Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-07-29
Under New York Law.
WHY WE'RE THESE MALEFACToRs NOT SUM.
MARILY HANGED AND CHARTERED?
LFrom the New York Herald.

4 few weeks ago there was published
In the HerGid brief account Of tyo
yuung men who, pressed by HUNGER.
having eaten nothing for two DAYS. com
united the heinons offense of stesIiac n
Loaf OF bread of the market value OF six
cents. They were held in the Jeffsrsnr,
Market Police Court for trial, notwith-
standing the magistrate, The clerk Of the
court Aiid other officers Joined in urging
the coilplaiuant not TO press the Charge.
III 'u';h"r fact, however, that thav IRE
now serving sentence of five months
imprisonment ii he Penitei tiarv fer
tho.r crime has not hitherto hgcn pnh.
iiaEe i. I,iai ii is d fact is sliuw4i by tn.
records of the Court of special Sessions.
where they both pleaded guilty. They
were arraigned on July 7, and, no testi-
mony being taken, they were sentenced
each to five months imprisonment.
The facts III this case are a sufficient
commentary in themselves. Daniel
Smith and Patrick Considine ct was en-
tered Hennessy in the police COURT
were out of work. They had walked to
New York, one from New Orleans and
the other from Philadelphia. Smith
i
They came to New York together, and
with the common instinct of wretched
humanity they kept together On the
morning Of June 30 they started to
walk to the North River, where Smith
thought he might meet some acQuaiut-
ances in the fruit packets that ply from
New Orleans to New York and get some
food from them. On the way they
passed the door of the grocery kept by
Lisie Bullock, at No. % Clinton place.
and IN front of his door they saw bas-
ket containing, with other provisions, q
loaf of bread. In the hearing OF one or
two persons on the street one said TO
the other, Here, what's the use of go
lug hungry any longer ? We haven't
had any thing to eat for wo days let us
take tbs bread. Accordingly they
took it, and breaking it in two with no
effort at concealment began eating it
voracicusly In the public street.
The grocer's clerk saw them, and his
employer called u policeman. They
went quietly to the station and there
told their story. They were sent to
court. 1t is pleasant TO be able TO say
that the police sergeant who sent them
directed the policeman who took them
to give them a good breakfast on th..
way
Arrived i'll conrt the prisoners were.
committed. No effort was made t.
aspsrse their character beyond the al
legation of the complainant, which they
did not deny, that they had actually
stolen bread and eaten it. Under the
letter of the law the magistrate he'd to
commit them for trial, since Mr.. Lisie
Bullock pressed the charge, though
everybody who saw them, and talked
with them, excepting, possibly, Mr..
Bullock, was impressed with the truth
Of their story.
In the Special Sessions they pleaded
guilty. The complainant told the Court
that similar thefts of milk and bread
were common in the neigi,bnrhood
where he keeps his store. Whether this
fact was to initiate against the pris-
oners, or whether their standing ia
court was uniujured by the fact that
they were utterly destitute, even of a
home, does not appear by the record.
but 1t does appear that r hungry man
who steals three cent? worth of bread
must under the law be imprisoned il
the penitentiary for five months. What
kind of citizens they are likely to be
next December Is matter of pure
conjecture
The magistrates on the bench when
the prisoners were sentenced were Kill
breth, Power and Patterson.