Hide Article Text (OCR)
tley,theimptlaityantheith’stheart'sU.S.ern-ourtpt.Saffels Opens Political BattleWith Anderson Over Prison CaseBy JOSEPH GALLOWAYTOPEKA, Kan. (UPI)—A political battle centered around a 27-year-old woman Friday who became pregnant while an inmate at the Kansas womens prison rnor near Lansing.. State Rep. Dale Saffels, Democratic nominee for governor, started- the hassle Friday morning by accepting a' challenge from his opponent, Gov. John Anderson, to produce a “real issue” in theira ted two the rt afight for the governor’s seat.Saffels proceeded to aire the case of Mary Eileen Chandler as his idea of.a “real issue.”Pardons Atty. Charles D. MeAtee, speaking for Gov. John Anderson, confirmed that he, the governor and the state pardons and parole board were all aware that the inmate was pregnant at the time of her release.Mrs. Chandler was serving sentences of one - to - ten and one -to - five years for bad checks from Wichita, when Gov. Anderson commuted her sentence to 1 - to - 15 years, making her eligible for parole immediately.According to MeAtee the first indication of her condition came when she was taken to Newton for disposition of a check charge pending against her there in June.The charges against here were dropped and she was returned to the prison,near Lansing where a investigation began.MeAtee said indications were that “poor administration” of the prison allowed male prisoners on a work detail at the women's farm to become intimate with them.He added he was reasonably sure that Mrs. Chandler was the ; only inmate who became pregnant as a result.MeAtee said that according toaSjthe woman inmate she met theto ? rntsmd!t DO Tt£ CALUNtr4same male prisoner more than once while he was on regular work details.“In view of the length of time she had been in prison, and this matter, I felt the humanitarian thing was to let her have the child in free society,” MeAtee commented.Asked if he had conferred with Anderson, who was in Wichita this morning for a speech, MeAtee said, “yes... and he told me to tell you the truth about this case.’*- The pardons attorney told a news conference the information was not released earlier “because we wanted to protect the persons involved.”Saffels told his news conference this morning, “I want you to know that I had sincerely hoped to keep this subject out of the campaign because I believe the matter has no place in politics. I believed it two years ago when John Anderson based his entire campaign on the subject, and I believe it even more sincerely now...”The Garden City Legislator continued, “but Anderson has challenged me to discuss this issue and I am accepting that challenge right now. I am going to discuss the matter of paroles in detail and I hope, he has the courage to answer in the same maimer.Saffels apparently referred to the fact that Anderson based his 1960 campaign against Democrat Gov, George Docking on the matter of pardons and paroles. Anderson blasted Docking frequently on his administration of pardons and paroles.According to parole board records, the woman was released and paroled to her sister in New Jersey. Saffels said the child was expected to be born within a week. lt;MeAtee said the male inmate believed to be the father was still confined in the Lansing prison.The pardons attorney and director of penal institutions Robert J. Kaiser both said after the incident security was tightened and more supervisory personnel were assigned to guard the work details.Under usual policy Mrs. Chandler would not have been eligible for • parole until August of 1964.LstccliiKSisi'istoY.A:stg!3€
Newspaper Details
Western Kansas Press
Great Bend, Kansas, US
Sat, Oct 13, 1962
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Grace G.
USA 06 Oct 2023
Other Publications Near Great Bend, Kansas
Great Bend Tribune
Barton County Democrat
Great Bend Sunday Tribune
Great Bend Western Kansas Press
Western Kansas Press
