Miriam Van Waters Papers. Male Prisoner Correspondence, 1927-1971. Correspondence: M, 1931-1932. A-71, folder 610. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

[top right] March 15th, 1932

[left] Mr. Russell McWilliams, Box 1112, Joliet, Illinois.

My dear Russell:

I was glad to get your letter of March 8th. Thank youf giving me the news of your lawyers. I have written to two friends in Illinois for fresh assistance.

As you say, no news is sometimes good news. You do well to feel hope and encouragement for this makes your friends work all the harder. You may have felt gloomy when I saw you but I thought that you had a, "stiff upper lip".

A famous story writer once wrote a book called, "Fortitude", and said that it was not life that mattered, but the courage that one brought to it.

I am sure your dear Parents like to see you cheerful. It is comforting to know that they stand by you.

I am sending you some books to read, some stories. I do not know the regulations about books in Joliet, but I am sending them from the Harvard University Cooperative Shop. If you cannot receive them in this way, I could have them returned and resent through the publisher. Perhaps you would like me to send you a little book that I wrote long ago called, "Youth in Conflict".

It is very cold in Massachusetts. I have not moved out to the Reformatory yet, but expect to dosso this week. No, there is no copporal punishment in this institution, thank Heaven.

Do you hear good news of your dog?

I hope you are well. All good wishes to you.

Ever faithfully yours,

[top right] March 15th, 1932.

[top right margin] 3-15-32 M.V.W. wrote letter to Jessie Binford, re: case.

[left] Miss Julia Lathrop, Rockford, Illinois.

Dear Miss Lathrop:

I have recently received two letters from Russell Mc Williams, the 17 year old boy condemed to death in Joliet. He seems quite uncertain as to the outcome of the appeal which I understand gets a hearing in April.

Will you please write me your present knowledge and opinon of the case. I am beginning to feel very anxious. There is nothing the American League to Abolish Capital Punishment can do because they are out of funds. But individuals might be found to help. I suppose Mr. Darrow's interest in the Hawaian case has taken him off.

Russell writes that his lawyers are "William H. Holly, Thomas F. Ryan, of Chicago B. J. Knight, Penny and Lupton of Rockford".

I hope you are well.

Ever yours,

[top center] March 17, 1932

[left] Rodney C. Brandon, Director State Department of Public Welfare Springfield, Illinois

My dear Mr. Brandon:

[watermark] COPY

As I understand it the Supreme Court will hand down the decision on the Russell McWilliams case in April and if it is unfavorable and the boy is not granted a re-trial the decision of the Pardon Board will then stand that he is to be electrocuted, and I suppose immediately. Whether we can again appeal to the Pardon Board if we reach that time or to the Governor I do not know. I understand from you that the Pardon Board gave this case very serious consideration, that you think there is not much chance of a change of opinion on the part of the members, and also that you said that the prosecuting attorney's statement that this death sentence had absolutely put a stop to all hold-ups in Rockford influenced their decision a great deal. This statement we are going to check up on at once.

May I just review, as I wish to send a copy of this letter to the attornies, the request I made of you the other day. I told you the Mr. Darrow wondered if Dr. Wilgus could be asked to make it. You replied when you telephoned me in Chicago, that the boy had been examined and that you had had it made under direction of the Juvenile Research because of his age and that the Pardon Board had had a psychiatric examination before they passed on the boy's age. Yesterday Dr. Schroeder called me saying there must be some mistake, that they have never examined this boy nor can they examine him unless requested to do so by Wardon Hill, that he did get the psychological test in a group but that was all. I tried to make it plain to Dr. Schroeder that we did not want a psychiatric examination just merely to establish whether the boy had a psychosis or not but to get an understanding from the point of view of a good psychiatrist of how the boy happened to suddenly develop this behavior which had such very serious results.

I am very anxious to have you write and tell me whether the attornies and the many people who are interested in this boy can have permission to send a psychiatrist to Joliet to examine him and at the same time whether Warden Hill is going to ask the Institute of Juvenile Research to make such an examination and in any event if it would not be better for us to have a psychiatrist see him

[top right] [17 March 1932]

[left] and not use the examination made by the State if it is made. I became rather confused about this whole situation and would be grateful if you would write a reply to these questions.

[center] Very sincerely yours,

[left] JFB/HH

[center] Executive Director

[watermark] COPY

[top left] Name Miss Miriam Van Waters

Street & Number 7 Riedesel ave

City Cambridge State Mass.

[top right] BOX 1112

Joliet, Illinois

March 18 1932

[left] My Dear Miss Van Waters,

I received your worthy letter today, so thought I would answer it, or try to at least.

There is no news or any thing going on unsual, Just the same yesterday, today & tomorrow sompthing will stir things up in april if it is not in my favor, why I object. But it is going to be good news.

Say I actually believe my dad would die if bad news come, he is like that. I hav'nt heard any news about my dog but Mom says the family is well, so that means the dog is also well. He plays with the little kids, also watches them, very suspicious of the strangers, The dog thinks he is the big [I?]. and of course he is.

I think I can receive your books, Im not sure, auther people send them. Yes I would very much like to read any book that you wrote, "Youth in conflict" The title sounds interesting almost like convict dosent it? but quite different