Max Mason. Application No. 6205. April 1924. July 1924. October 1924.
Type of event: Incarcerations
Location: Minnesota; United States
Document date:
Document type: Gov't Record(s)
Document subtype: Pardon Calendar
Documents: Max Mason. Application No. 6205. April 1924. July 1924. October 1924.
Citation:
Minnesota. Board of Pardons.
Max Mason: Application No. 5702.
Pardon Calendars [Minutes]. 1924.
Application no. 6205: April 1924, page 118; July 1924, page 7; October 1924, page 13.
Image text
6205 – 5702 – MASON, MAX (5702) Convicted July 30, 1921 in
St. Louis County of Rape and sentenced to the Prison for 5 – 30 years.
[April 1924]
Age 23 years. Asks clemency as “from the testimony offered at the trial
it is apparent that the verdict of the jury was due entirely to passion and
prejudice; that the evidence was not sufficient to sustain a conviction; that
your petitioner is innocent; that he comes squarely within the contemplation of
the duties of the Pardon Board in the granting of relief from punishment
improperly inflicted through a story which in its entirely is unusual and
strikingly improbable and calculated to create bias and dethrone reason in the
mind of the average juror to the extent of depriving him of that sane and wise
judgment that should actuate the mind of a fair and impartial
juror.”
BRIEF FACTS: Mason was working for the John Robinson
circus which showed in Duluth on June 15, 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 and 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 him
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. General health good. Application for parole denied for fourth time
in March, last.
Accomplices, William Miller, Louis Hayes, Frank Spicer,
Clarence Green, L. Williams and Nate Gray.
Served thirty days on Workfarm
at Louisville, Ky. Information received cover his time will and speak well of
him. Kept steadily employed, spoken of as honest and associates not be for one
of his class.
Single. Parents dead. One brother and two sisters living in
Alabama.
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 other who think that at least five other 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.
Letter of County Atty. (Mason Forbes) January, 1923.
The defendant was
rather unfortunate in that he was the only one 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.
118
[July 1924]
ADVISEMENT CASES.
6114 – THOMPSON, IRVINE (5814) Convicted November 23, 1922, in Rice
County, of Rape and sentenced to the Reformatory for 7 – 30
years.
See April 1924 Calendar Page 21.
6205 – 5702 –
MASON, MAX (5702) Convicted July 30, 1921, in St. Louis County, of Rape, and
sentenced to the Prison for 7 – 30 years.
See April 1924 Calendar
page 118.
6206 – 5745 – SMITH, CARL B. (7222) Convicted
October, 1921, in Ramsey County, of Subornation of Perjury, and sentenced to the
Prison for 1 – 5 years.
See April 1924 Calendar page 109.
6205 – 5702 – MASON, MAX (5702) Convicted July 30, 1921 in St.
Louis County of Rape and sentenced to the Prison for 7 – 30
years.
Age 23 years [October 1924]
See April,
1924 Calendar, page 118.
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 other who think that at least five other 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.
COUNTY
ATTORNEY: (January, 1923) The defendant was rather unfortunate in that he was
the only one of the colored men involved who was convicted. Personally I never
was of the impression that the evidence was any to strong in his case, and if he
had been a white man, I am rather doubtful if he would have been
convicted.
(Mason M. Forbes)
In conversation with Mr. Forbes in
May, 1924 he recommended that his man be released and returned to his home in
the South.
[Handwritten] Denied
6059 – 6306 –
NELSON, GEORGE (5982) Pleaded guilty Jun 18, 1923 in Ramsey County to Grand
Larceny, second degree and sentenced to the Reformatory for 0 – 5
yrs.
July, 1924 Calendar, page 136.
Recommendation from judge and
county attorney in behalf of George Nelson and his accomplice, George
Webster.
Stole a Ford Sedan from in front of Miller Hospital and sold it
for $475.
United States Veterans Bureau offers to secure position for
him.
6245 – GROVER, HUGH (7655) Pleaded guilty December 5,
1923 in Carlton County to Carnal Knowledge and sentenced to the Prison for 0
– 7 years.
Age 27 years. See July, 1924 Calendar, page
34.
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