New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
SCENES ON SENTENCE DAY
HIS CAREFUL JUDGMENTS AND HOW THEY ARE
RECEIVED


Recorder smyth alone Of the Judges of the General
Sessions has made tho Friday Of each week sen
tence day" on which the most Of the criminals who
have pleaded guilty or been convicted on trial on other
DAYS of the week receive the final Judgment Of the
court The Recorders courtroom consequently pre-
scnts on Friday quickly moving panorama In which
the sad or tho lulcrous Sides OF human nature The
stornncss Of the righteous Indignation at wronS or Inc
pity at the mlsfortuncs which lead to crime, The cal
lousncsS of old offenders or the sorrow OF repeh'aht
wrong doors arc IN turn portrayed.
The Recorder strongly marked personality Is the
Of small part of the interest at one oil 'hoSc
Friday morning His large strong features ana
resonant voice change quickly the circumstances OF
each case are developed. For the hardened criminal
or the perperaor Of some strocous crime MS wofus
have force and intensity that make his sentences
moro dreaded than those OF other judges who at limos
impose longer terms of imprisonment. But when
his careful scrutiny Of tho fact shows that the prs-
oner before HIN has been led by sudden temptation
to commit the first offence Of an otherwise honorape
life or when circumstances Of extreme youth ola age
or dcsuton appeal to his sympathies, his features
losc their sernness and the tones of his voice are
softly modulatcd.
4 YOUNG MAN DRIVEN TO DO WRONG.
Eight or ton men and boys and ono or two women
form the melancholy procession which passes before
the Recorder on a Friday which may be taken as an
exampc OF many The first prisoner whom tho clerk
calls TO the OF the court Is handsome and well
dressed young man whose dark features betray Jcw-
ish birth Several charges OF larceny have been mane
against him He is one Of the peculiar class of
thieves developed by the custom In tho ieweiry 'rahc
OF delivering goods " on memorandum Many lcw-
ellers anxious to secure sales will allow CLERK or
other person connected with some iewclry house to
take goods from their stock without payment OF any
money on The understanding that the goods VIII De
returned II the person taking them docs not succeed
In disposlng Of them the customer whom he has In
mind as a probable purchaser.
Tho prisoner In this came to this country less
than two years ago. Ills family in Germany was
highly respectable ono. Tho young man. attractive
I'm looks fond society and popular among his asso-
ciacs finds that his Income hardly supplies his needs
and ho borrows from his friends. lie
becomes engaged to he married 10
young woman who believes that his income
Is larger than It rally Is. Tho young man becomes
more deeply involved In debt in the effort to be we'll
dressed and liberal in the society OF the young woman
whom he loves Finally his friends become Inn
Fortunate in their demands for the return OF tho
money Loaned. He tas becn inrusted with diamonds
ard other jewels 10 a large amount lie knows thar
he can keep them for several days without suspicion
snd no pawns them and pays of his mos pressing
debts The first time ho easily re1ccms the jewels
bv pawninc others and ctlns those first obtained
IIo continues TO pay the enormous interest Of the
moneylcndcrs by the pawulng of successive lots OF
jcwcry. until the inevitable exposure comes, and he
finds himself a criminal Al the bar
Ills lips culver and his eyes filed with tears
as he stands before the Recorder. IL says in
a trembling voice, when The Recorder asks him what
he can answer to the charge: " I led into this.
The people who loaned me money kept pressing me-
harder and harder l have never been guilty before
and this time thought could easily replace the
articles in few days. I know that shall never
commit a crime again If have an opportunity to re
FORM
GIVING HIM CHANCE TO REFORM
Tho Recorder says: &" do not like to send to the
state Prison young man. intelligent and bright who
has guilty of bis first offence and now expresses
a wish 10 reform will send YOU 10 tho Elmra
Rcformatory where II your desire TO reform Is sincere
you may learn how to earn an honest livelihood
Tho young prisoner thanks tho Recorder and IS led
back 70 tho prison pen
Two men accused Of fraudulently registering as
qualified voters arc taken after tho other. before
the Recorder and their varying sentences show the
care with which the circumstances Of each case arc
weighed Both men arc ex-convcts and both ATE
accused Of registering without having been restored
20 citizenship The first taken to the bar is u
Young man with clear blue eyes and a high forehead
Ills pretty wife stands near him. Tho prisoner
acknowledges his guilt and that drink Is the curse
Of his life have tried to honest liking.
and would not have gone near tho registry pace
II had not became intoxicated the prisoner says
and fortunately he has a witness on his behalf in
court The witness. an elderly business man, tells
the Recorder that he has bcfrended the young man
since he served his term Of IMPRISONMENT
and that the prisoner has worked faithfully AMI
ha, shown himself honest when intrusted
with sums Of money The Recorder says Il have
little sympathy with any one who violates the election
or registration laws The crime IS too common and
the suffrage is too important privilege OF the citizen
respectable business speaks earnestly however
Of Your apparent desire reform The punishment Is
fixed by law a. Imprisonment for from one to five
years I will sentence you to the State Prison for
one year and five months
FACE FROM THE RoGUEs' GALLERY.
The next prisoner Is a rugged, gray bearded man of
sky years who also registered though an excon-
vct Here your picture taken from the Ioguee Gal
lerys the Recorder says stcrny your record IS that
OF a windcr You pretended, believe. to be United
states officer, and obtained goods from merchants
You have recently been released from prison, and yet
proceed Immediately to violate the laws again We're
f. not for your age I would give you the extreme
penalty of the Law The sentence in your case Is
that YOU be imprisoned IN the State Prison at hard
labor for tho term Of three years and nine months
The old man receives his sentence taiH ana i
led away mako room FOR a mldde-aged woman WHO
has mad much moneE ,hoHG ho 6as twca
been committed for practising medicine without
woman, acting a. detective, VINO received some pns
from the midwife and was directed to swallow the
pills in the presence OF tho woman who gave them
10 her. The detective swallowed the water which was
given TO her 10 insure the pills going down her throat
but managed to retain the pills In her mouth ana pro,
duced them on the trial The Recorder, after an
expression Of keen disgust. refers TO the business
imprisonment for 100 days, and the payment OF
fine. The prospect of a Term in the Penlteniisry
earnestly for lighter sentence Tho Recorder, how
ever directs that she be taken away and she Is led