St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-29
BETS IS SENTENCED.
The Highly Moral Y. NJ. G. A.
Member Gets Nine Months at
Saltwater.

The Highly Moral Y. NJ. G. A.
Member Gets Nine Months at
Saltwater.
Louis Belts. the peripatetic dweller
at the county jail for some little time
past, was given a sentence of nine
months at Saltwater By Judge Pond.
This young man seems fated to be a
senSationalist, and when he appeared in
the criminal court room yesterday morn
ing he succeeded in starting up one of
the greatest dramatic scenes in quiet
way that has been enacted in the room
for many terms. When he first entered
the room he wore a quiet and semi
penitent air. which sat well upon his
rather ministerial face and general
highly moral ensemble.
Judge Pond looked at him sadly for a
few moments and then asked III
rather apologize manner what he had
to say for himself. He replied that he
could say little more than ne had the
day before. He had taken about S62 to
pay debt, and, though the firm had
claimed to be short something like S401,
he insisted that he knew nothing of
such an amount. He had paid out $40
of the money in liquidation of debts,
and at the present time only owed SO
in the city.
Judge Pond looked at him fixedly for
few moments. and after a few queS-
tions as to his habits, SAID: lis Louis
Belts your only name"'
''YeS, SIR" he answered, "LOuis st.
John Belts. That is my real name. |
have no parents living, and am bereft
of brothers and sisters"
At this point County Attorney Than
Sprang TO his feet with such celebrity
that the papers which had strewed the
desk were scattered over the floor, and
there was a stir in the court room as he
cried: That is lie, for | have a wit
ness in the room now who has known
you Intimately for the past twenty-five
years, and he can swear that you have
passed under several different names"
You can't produce any such man."
cried Belts, his face flushing and his
huge form quIvering with excitement,
''for there is no one who has known me
that long"
"Dodman, stand up, cried the county
attorney, and as the man arose Than
waved in a manner which seemed to
say: Behold, he is here"
Belts took three swinging strides
and stood infront of the man,
while he cried in aloudly eX
cited voice: "lt is false, Dod-
man. You first met me a little over a
year ago, and you know it. This tale
about me is outrageous and preposter-
Ous-a scheme to make the feeling
against me all the harder. Your honor,
so help me God. have told you the
whole unvarnshed truth. ! call"
Mine months in state prison." was
the impassive interruption, and Belts
was hustled off to his cell once more,
his face working nervously as he went
down the stairs.
James Lynch boy of eighteen, plead
ed guilty to burglary. He confessed
that he had broken into three houses
unaided. The states attorney ventured
| the information that the boy was
hardened beyond redemption, and
thought the reformatOry would be the
best place for him. Lynch burst into
tears before the ordeal was through
with, and, after little thought, Judge
! Pond decided to sentence him this
| morning. Fred Girard was called up.
! He was present on a bench warrant,
having forfeited his bond throuuh some
mistake. His attorney, Mr.. Donahue,
wished to have the forfeiture opened,
| as he wished the young fellows parents
| to be present when sentence was passed
upon him. The matter wys deferred
until morning. Charles York, indicted
! for cutting Oscar G. BiOrk, was placed
upon trial, and his case will be finished
to-day. The joint indictment against
| the Sanders, the little German couple
indicted tor housebreaking, will be
heard to-day.
While Belts denies that he is Thomas
Lithgow, married man. he was never
theless identified as such by Capt. Cook,
Of the st. Paul police force, who came
to Minneapolis by request of Superin-
tendent Henderson. Capt Cook de
scrihed the man whom he arrested about
a year ago for attempting TO beat the
Hotel Ryan out of a board bill. After
seeing Belts he positively identified him
! as the man whom he arrested and who
gave the name of Lithgow. To-day
j Superintendent Henderson will have q
photograph taken of Belts. which he
will send to Mrs. Lithgow, of New York,
who says that Belts is the father of heI
| children and that she IS his wife.