The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-10-02
THE DANVILLE RAPE CASE.

| hhuy III Nlontour county, began last
week Wednesday before Judge keller
and his associates, 1t Danville. The
commonwealth was represented by
District attorney West and Judge
1inckley, and the prisoners were de.
tended by Senator Herring and K. K.
Little, Esq. The defendants were all
convicted. On Saturday they were
sentenced. The Danville Sun thus
describes the scene:
Long before the court convened
this morning the court house doors
were besieged by waiting multitude
Friends of the criminals, friends Of
the law, friends of the poor girl whose
sorrows won her the recognition of
sympathy, friends Of nobody who only
came as ghouls to feast on the sor-
rows that the trial has developed and
the sentence would create, - all
stood waiting to enter the Temple of
Justice. And when the doors swung
open there was rush for the best
Seats, and the chamber was quickly
filled.
Some business that ordinarily would
be deemed of interest, but that under
the circumstances only excited impa.
tence, came up for consideration first.
Then there fell on the great throng Il
silence complete as in the Indies pre-
sages the approach of the dreaded
Simoom,--for the rape case had been
reached. The Judge spoke: "Let
Anthony Rogers, John Rogers, Harry
Crossley, and Tom Burke stand up"
They arose manacled as they were
some of them pulling at the manacles
that yet bound them to those whose
sentence coming after, remained seat
ed, Judge lkcler said:
You have been convicted of rape,
high and most detestable crime.
More than two years ago you Andy
Rogers, John Rogers, Harry Crossley
and Thomas Burke, were convicted of
a riot in this Court and through the
mercy Of the Court, and by your
solemn promise to cease from the
commission Of crime we let you off
with fine and costs. We were led to
believe then that it was your first Of
fense, and knowing that you were
young and crazed by Intoxicating
drink, and industrious laboring young
men for the support of your parents,
with no reIroach against your previous
character or good behaviour we ex-
cused you. But you are now so
soon before us again for still higher
crime. Congregating and starting
from the same point you then did, the
Reading station, frenzied and provid.
ed, now as then, with strong drink,
you followed law-abiding citizens to a
lonely spot, where in midnight dark.
ness you assaulted the young couple
and caused the young man Keiner to
Ace for his life; Immediately after
which your conduct towards the girl
Andy whom, according to your own
evidence, you knew was too indecent
to describe in public. Andy Rogers
called the girl by name and exclaimed
''boys, she knows us, we must get out
of here or we'll be arrested" Is it
probable or even possible. that seven
able bodied young, men companions
and acquaintances, as you were, could
quietly stand by within a few feet Of
the outrages admitted by you as being
committed by Magill and Jacobs,
and look on, and hear the girl scream
and cry for 'help" "help" for Gods
sake save me-" and you make no
united effort to rescue her! If there ex-
isted any natural sympathy for the safe
ty of the girl, would you have fought
about her and over her amongst your
selves and not for her? Would you
have left her there with the four
Others and gone to your several
homes and rested without having given
the alarm? 1t seems unreasonable to
us. Any man with spark of human
sympathy or kindness on the hearing
Of her cries and seeing the situation as
described by yourselves, would have
forgotten self, family and friends and
regardless of consequences unhesitat-
ingly rushed to her rescue.
You have betrayed our confidence,
proved false to your promise of good
behaviour, and there is no course left us
in order to protect society, and if pos
sible to reform yourselves, but to en-
force the severe penalties of the law.
And then came the sentence, First
on Anthony Rogers.
"The sentence of the court is that
you, Anthony Rogers, are sentenced
to pay fine of one thousand dollars,
one-seventh of the costs of prosecu
tion, and that you undergo an i'm
prsonment in the Eastern Penitentlary,
in separate and solitary confinement,
at labor for the space of fifteen years.
There was a sound of applause,
quickly repressed by the tipstaves
There was a shrek in the gallery
among the women, followed by the
sound of weeping, and long pent ur
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