Max Mason. Application No. 5702. January 1923.
Type of event: Incarcerations
Location: Minnesota; United States
Document date:
Document type: Gov't Record(s)
Document subtype: Pardon Calendar
Citation:
Minnesota. Board of Pardons.
Max Mason: Application No. 5702.
Pardon Calendars [Minutes]. 1923.
Application no. 5702, January 1923, page 4.
Image text
New Cases.
5702 – MASON, MAX (6785) Convicted June 30th, 1921 in
Saint Louis Count of Rape, and sentenced to the Prison for 7 – 30
years.
Age 22 years. “I am not guilty and know nothing about the
crime which is alleged to have been committed.”
BRIEF FACTS: Mason
was working for the john Robinson circus which showed in Duluth on June
15th, 1921. It was claimed that a young man and woman visited the
circus this evening and that six colored men, one of them Mason, grabbed this
young woman an took her to a ravine and that five of them ravished her, that the
young man was kept under control by a revolver held by one of the party. He was
arrested that night, but they failed to identify hem, and he was released. He
was arrested again the next day in Virginia and brought back to Duluth. He was
one month later identified. He was convicted but still claims innocence. He says
that the people of Duluth were worked up over the matter and that the County
Attorney was anxious to secure a conviction. Three men suspected of complicity
in the crime were hung by a mob.
PRISON: First grade, conduct and
disposition uniformly good; general health – good.
Single; parents
dead, One brother and sisters in Alabama.
Served 30 days on workfarm at
Louisville, Ky. Letters received at prison indicate that otherwise he has a good
record, has been steadily employed and considered industrious.
Denied
parole in September, 1922.
STATE AGENT BOARD OF PAROLE: “There has
always been considerable mystery and doubt in the minds of the Duluth people
about this case. There are people living there who doubt if there was any crime
committed, there are many others who think that at least five others should have
been convicted. There is a great deal of criticism over the way the matter was
handled by the police and others. The real truth will probably never be known.
This man’s conduct and appearance here is good.”
COUTNY
ATTORNEY: “.. We have no recommendation to make either for or against the
exercise of clemency in this case. The defendant was rather unfortunate in that
he was the only man of the colored men involved who was convicted. Personally I
never was of the impression that the evidence was any too strong in his case,
and if he had been a white man, I am rather doubtful if he would have been
convicted.” (Forbes)
[Handwritten at bottom of page] Judge?;
Denied
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