Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-03-01

The Bellaire boys Albert King, John Davis,
Lewis Welshance and Patrick Burke, who
were indicted by the last Grand Jury for Rape
upon a woman tramp named Lamb, and who
entered plea of guilty of an assault with in-
tent to commit rape, were sentenced by TIE
Court on Saturday. The remarks of Judge
Okey were so timely and appropriate that We
re prodace them below. He addressed the
prisoners as follows:
Three of your number have been indicted
for committing rape, and one OF your num-
b r has been indicted for aiding and abetting
IN the commission of that crime. Those
charged with committing the crime have plead
guilty TO charge of assault with intent to
COUNT the crime, and the party charged
with aiding has plead guilty of the crime of
aiding the others in making the felonious as
sault. This is Al serious charge-it " wouid be
a serious charge 10 make against persons
much older in years and in crime than either
of you are, and when made against young
men rs you are, not yet arrived at full MAN.
hood, the charge becomes still more grave.
There must be some cause for persons 20
young as you are for being guilty Of such a
charge. Persons of ripper yeais, sometimes
by the commission of minor offenses, reach to
the higher grade of crime, but in your case
the probability is that intoxication was the
moving cause 1t is lamentable fact, and
one that meets us almost daily, that the sale
and excessive use of intoxicating liquors form
the moving cause aud are at the bottom of al
most all the crime committed in the country.
You all have friends that feel deeply for you
community at large have an interest in you.
The aged are passing away. The young must
Na1-a ~.
cant by the aged. Each one of you, if you
| live to the years of majority, must take your
place in society and form a part OF the COM
nunity or society IN which you may live, and
how important it is that from now, and more
especially from the time you shall be released
| from the confinement to which under the law
am compelled to sentence you-that you
shall so live that you may yet acquire and
maintain a good standing in society. 1t is
important that each one should so live and so
act that society is made better for their having
lived in it. This you can only do by living
soberly, peaceably and honestly. 1t is no
pleasant duty for a Court to pronounce the
sentence that the law attaches to crime, but it
is duty incumbent upon us, responsibility
that Judge assumes upon entering upon the
discharge of the duties of the office.
| Albert King you will stand up. After
listening to the remarks that | have made to
you and those indicted with you, | would
further say that you have beeen indicted for
assauliing Eliza Jane Lamb and committing q
rape upon her, and you have plead guilty of
the crime of assault with intent to commit
such crime. Have you anything to say why
the sentence provided by law should not now
be pronounced against you.
The sentence of the Court is that you be
taken by the Sheriff of this county to the jail
of this county, that within thirty days you
be taken to the Penitentiary of the State and
there confined and kept at hard labor for the
term of two years, and that you pay the costs
of prosecution.
John Davis and Lewis Welshance were sen.
ltenced In the same manner.
After the indictment was found and ples
of guilty had been entered therein by Patricl
Burke that he was guilty of the crime of aid
ing King, Davis and Welshance in making al
assault upon Eliza Jane Lamb with intent t.
commit the crime upon her, it was found tha
Burke was under the age Of 16 years, there
upo1 the Court sentenced him to the Reform
Farm of Ohio until he arrives at the age o
, majority.