Daily globe., 1880-06-27
THE SOCIAL SKELETON

which. Like Fanouo's Ghost, yVnl Never
| Down-Frailties Convicted and Sentences
bv Judge Wilkin- General sen.ence Day.
The district court convened at $50 o'clock
yesterday morning, and after disposiug OF
minor business, recess Was taken until l2:SO
o'clock.
At the latter hour County Attorney Eagan
moved to have sentence passed on Frank Mil
Ter, John Powers and John Kripps.
Frank Miller, the first prisoner, was found
guilty of committing az assault on the propri-
etor of the st. Thomas hotel, particulars of
which have appeared in previous issues of the
GLOBE. The prisoner was sentenced to three
months imprisonment in the county jail.
Sentence was then passed on John
Kripps, convicted of committing an assault
| on an expressman named Martin Grogan.
The prisoner was sentenced to pay fine of
| $75, or be imprisoned not exceeding three
months in the county Jail. The fine was
paid and the defendant discharged.
| James Power, convicted of the larceny of
quantity of tools, was sentenced to i've
months imprisonment in the county Jail.
| The curtain then rose, metaphorically, on
the notorious case OF the State against w.
| j. Eads and the denouement came in the
shape of very unexpected, not to say
startling, finale. County Attorney Egan
esated that there was not the slightest pros
pect of trying the case this term. 1t was
the last case on the calendar and counsel
stated that he had done ali in his power to
secure the attendance Of the prose,
| cutting witnesses. The principal
witness, one Figg, was a non
resident ..of the State and there was no way
to enforce his presence, while the complain
ant, John Chinn, was also absent. The
county attorney stated that he had written
to the witnesses nahied, promising 10 defray
their expenses, bat still they refused to come.
Judge Wilkin said the case had
been up several times before and
it was slime it was disposed of.
The defendant had ssked for q speedy trial
and it should have been tried before now.
There seemed to be no assurance that
the witnesses would be here next term and
On r en- of this stamp no reliance could be
placed. It was hardly proper to hold the
case over and if not tried before the end of
the term the case would be dismissed.
Mr.. Egan statd that the criminal calendar
was at an end, whereupon Judge Wilkin
ordered the case dismissed, and the prisoner
was discharged. Thus terminated the
notorious 81, 200 safe robbery about Which
the prosecuting witnesses made SO much
Chinn music.
On motion of the county attorney the
keepers of houses of illsfame were arraigned
for sentence. Messrs. G. D. O'Brien and
E. G. Rogers, counsel for the defendants,
withdrew the special and general pleas of
not guilty, and entered pleas of guilty.
W. fa1 hot xuhp Y,in of
guilty was made, it was customary to inter
pose such testimony on points of equity,
that might mitigate the sentence of the per-
sons indicted. Permission of the court was
granted, whereupon Chief Weber was
called, who explained the mlOduS OperGndG in
| vogue by the city to regulate the evil and
collect fines. Witness stated that the women
had been allowed to open houses of i'll fame
if there was no objections pat in regarding
the locations. The houses were regulated
by the authorities, and it was in the power
of the police to close them up when de-
sired. 1t was the custom under Mayors
Stewart, Msxfeld and Dawson to tolerate
the houses es long as they were conducted
properly and paid the fines.
Detective Bresett was called and explained
the system of imposing and collecting fines.
Fne houses were open by the permission of
the authorities, and, if necessary, they could
be closed at one half hours notice.
MIR. Rygers ithen addressed ithe court on
the question of punishment. Counsel made
mastery legal argument, citing the de-
cision of the supreme court, quoting the
ruling of the United States supreme bench,
and defining at length the difference between
the state andithe municipality, the creature of
state enactment.
Mr.. O'Brien then addressed the court on
the question of clemency, reviewing the
moral questions ct issue and making
strong plea for mercy. Counsel's remarks
we're eloquently pathetic, humane, strong
and manly. He arraigned the male parve
neus and consorts of the fallen creatures,
and rebuked the moral turpitude of the
times in stinging lnvective.
In sentencing the prisoners Matte Gale
was first called, and was sentenced on the
two convictions. She was sentenced to pay
fine of $3.50 on each count, or be impris-
oned for six months. In pronouucing SEN
tence the court said:
JUDGE WILKINS DECISION.
The Court: Hattie Gale stand up.
The prisoner arose and the court til en- said:
Matte Gale you have been indicted by the
grand Jury or this county, ana convicted upon
your own conf ssion of the offense of keeping
house of i'll fame, within the limits of the
city of st. Paul.
The statute of the State provides that per-
sons guilty of the offense of which you stand
convicted, may be punished, in the discretion
of the court, by imprisonment in the State
prison for a period not exceeding one year, or
simply fine not exceeding the sum of $500.
BY this statute there is a very wide latitude
left to the court in the exercise of its discre-
tion. It is an admitted fact in this case that
You haye already been punished for the same
act of which you now stand indicted and con-
victed under The ordinance of the city Of St.
Paul; and it il also proved, and it is NAT
ter of common notoriety that it has been the
practice within the city of St. Paul for some
time past of imposing monthly fines upon
person of your class, and that their fines haye
been enforced, and this action has been taken
by the city authorities under such circumstan-
ces az are calculated to give the impression
that You are in manner licensed to commit
these offenses or that, at all events, your con-
duct is tolerated, if not recognized, by the mu-
ricipal authorities. I have taken these facts
into consideration in exercising my discretion
asto the extent of the punishment to be award
| ed to you upon these indictments, and /
have'concluded in view of those facts not at this
time to send yon to the State prison.
II is now held by the recent decision OF the
Supreme court of this State that punishment
under an ordinance of the city for this
.offense is no bar to punishment for the same
1.