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Sheriff Erlrkion of Crow Winy A3-lowed Con % lot to Board at Hot«»l.Ole P. Erickson. sheriff of Crow Win$ county, wan recently sentenced by Judge Lochren. in the United States district court at St. Paul to pay a fine of |75 and the cost of the ^prosecution and to serve in the itamsey county jail pending the payment of the fine and costa.'Erickson was arraigned on a charge of contempt of court in allowing a United States prisoner in his care to have unusual liberties. The case was one of the utmost importance to the federal authorities. In substance it was as follows:On Anil 20 George W. Wolf w'as con* victed by the United States jury for illegal pine cutting in Hubbard county.On June J5 he was sentenced to serve three months in the Crow Wing county Jail. Fie was accepted as a federal prisoner by Sheriff Erickson. About July! the marshal's office was informed that Wolf was being allowed to roam ibout the town. Deputy Marshal Tufts was sent up to investigate. He found that Wolf had been at the railway sta* tion on June 30 unaccompanied, and that he had been boarding at the City hotel for ten days previous. The marshal reported this to the local office and had an order issued by the court tochange the prisoner to the___Ramseycounty jail. This was done and the man was brought here.In court Erickson, through his attorney, Murphy, admitted all the facts, and throw himself on the mercy of the court. The facts as related had taken place while he was absent from Brain* ?rd, attending court, end had occurred without his knowledge. An application had been filed for a pardon for Wolf, he stated, and that might have influenced his deputies to allow him more liberty than other prisoners.Mr. Purdy, for the government, stated that he did not want to have undue pressure borne on the defendant. Other sheriffs in the northern part of the state had done the same thing. However, it was time that a lesson should be taught that officials undertaking government work must not neglect it.Judge Lochren, In passing sentence,said that the evidence showed gross neglcet and contempt for the orders of the court. The fact that a prisoner was given his liberty was in itself an ai.nulling of the sentence of the court. The sentence would have to be made, although not as severe in this case* as in others, because there were slightly extenuating cm reu m at a nces The government officials were highly pleased with the sentence. It is not the sentence so much as the lesson that it will teach,” said one of them. “I believe it is time for the officials un-ler government service to know that they cannot fool with Uncle Sam. If the officers do not obey the law, how' can citizens be expected to obey it.”
Newspaper Details
Albert Lea Enterprise
Albert Lea, Minnesota, US
Wed, Jul 24, 1901
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 18 Jul 2018
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