THE PRISON NEWS
_ _
PUBLISHED MON'THL Y, BY THE STATE PRISON DEPARTMENT
4,
VOLUME II
THE STATE’S PRISON, RALEIGH, N. C., JUNE 1, 1928
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HIGH LIGHTS IN THE LIFE
OF JAMES A. HARTNESS,
SECRETARY OF STATE
(Continuing a policy recently inaugu¬
rated, thin publication presents the follow¬
ing, which is the second in a series of
sketches on the lives of North Carolina
officials.)
James A. Hartness was born in the rural
districts of Iredell county, a few miles from
Statesville, and grew up on a farm. He
was educated in the rural district schools
and at Statesville Academy — an institution
that supplied the place of a high school in
the old days before the present system of
city and county schools was established.
(The academies, as is penerally known, were
private enterprises, conducted by men of
scholarship who were able to prepare youths
for college.) In those days going to college
was the exception rather than the rule — and
the rare exception. Following his schooling
at Statesville academy, Mr. Hartness stud¬
ied law. Studying law in those days meant,
with rare exceptions, joining a class of
young men tutored by an elderly lawyer
who made a practice of preparing young
men for admission to the bar. Mr. Hart¬
ness was prepared that way and was li¬
censed to practice in 1887. He located in his
county town, which has since been his home.
Young Hartness received his religious
instruction in the Associated Reform
Presbyterian Church, his mother being a
member of that church, but he joined the
Presbyterian Church of which he is now a
member.
Mr. Hartness had a penchant for politics
from his youth up. He was always inter¬
ested and more or less active in local polit¬
ical contests; and as lawyers usually bear
a major part in political matters Mr. Hart¬
ness’ interest in his favorite study natur¬
ally increased after he became a lawyer.
Some half dozen years after he came to
the Statesville bar he became the editor
of a local weekly paper that had been es¬
tablished a short time and combined his
law practice with newspaper editing for
some years. Incidentally he retained his
interest in that newspaper and its success¬
ors until recent years.
Grover Cleveland was elected President
in 1892 and in 1893 Mr. Hartness sought
appointment under his administration but
the political organization of the County
at that time refused to recognize him. Mr.
Hartness, during the year 1893, organized
and became editor of a newspaper, known
Ч4
,+JHER VI
J -
JAMES A. HARTNESS
Secretary of State
as the Statesville Mascot, and went to bat¬
tle. The dominant issue was the free coin¬
age of silver. Mr. Hartness took the sil¬
ver side of the question. At that time, it
will be remembered that an effort was being
made in the United States Congress to re¬
peal the Sherman Act which the silver
people thought meant the final effort to
demonetize silver. On the silver issue Mr.
Hartness took up the fight and backed a
candidate for congress from Iredell County
for the nomination in that district. He
carried the County and overthrew the then
existing organization, putting at its head
in the County, one of his faction. Four
years later he became chairman himself,
which position he still holds.
In 1896 Mr. Hartness was one of the
Democratic nominees for the legislature in
Iredell (the county then having two house*
members). Two years previous — 1894 —
Iredell was lost-to the Democrats by a small
majority in the fusion victory. In 1896
Mr. Hartness led the fight to redeem the
county, and was elected to the legislature
that year. Mr. Hartness served in the legis¬
lature of 1897, in which Democrats were few.
He was the author of the Fellow Servant Act
at that session which was enacted into law.
In 1898 Mr. Hartness was nominated
and elected clerk of the Superior Court of
Iredell County. Every four years he was
(Please Turn to Page Four).
REHABILITATION OF
PRISONERS MAKES
FORWARD STRIDES
North Carolina’s Pardon Commissioner
Edwin B. Bridges and his Citizens Aid
Committee have begun functioning vigor¬
ously. Reports of assistance given to men
released from the State’s Prison are coming
in frequently and arc highly encouraging.
There is no doubt that competition for *the
cup offered by the Commissioner to the Com¬
mittee which shall assist the greatest num¬
ber of ex-prisoners will be keen.
Thus far, Charlotte has found room for
the most men thrust on society by the open¬
ing of penitentiary gates. Four have found
work in Mecklenburg’s capital. Three of
these the Commissioner of Pardons himself
placed through the Committee.
Mr. Bridges is deeply immersed in this
project of his. He is proud that none of the
men for whom he has been instrumental in
securing liberty have turned their backs on
him by again engaging in questionable pur¬
suits. But this has meant constant vigi¬
lance on his part. For example:
On his parole a prisoner was instructed
to report for work in Charlotte at a certain
filling station. This man called Salisbury
his home. As it is on the route between the
Capital City and the Queen City he stopped
off there for a brief visit. He extended his
visit indefinitely, so that word came to Mr.
Bridges he was associating with his old
crowd. He was fast reverting to the old
care-free, irresponsible life.
Immediately the Commissioner got in
touch with and secured the aid of Rowan
County Welfare people. They had no trou¬
ble in finding the truant. After a brief
talk the ex-prisoner professed a willingness
to go on to Charlotte. There he took the job
in ihe filling-station, which wasone of a chain
He had a winning personality and ho made
friends and customers for his employers.
Eight times have they raised the salary of
the ex-prisoner. Such an interest did they
evince in his welfare that they often took
him to dinner and otherwise showed him
solicitude. They realized that the man who
is remaking his life is often lonely, friend¬
less. So confident are they of his future
they declare it their intention to appoint
him to the first managership vacant.
There is a case of a former prisoner who
returned to his home tow*n. Unfavorable
environment and the hostile feeling against
him, due to his previous bad record, had con¬
spired to place him in line for a parole vio-
( Please Turn to Page Four).