Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-05-13

The following is the sentence that
Judge Dean pronounced on A. l.. Guss,
of the Huntingdon Globe, for libel:
1t is certainly matter of regret to
be called upon to pass sentence, for vio-
lation of the law, on gentleman of
your intelligence, but the offense for
which you have been indicted and coz
victeG, is one which has been, so far as
We are able to learn and ascertain from
the facts on The record In this Judicial
District, and outside Of it, punished BY
the Court, with more severity in all in
stances, where the libel was that of
private a citizen. While prosecutions
have been instituted for libel because
Of political controversy and conviction
had aud no severe sentence imposed
upon the parties, because of political
license, yet we have not been able to
learn of case where severe sentence
was not imposed when the libel was
that of a private citizen. 1t is consid-
cred generally an aggravated offense.
In your case we have not the least
doubt you were smarting under what
you considered the grossest indignity.
We have no doubt of the provocation,
but whether the parties accused we're
gyilty or innocent of the offense, the
Law still protects private citizen from
disgrace and the innocent members of
his family from shame and visits with
punishment the party who libels bin.
As in the case of the Common wealth vs..
Meeser of Philadelphia, and Of Reese,
in our county, five OF six years ago,
where for the simple writing of letter,
Judge Taylor sent the defendant to Jail
six months, SO in all casel of this kind.
We do not hesitate to say, from cur
own knowledge CT the condition of at
fairs in this county-being in the habit
Of reading the public prints generally
every week-that the parties here are
engaged in grossly libelling each other,
and private citizens, and have been for
months and the other parties are just
as liable to prosecution as you are, and,
SO far as this Court is concerned will
meet with precisely the same punish
ment We have 10 hesitation in say
Ing that, without distinction of parties
or persons, we will punish those who
commit these gross libels on private
character, when convicted of the Of
fense.
There are many things in your case
which incline US to lenient sentence,
among them i, the fact that you stop
ped the publication OF that article, and
suppressed it after a knowledge of the
denial of those parties; aud we're it not
for the denial of those parties and
were it not for the cases of Luther Rex
and Rindlaub, and the copy sent to
Prof. Wickersham after the agreement
there would have been nothing which
would have indicated to the Court
disposition on your part to send the
libel out but here we're three positive.
distinct and actual publications after
the prosecutor had informed you that
he was not the author and in view of
the nature of the libel and the charges
made, and the position of the party
libelled-tbat of private citizen, a
man, so far as known to this Court, of
respectable character, and with a fam
ily,-we cannot do otherwise than i'm
pose the sentence we do, which is that
ycu pay fiue of $3.50, to the county,
for the use of the Commonwealth, ald
the costs of prosecution, and undergo
an Imprisonment in the County jail for
the term of forty days.