Harry C. Knowles v. Clarence T. Gladden, Warden, Oregon State Penitentiary

Appellant, a prisoner at the Oregon State Penitentiary, appeals from the denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Appellant was convicted and sentenced on his plea of guilty to second degree murder. After an evidentiary hearing, the district court found that the plea was voluntary and accordingly denied appellant’s petition. We affirm.

The district court made lengthy findings of fact, which may be summarized as follows:

During October of 1954, appellant was incarcerated in the County Jail at Apalachicola, Florida. At the time he was forty-six years old, unable to read or write well, and had only a fourth or fifth grade education. On October 11, 1954, he was interviewed there by F.B.I. special agent Charles Carroll and questioned about the interstate transportation of a stolen pickup truck which had been owned by one Albert Stuart. Carroll advised appellant that he did not have to make any statements, that any statements he did make could be used against him, and that he had the right to consult an attorney. The interview lasted about one hour, and appellant denied any knowledge of the pickup truck or of Stuart’s whereabouts.

On October 18, 1954, appellant was…