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IFF TO PENITENTIARYeN ISOM TO SERVE SIX MONTHS.lored Man Gets Off Easy For A Grave Crime—Pleads Guilty Only to Adultery.Sheriff J. H. Humphrey returned lesday from Ft. Madison where he (id taken Dan Isom, colored, to start ion serving his sentence of six iths in the penitentiary upon a plea guilty to a charge of adultry, the l-reapondent being a white woman of (sound mind, Mrs. Van Cleave, who 1,6 inlt;^ntr°vertable. now confined in the asylum at Claris.|The details of this case need not be learsed at this time, as the facts still fresh in the minds of all our iders. It will be remembreed that victim was a white woman of [sound mind and in June, 1905, gave •th to a colored child. Dan IsomDANIEL ISOM.suspected of the crime but he had After considerable search he located by Sheriff Humphrey in itucky who went after him last and brought him back.~jere were two indictments against one of which was found to be de-ive. Another indictment was re-led, however. At the last term of he'Svithdrew his plea of “notguilty'’ and at the present term by agreement he plead guilty to the lesser crime of adultery providing the more henious crime be dismissed. This was agreed to by the county attorney and the sentence of six months in the penitentiary was imposed.Considerable talk has been created by such a light punishment. The concensus of opinion seems to be that Dan Isom should either not be punished at all, if he did not commit the crime, or if guilty of one of the most terrible crimes in the world he should have received a sentence com-mesurato with it. The facts seem toThat the woman wls of unsound mind is proven by the fact that she aha since been in the asylum. There is no disputing the fact that the child was born .and it was a colored child. There is no disputing the fact that Dan Isom was at her house at all hours of the day and night and that he fled from Bedford and was a fugitive for more than a year. There is no doubt' that he was guilty of at least the crime of adultery for he so plead before the court.If a crime of this kind is to be punished by six months imprisonment what guarantee of protection do the women of the land have in the future?A crime of this kind is serious enough when both are of one color but when a big black man takes advantage of a feeble minded white woman in such a manner it is mo«t revolting.There is no criticism offered or intended of Judge Towner's sentence as this plea would probably not have been entered unless such an agreement had been made, and the extreme penalty for this crime is three years but it does seem that with the indisputable facts at hand a clear case could have been made that, without agreement, would have sent this culprit to a place where white women in the future would have no fear of him for years to come.We do not like to bring such plain words to our readers’ eyes but it does seem that this is a case of a great1 Re failure of justice, that Dan Isom! Re should either be a free man today or 1 Re should be entering upon a life sentence \ in the penitentiary. iTo-ainclwofothitrcrwiUdiaraspuacthwifo:mifinofes]po:Re
Newspaper Details
Bedford Free Press
Bedford, Iowa, US
Thu, May 09, 1907
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Taylor C.
AL, USA 10 Mar 2017
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