922-ParOled.
Sept 7, 1923-Received at In
diana State Reformatory to serve a
term of one to eight years for petty
larceny.
gan county on burglary charge.
State Reformatory to serve an in
determinate term for burglary and
larceny.
July 21, Escaped.
July "a, 1928-Returned Of own
volition.
June /, 1929-Paroled.
June 28, 1929-Arrested at Cuya
hoga Falls, o., on suspicion OF rob
June 80, 19So-Arrested at Ra-
VIENNA, o., for grand larceny.
Oct 10, 1930--Received at Ohio
State ReformatOry to serve one
to-seven year term for grand lar
ceny. uI
Aug. /, 1935-Paroled.
Aug. 26, 1935-Returned for VIC
lation of parole.
Nov. 13, 1936-Transferred to
Ohio Penitentiary.
Feb. 8, 1937-Sentence expired.
Released.
July 4, Murdered Robert
Lindsey, 65, Jeffersonville, O., pool
room operator
Dec. 8, 1937-sentenced to die
March 25, 1888, in the electric
chair.
Everett Jones was born in Nc
Connelsville, O., Jan. IT, 1904, the
youngest Of six children, His moth
er, who had been a school teacher
before her marriage, died while ne
was an infant. AS Jones himself
has expressed it: my mother died
while my lips were just forming
their first words. | would like 10
have known her. 1 believe my life
would have been different" When
he was four, his father, remarked.
His home life ended when he was
sent to the Boys Industrial School
for petty thievery. Clew to origin
of the condemned authors literary
turn is offered in his statement that
there were 1000 volumes in his
parents library
In the 21 years he was in and out
of prison, Jones obtained the equiv
alent of a high school education,
the Ohio State Reformatory, SIX
months work at the University OF
Wisconsin and a course of summer
study at Ohio University. Jones
said nationally recognized magazines
had accepted % of his articles and
short stories. When he was releas-
ed from Ohio Penitentiary last Feb
ruary he planned to become asso.
ciate editor of new magazine, to
be started in New York.
In the only interview Jones has
been allowed since the death sen
tence was passed, he wrote Che had
written out the interview before
hand):
sT have something that could
have carried me over, creative writ
ing talent. / try to remember when
courage wanes that /, at least, have
he only real freedom, intellectual
Jones had two sisters and three
brothers. One of the brothers has
been successful in his work. The
other two have been committed to
state hospitals. Psychiatrists have
psychopathic personality" and pos
sessing better than average intelli-
yence. Inmates at Ohio Peniten. |
.iary who know Jones blame long |
years in prison for his moral break |
Town.
Diagnosing his own ailment,
Jones blames the prison system. |
did it reform me?" he asked. "No. |
It warped and embittered me. In |
stead Of treatment for social malad-