The New York herald., 1875-12-24
COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS.
Before Judge Sutherland.

FOUR YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR ARSON.
There was but one case tried in the Court Of Gen
eral Sessions yesterday-that OF Morris ". Godscin,
charged with Tho case was opened on the pre-
vious afternoon BY Assistant District Attorney Herring
In an address in which he denounced the crime for
which the accused about 10 be tried or tho
most henouz which could DO perperated. The In
dictment which tho prisoner was trod charged
him with having the evening Of the 10th OF August
last set re to his obbng tailor shop the rst floor
the three story frame house No l53 Varrlck street.
for tho purpose Of defrauding the Amity insurance
Company, By which the property was insured Mrs.
Catherine whitman testified that she and her children
occupied tho top door OF tho house and that ON the
night in question she looking from her window
when she saw GoldsteIn and his wife and
child leave the house About twenty minutes later
sho found hor apartments nlled with smoke,
which was issuing from tho shop OF tho tailor Several
citizens and re officials collected IN front OF the
house the door OF the shop was burst open and heap
Of CLOTH paper and Otber material was found burning
upon a table on side Of the room. IL was extn
guished without injury TO the building. James n
brennan OF the Fire Patrol Robert King, chief Of the
Third battalion OF tho Fire Department, ard Charles y
Hll Assistant Fire Marshal, all Of whom entered the
burning promises almost simultaneously stated that
they found fire the table directly under rack on
which cloths were spread and that in drawer OF tho
same tablo they found Gre distinct spots sepa
rated BY OF trimmings and other articles equally
infammsble II was shown that the accused had re.
moved from Hudson street month before the burn
ing; that he insured in the Amty Insurance
Company for $3.50, and that after the hre he
tho loss be had sustained Fire Marshal Sheldon,
pcctng that something wrong had all the scraps OF
cloth left In tho premises carefully preserved and the
value OF the articles they represented appraised by
Samuel w Cohn, expert In cloths. The estimate Of
loss arrived ut 10 ths way much lower than that
claimed by the accused Louis Levi s'sexton" OF q
Hebrew lodge Of some Kind 70 which the accused bo-
longed and David Josephs ils presiding officer testi-
fed that Godsten bad attended meeting Of tho
catlon on tho night OF the Gro and called away by
a messenger who came TO inform him Of the burning
Ills prem iseS Abram Bleistl, liquor dealer OF No.
ss Essex street. and Morris 0rbach, of No a. Orchard
street "a manufacturer Of buttonholesn testified TO
the good character or The accused The Jury found The
prisoner guilty Judge Sutherland sent him 10 the
State Prison for four years
DECISION Set ASIDE.
William Benz, who, Wednesday, in the absence
or counsel pleaded guilty TO burglary and was sentenced
10 state Prison for four year appealed through hii
counsel yesterday 70 have the decision set aside and
the case e0penod the ground that the prisoner did
not understand his position when he pleaded The re-
quest was granted
JKwELRY THIEF SENTENCED.
Joseph wopsler pleaded guilty To having, on the Gath
or November, entered the premises OF Henrietta Retz
al No 535 Sixth street. and stolen thererom two gold
rings, q pair Of gold earrings, silver watch and
$40 20 In money he sent 10 State Prison for two
years