Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-05-23
X SEVERE SENTENCE
Forger Shellenberger Receives
 Twenty-tWo Years.
EXCITING SCENES IN COURT.
The Prisoner Breaks Down Completely
 and Acted Like Mailman.

He was Formerly . ADistrict-Attorney In
 the Court t-Ihs Judge who Sentenced
 Him wAs One of His Intimate Political
 Friends-PleadinE Guilty to Seventeen
 Indictments.
 DoYLEsTowN, Pa., May 23.-J. Mon roe Shsllenberger, the lawyer and poli- elan, whose forgeries and other crimi-' nal escapades and flight recently caused such a widespread sensation, was sen- tenced by Judge Yerkes to undergo an imprisonment of 22 years in the East srn Penitentiary.
 There were F bills of indictment against him, 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 entered the dock he shrank from the gaze of his former friends and kept his head bowed.
 Congressman Robert Yardley, who came from Washington to assist in his defence, sat at one of the tables. As tho bills of indictment were read loud groans and sobs came from Shellen. berger. His counsel entered the plea of guilty in each case Shsllenberger acted at times like a madman. He opened his handkerchief and threw it over his head, rubbing his head and face with it, and nervously shook the railings 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 Q person suffering from acute pain. At one time Shellenberger grosned so loud and sobbed with such anguish that the judge, in 8 nervous sort of way, told the district attorney to hasten his work and get 1t over.
 After all the indictments were read and 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 the testimony was brought out bearing upon the most aggravated and unpardonabls cases of rssoality and deceit, Shellenberger rocked himself violently in the dock, moved his hands about like @ wild man and cried aloud.
 Judge Harmon Yerkes, an old-time personal acquaintance, and a profes- sional and political associate of the prisoner for many years, pronounced the sentence of the court. It was anticipated that he would give Shellen- berger a heavy sentence, but nothing like what he gave him was looked for.
 Judge Yerkes drew himself up and addressed the prisoner in a low, husky voice, in which there seemed slight tremor of emotion. Shellenberger never raised his head, but went on grooming and weeping violently. Finally the words dropped from the Judges lips, "twenty-two years in solitary contne- ment with hard labor" Shellenberger gave groan of anguish and almost sank to the floor.
 The scene caused quite commotion. The blow seemed to stun the prisoner. It was necessary to partly carry him from the court room.
 The sentence was discussed by the farmers and the people of Doylestown on every side. Nothing like it was ever heard in Bucks County. While pity seemed to have been awakened in some quarters by the prisoners exhibi- tion of anguish in the court room, the general run of old farmers, who re- hected upon what Shellenberger had been doing for years, seemed to think that it was just.