Daily Republican., 1890-05-26
TwENTY-Two FEARS.

U9AbiCFg Wao piHGGu Vn tLiot bolOEo u0ko
Yerkes In Doylestown, Pa, on Thurs
Comfy brought the prisoner from the JAIN
In hack and took him Into the court
house hy the rear entrance. He WAS at
once placed in the prisoners dock, and
was tho cyuosure Of oil eyes. He ap-
psared hsggaTd and careworn, and dur
ing the continuance Of his trial wept
almost constantly. As soon - he took
his seat In the dock he bowed his hoad
and held handkerchief to bis face until
called upon BY the Judge to stand up and
receive his sentence. He recognized none
Of his old-time associates among tie
members oil tho bar, and tried to keep
his face concealed - much As possible.
The prisoners groans could be distinctly
heard In every part Of the court room,
and the unfortunate mans condition was
pltiable to behold. Among the audience
were many ladies and many OF his
former neikhbors, friends and clients.
Da:ts!at Attorney Stout read the bills of
Indictment TO ehesisahsrger. and he
pleaded guilty to the IS bills. charging
him with forgery, embezzlement and
false pretence.
Alter hearing the testlmopy Of about
eighteen Witnesses; and an eloquent plea
by Shellsnberger's counsel for light
sentence, the prisoner was commanded
to stand up boforo the pronounclng OF
the sentence. The Judge said:
"In this case We only SEQ the distress
and hear the pathetic appeals OF one who
IA solely responsible for his own misery
and for SO much that 10 not brought to
our attention. Under q merciful Gus
tom observed In the courts when the
penalty oil the law Is to bo pronounced 10
the hour OF supreme peril only the ap-
peals OF the condemned for mercy are
heard. Whatever he may urge In miti-
CATION of punishment his suffering, an
guish, protestatione and peril are all pre-
sentcd 10 the court It would be useless
for me now to remind you OF the base
ness and grave crlminality of your acts.
For twenty years, during three OF which
you held the responsible Office OF District
Attorney, and as such prosecuted many
offenders, you sat IN this court,to the bar
Of which you are now brought to
answer, and have constantly heard
words Of warning Administered to
malefactors, which must have sounded
to you like the hnell Of
your own conden nation, for 1t now ap-
that, In all probability. then, whom you
held the office OF Public Prosecutor, and
on other occasions when you assisted IN
prosecuting criminals. you were equally
guilty with those whoso condemnation
you asked. Tho facts that for years you
| have pursued q criminal career under the
circumstances have mentioned, and
that your offences have been SO nhImer-
ous and involve 90 much ruin and sufier.
ing to others, call for the severest pun
ishment. am unable to see any reason
able excuse for your conduct. Such has
been the success and audacity Of your
conduct that confidence in the honesty
Of nien has been most rudely disturbed.
Neighbors look each other In the face
and ask who can be trusted now. Eyen
the certainty and integrity OF the judi
cial tribunal has been made liable to
d!strust through bold and villsinous be-
fragment by one whose profession and
duty II was to assist Ia upholding right
against wrong. Over this entire country
and beyond there hangs cloud OF dis
trust that only the assertion of the Just
vengeance OF the law can dissipate.
regret that the appeal on behalf Of his
| children and parents had to be made.
II had hoped II would not be, but while
| elsewhere and under any other circum-
stances the reference ought not to have
been made, It 10 excusable In this hour
| of extreme peril to the prisoner. have
considered as far 40 could be permitted
their contiding Innocence, their honorable
and respectable positions. aud their trust
and faith In bis future. These are the
honorable attributes Of kinship. But II
must not be forgotten that one who has
| done SO wrong must suffer punishment,
aud that for such terrible offences, dis
trrss ard anguish must be endured. How
much better would 1t now be II he had
thought Of these ties which must now lie
broken before he plunged into his terri
BILE career. A plain duty confronts me,
and requires, Notwithstanding these pa
thetic appeals. that punishment shall
be meted out In some degree commensu-
rate with his numerous aud inexc usablc
crimes" The prisoner was then sen-
fenced to undergo an imprisonment OF
% years At hard labor and solitary con-
| inemept In the Eastern Penitentiary, at
PHILADELPHIA. This is the longest SEN
tence ever enforced upon o criminal In
the Bucks County Courts.