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Carl John Alfred Hammerberg. Case No. 5148. Letter from O. J. Larson to Charles E. Vasaly, March 25, 1921.
Type of event: Incarcerations
Location: St. Cloud; Stearns County; Minnesota; United States
Addressee: Charles E. Vasaly
Addressor: O. J. Larson
Document date:
Document type: Correspondence
Citation:
Minnesota State Reformatory for Men [St. Cloud State Reformatory].
Carl John Alfred Hammerberg: Case No. 5148.
Inmate Case Files.
Letter from O. J. Larson to Charles E. Vasaly, March 25, 1921.
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O. J. LARSON
LAWYER
803-804 LONSDALE BUILDING
DULUTH,
MINN.
March 25, 1921.
Mr. Charles E. Vasaly, Supt.,
St. Cloud,
Minn.
Dear Sir:
Pursuant to your recent request regarding my
knowledge of the past life, etc. of Carl John Alfred Hammerberg, I will say that
from the investigation I made I was unable to learn anything derogatory
regarding his character. He was obliged at an early age to go to work in
assisting his widowed mother. He has not had the opportunities of schooling of
the average American boy. My recollection is that he is a member of a church and
attended the Sunday school. I talked with his Sunday school teacher who
recommended him as a boy of good moral character.
It was unfortunate that he
was present at the lynching of the negroes but thousands of other youths and
adults were also present. No evidence was introduced that he took any active
part in the lynching. I am sincerely of the opinion that he should be released
as soon as possible. I think he realizes now that it was wrong for him to be
even present on the occasion in question. It does not seem just that he should
be punished when there are hundreds of others who took an active part in the
lynching that have not been prosecuted. From my knowledge of the public
sentiment of the community, I feel warranted in saying that his early release
would meet with the approval of the people of Duluth generally.
Yours
respectfully,
O. J. Larson
OJL/M