The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-11-17


A singular case was decided in Brook n
this week BY the commlttal Of the princip
actress to the lunatic asylum
About four months ago a fashionably
dressed young lady stepped into one of the
leading jewelry stores to have a pair Of
gold Eyeglasses mended, and while there
she asked to see some diamond rings. A
tray containing quite an assortment of
beautiful rings was set before her, and she
looked so innocent and acted so childlike
that the ieweler forgot his usual vigilance,
besides the tray was covered and locked;
while his back was turned for a moment,
by some hocus pocus she opened the case,
abstracted two rings, substituting two
worthless rings in their place, and got of
with her plunder before the jeweler dis
covered his loss. He could only give q
very imperfect description Of her to the
police, but by some means the thief was
hunted down and was found to be the only
daughter of wealthy citizen who had re-
tired from business some years ago. As
the family moved in Brooklyn's best society
1t may well be imagined that the discovery
was quite shock to the lady's Immediate
circle of friends. Her arrest took the town
by surprise when it was discovered that
she had one of the stolen rings on her
finger and the other she had given TO a
young man with whom she was very much
in love, and was also arrested with a por-
tion of the stolen goods The young lady
herself, Miss Laura Lent, had been quite
prominent in Brooklyn private theatrcals,
and during few weeks had assayed a
trial on the professional stage The shock
to the girls father and mother was most
pitiful. The poor old gentleman came in
to court, and when he found his only
child in the clutches of the law for theft,
| he completely broke down and cried like a
child. At first the young lady seemed in
clined TO brazen it out, till during the trial
1t transpired that she had robbed the same
ieweler in the same way nearly two years
before, and had got. off without detection.
This week the trial took place, and not
withstanding the fact that her guilt was
placed beyond doubt, merciful jury de-
clared her kleptomaniac-entirelyi irrespon-
sible for her actions, and the judge acting
on the verdict sentenced her to the Lunatc
Asylum. This brings up the very import
ant question, is there one kind of Justice
for the rich and another kind of justice foi
the poor.
10 NNnf u unQ re O
Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. who committed
: suicide few years later, was convicted II
Washington of fraudulently signing hi
fathers name. Cornelius was arrested il
Washington, and it looked at the time as i
States Prison yawned in front of MIN
, The Old Commodore refused to relet, a
he had already suffered cohsiderabl.
through his youngest sons dissipation
g In the nick of time some friends steppe'
forward, and a lenient judge pronounce,
him lunatic; he was committed to th
5 Lunatic Asylum for a week, and that wa
the last that was ever heard of the case
Miss Laura Lent may consider herself mos
fortunate in her judge and jury. 1t
only ten days ago since woman with thre
, starving children was sent up for tn
8 larceny of a shawl, and in view of the
fact that the itch young lady who stol
diamonds to adorn her person and to pre-
: sent to her lover, the question is yet un
: decided: Is there one kind of justice fo
the rich and another for the poor.
1t Is only little over week sine
, policeman Brennan was shot down Will
in the performance of his duty by murder
Gus tough named Handsome Charley. Tn
unfortunate officer left widow and thre
helpless orphans. But while his comrade
could not give the heartbroken widow he
husband, they did their best to mitigat
her sorrow and to secure her independence
and comfort for the futnre. She received
a thousand dollars from the police fund
and thousand more from the riot fund
and pension of six hundred dollars
year as long as she remains widow, anC
in addition to these she received nine hun
dred dollars from a benefit at one of th,
theatres, and will doubtless receive othe
gifts which will secure her and her orphans
comfortable future. Considering the ex
citement of the election and the genera
stagnAtion of business, and the large draft
which come upon us at this time of th,
year, 1t is an honor to our common human
ity.
BROADBRIM.