The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-01-18
CRIMINALS SENTENCED-A ATTEMPTRD Es
CAPE
TAe Largest and Toughest Batch Ever SEM From
Stark County at Once.

/ NVN's'o
With the exception Of Joseph Murray and Anne
lia Richardson, who we're previously sentenced
to three years each in the Ohio penitentiary. thC
remaining convicted criminals in the Stark Co
jail were brought into court last Thursday eve
ming and Friday morning to receive their sen,
tences. The lrt batch of FIVE that were brought
before Judge Frease, included George Williams
James Wakeman, Michael O'Brien, Joseph Rogers
and McGuire Williams, the three card monte
and confidence operator who shot Brakeman
Miller on the Fl Wayne railroad, near MaAsillon
In January 1876, was the first prisoner called upon
to stand up, and in response to the question II he
had any reasons why the sentence of the law
should not be passed upon him, his counsel, Ma.
jor Mckinley, said the shooting was but an acci
dent, and the defendant had already been IN Jail
eleven months, and was the only support of a
widowed mother. Judge Frease remarked that
the statute provides from one 10 twenty year as
penalty in such cases, and sentenced George vii.
lams to hard labor without solitary confinement
in the Ohio penitentiary for period of ten years
and to pay the costs Of prosecution.
James Wakeman, convicted of grand larceny,
at Alliance, in the sum of S5475. IN response to
the Judges usual question, said This Is the first
time I've been in predicament of this kind, and
| hope your honor will be ds enent as possible,
and take into consideration the six months
have been in prison" Discretion of the court,
one to seven years; sentence: three years in the
penitentiary, same conditions as above, includ-
ing costs.
Michael O'Brien, burglary and larceny, coun.
nj mil, ntr -
prisoner stated that he had lived in the county
five or six years, and had not heretofore been in
trouble, Sentence four years in the penten.
tiary.
Rogers ard Mcguire, the two tramps who burg
larized H Wertenberger's clothing store in Louis
vile last summer, plea of guilty In both cases
and sentenced to three years each In the peniten.
tiary, same conditions. These five were returned
to the Jail and Ferdinand BIownewell and James
Grant brought into court
James Grant, grand larceny; stealing a buggy
from John sefong, valued at sl25. Defendant
said II didn't steal the buggy; bought the
buggy and your honor, I'm as innocent as child
from two DAYS" Sentence: three years in the
penitentiary.
Ferdinand Brownewell. burglary attempted to
swer to the usual question, he said: ~ have
nothing to say; my counsel is absent and |
haven't the gift Of speech" Sentence was there.
fore suspended until Friday morning, When
Brownewtll and Joseph stucky, the latter for
burglary near Harrlsburgh, were brought into
court, and the former sentenced TO three Years
and the latter to two years In the penltenuary,
Thursday evening Sheriff Rahch received tele.
gram from Canada, to come and get Charley
Jones the incendiary who escaped from Jail last
March. Jones has already been convicted and 1t
only remains to pass his sentence. This makes
the largesI number Of criminals ever booked for
the pententiary, at one time. from this county,
being eleven in all. Saturday evening, Louie"
the turnkey, went into the Jail to collect the sup
per pans and see thatall were properly locked up
for the night he was seized by Bren, who frst
asked Louie TO place spittoon in his CELL and as
he opened the door O'Brien seized and chOked
him into silence, and tied and gagged him. while
Murray seized his keys and unlocked all the cell
doors; he then took Louie's hat and coat and
piling the supposed pans on chair as was LOuie'S
custom, went out OF the corridor and to the outer
hall door where Deputy Mckinney was waiting
to let Louie out Something in the way Murray
carried the pans, and his actions, different from
Loue's aroused the Depuiy's suspicious, and he
called assistance to watch the door while he ra
for help The other prisoners were all ranged in
a row in the corridor, and the moment the outer
hall door would have been opened, they intend.
ed to make grand rush. overpOwer the De uty
at the door, serve him as the turnkey had already
been treated, and then deliberately walk ont
through the Sherih's private Office and once on
Fifth street. they could scatter IF in all directions
under the cover of darkness The job was well
planned and so far as it went well executed,
only the merest accident preventing the escape of
the whole gang.