The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-23
JOYS fT JOLIET
A Number of Prisoners have
Bright Anticipations.
Circuit Court and its Sentence
Dav. $50

Monday was designated BY Judge Smith
as the time when prisoners. who had been
convicted at the present term of the circuit
court, would receive their sentences.
This fact caused the circuit court room
to be well filed yesterday afternoon. The
members of The bar were out in full force,
while the seats reserved for spectators we're
also well occupied
A few formal motions were made and
defaults taken. but the crowd were evil
IDENTIFY not interested in such prosaic pro-
ceedings. Their longings were satisfied,
however, when, the officers fled into the
court room with
A QUENTETTE
of prisoners, consisting of j. J. Schmidt,
John Riley, John Weleh, Louis Elkins,
and the boy, Eli Hoffman, The prisoners
were seated within the bar and their hand
cuffs removed,
The first prisoner called was j j.
Schmidt, who had been indicted for the
burning of the jail, and for carrying con-
cealed weapons. He had been convicted
of the first, and entered plea of guilty to
the second.
The prisoner had nothing to advance
why sentence should not be passed upon
him. and the court sentenced him to the
penitentiary. for six years on the first and
one year on the second charge.
Eli Hoffman, who had been convicted of
an attempted rape upon little girl, was
sent to the Reform school at Pontiac fol-
a term of four years. .sas
Louis Elkins, the Moline burglar, who
had plead guilty to breaking in the street
car barn, and had been convicted of the
burglary of the Revere house, said that he
thought the verdict was too big for such
a little offense-' He claimed. that if a
lighter sentence was imposed he would
prove himself man worthy of such judi
cial consideration
The court. sentenced him to Joliet for a
term of six years, for the Revere House
affair, and one year fer the street car barn
burglary.
John Welch and John Riley, for the lar
ceny of sack of flour from the co-opera-
tive store in Moline, were sentenced to one
year each, in the state penitentiary. r..
The quintette, were then removed from
the court room, and A..9 s.5e
TWO OTHER PRISONERS
were brought in. They were George ones,
the cripple, and Frank Martin. The for
mer entered plea of guilty to the burg
larry of Holt & Wilson'S store, in Moline,
and the latter had admitted his burglary
of the residence of Mr.. Hayes, of this
city.
Jones had nothing to say, and took his
sentence of seven years i'll the penitentiary
without any emotion. Martin; on the con-
trary, pretended that he had been assisted
by "pal," who escaped. He affirmed
that his partner secured the watch and
gave It to him. 49,
The court stated that he did not allow
such circumstances to mitigate the punish
ment to he inflicted. He then sentenced
Martin to term of eight years in the Joliet
The prisoners were marched out, and
we're followed by the crowd who i'm
agined that. the sentences had all been i'm
posed. p U.s.. 80
Such did not prove to be the case, as
W. A. MEEsE,
sa4
the Moline lawyer vino had embezzled
some 50, 900 of the money entrusted to IN
by three different clients to be loaned to
parties, came walking in the
court roem.and took his seat near one of
The court officers. He had been indicted
On three separate counts, but had given
bail and had never been in custody.
The courts addressing the prisoner, asked
him if he had anything toasay.
Meese arose. and with voice Indicating
the deepest emotion, stated that he had
very little to say. He.had taken the mon
sy but when he did so he had no intention
Of sdefrauding any of his clients The first
step, he said, led to others, until he found
himself unable to make good the amount
which he had taken, and to- hide his dis
grace, he fled But when he heard that he
was indicted, he returned, as his original
on leaving was to make enough
Money to repay the amount taken. n
He gave himself up, and was in court to
'eeeive its sentence He said that he had
made satisfactory arrangements with one
IF the parties, docking toward a payment
IF the money taken. He hoped to make
the same arrangement with a seeend eredi-
or, and asked the court to pass sentence
lpon the remaining count. and suspend
Judgment on the other two counts.
Mr.. Gest, bis attorney, followed with an
argument in support of the point made by
Meese. Mr. Gest took the ground that all
were in the habit of spending
money given to them in trust. and would
make 1t good out of their individual funds
" bank account He claimed that Meese
lad followed that practice and had carried |
{ to excess, and thereby became an en-
,ezzler
THE COURT
tated that he did not feel that nc was au-