Evening journal., 1890-05-23
SHELLENBERGER'S FATE
Sentenced by His Old Friend
and Associate
TO TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN PRISON

The Bucks County Pal Eerger and EN-
beszIor Pleaded Guilty to Seventeen In
dictments The Guilty Man Frustrated.
Carried from the Court by his Friends.
DoYLEsTowN, Pa, May 23.-J. Monroe
Shellenberger, the lawyer whose forgeries
and other criminal escapades and flight
recently caused such widespread sensa-
tion, has been sentenced by Judge Yerkes
TO undergo an Imprisonment Of twenty
two years in the Eastern penitentiary.
The prisoner was almost completely pros
trated by tho sentence and had to have as
sistance in leaving the court room.
He shrank from Their Gaze
There were seventeen bills of indictment
against the prisoner, covering the crimes
Of forgery and embezzlement. The ordeal
OF entering the court room proved too
much for the once popular and talented
lawyer, who as district attorney Of Bucks
county had made his brilliant reputation
at the bar of this very court. As he en-
tered the dock he shrank from the gaze of
his former friends and kept his head
| bowed.
The Guilty Mans Agony.
Congressman Robert Yardley, who came
from Washington to assist in his defense,
sat at one Of the tables. As the bills Of in
dictment were read loud groans and sobs
came from Shellenberger. His counsel en-
| tered the plea of guilty In each. Shellen-
berger acted at times like mad man. He
opened his handkerchief and threw II over
his head, rubbing his head and face with
it, and nervously shook the ratings of the
dock with his hand and foot Eventually
he leaned his head forward ON the rail and
buried it in his arms, rocking himself on
the seat like person suffering from acute
pain At one time Shellenberger groaned
/ so loud and sobbed with such anguish that
the judge, in a nervous sort Of way, told
the district attorney TO hasten his work and
get 1t over.
Guilty ON Every Count.
After all Che indictments were read anc
a plea Of guilty was entered in each case
witnesses were called to show the character
and extent of Shellenberger's rascalities
Several witnesses testified and as tho testi
mony was brought out bearing upon th
most aggravated and objectionable case
of rascality aud deceit Shellenberger rocked
himself Violently in the dock, tossed hi
head, moved his hands about like will
man and cried aloud.
Sentenced by an Old Friend.
Judge Harmon Yerkes, an old time per
sonal acquaintance and a professional an
political associate of the prisoner for man
! years, pronounced the sentence of th
, court II was anticipated that he woul
give Shellenbcrger a heavy sentence, bu
: nothing like what he gave him was locke
Q for.
!. Judge Yerkes drew himself up and a
4 dressed the prisoner in low, husky voic
in which there seemed to slight tremi
!. OF emotion Shellenberger never raise
Is his head, but went on groaning and weel
ing violently.
"Twenty-two Years"
4 Finally the words dropped from Il
=. judges lips "Twenty-two years at solitai
u confinement, with hard labor" Shellei
IS berger gave q groan Of anguish and near
!. sank to the floor The scene caused qui
a commotion The blow seemed TO stu
~ the prisoner IL was necessary 10 part
II carry him from the court room. The sci
tenee was discussed by the farmers and u
:, people in Doylestown on every side. Not
ing like it was ever heard In Bucks cou
3. ty. While pity seemed to have be,
s. awakened in some quarters by the priso
m er's exhibition of anguish in the cou
, room, the most of the people who rehect'
upon what Shellenberger had been doiI
~ for years seemed to think that the senten
10 was a lust one.