Louis Folwell Hart to American Civil Liberties Union, December 19, 1923

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TELEGRAM

1923 DEC 19 PM 1 29

OLYMPIA, WASH 19 1010A

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

100 FIFTH AVE NEW YORK NY

YOU ARE ENTIRELY MISINFORMED CONCERNING WASHINGTON STATE PRISONERS. THERE ARE BUT FIVE PRISONERS IN OUR PENITENTIARY CONVICTED UNDER OUR CRIMINAL SYNDICALISM LAWS AND THEY COULD HAVE HAD THEIR FREEDOM AT ANY OF THE LAST THREE QUARTERLY MEETINGS OF THE PAROLE BOARD BUT REFUSED TO ACCEPT IT UNTIL CERTAIN PRISONERS SENTENCED TO THE PENITENTIARY FOR MURDER WERE RELEASED PREFERRING TO PLAY THE ROLE OF MARTYRS.

LOUIS F HART GOVERNOR OF WASHINGTON.