The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-06-05
TO STILLW AFTER.
POwlisOn Must Serve Three Years
and Eight Months at
Hard Labor.
He Makes a Touching Plea in His
Own Behalf-Remarks all Around.
From Fridays Daily.

court room at two O'Clock when Geo.
S. Powlison was brought in to receive
his sentence for grand larceny in the
second degree. Several attorneys and
reporters made up the group.
When the court signified that he
was ready to pass sentence he called
upon Powlison to answer the usual
questions, which he did by stating
that his previous business had been
that Of dry goods dealer for one year,
a dry goods clerk and real estate
dealer. He had never learned or pur-
sued a trade. When asked whether
he had anything to say why the sem
tence of the law should not be passed
upon him his attorney, B. D. Smith,
arose and said substantially:
The defendant comes before this
court filed with repentance and re-
morse for what he has done. | feel /
am speaking to a lenient court
such has been the history of this court
with criminals in the past. The Of
Tense is che in which the law gives
the court great latitude in infiicting
the punishment. Different circum-
stances connected with it may be TAX
en- into consideration and small sem
tence therby imposed. The defend
ant is 26 years of age and was born in
Lowell, Mich, where he resided I'M
tilss'21. When 10, his father died and
since then he has been obliged to earn
his own living. He went to Kansas
and engaged in the dry goods and
real estate business. Since then his
history is well known. His mother
was dependent upon him for support
and large share of his earnings
went to her support, until she recent
remarked man of y years, and who
is partially dependent upon him. The
charges that have been circulated
against the defendent by persons, and
publised in the newspapers are I'M
Qualitiedly false. as | have ascertain
ed by investigation. l have here an
affidavit from the young woman in
Michigan, for whom Pollison was said
to have obtained money wrongfully,
fully eXhOnorating him and saying
that his character is all right so far
as she knew.
There is no faint on the character
of the defendant, previous to his Man
katO episode, as the Kansas seduction
story is also disproved.
Mr.. POwliSon came to Mankato a
year and half ago, and was soon mar
ried to a highly respectable young
lady, and soon set up keeping house.
Unless l am wrong in my Judgment,
the defendant is somewhat weak in
some respects, and easily led away. /
donOt think that Mr.. p. embeZZled
with malicious intent, but took at
first fully intending to restore the
amount. Having done this it was
hard for him to refrain from going
deeper. While he yielded, believe,
that the money was taken to place his
dearly loved wife in place in this
community such as he thought she
should occupy and to maintain his
his little home as other homes are
maintained. We do not believe that
Mrs. PowliSon knew or was implicated
in these Stealings. POwlisOn takes the
entire responsibility upon himself.
The fact that he fled soon after the
transaction should have no bearing on
the case, owing to the peculiar circum-
stances. There was a certain man
who was almost brother of the de-
PENDANTS wife, who, after the defend
S1IIU duu MI. 1CCOulCll IdC dlluOSU
reached a settlement by which the
former turned over almost all he took,
played a false part. The building and
loan association stock was subscribed
for before the enlightenment began.
We claim that there is not to exceed
$50 still due to Mr.. Mcconnell above
the settlement. A large share of the
stock taken was turned over and Sc
NY ri nh fIll
is willing to swear and can prove that
this is the case. After this the false
brother told Mr.. p. that Mr. Neon
nell had stated that if he (Mr. p. was
found in the city the next morning he
would be prosecuted. Then he fled.
Another thing to be taken into con-
sideration is the honorable conduct
of the defendant since his return to
Mankato, going into the tub factory
and doing hard manual labor. De-
PENDANT since his return has served a
penal term in his humiliation, which
to man of his former mode of life
and education is terrible. There is
probably not a friend of his in the
country who has not heard the reports
heralded abroad. There have been
numerous embellishments in this
county, but this is the first case l
know to have been brought to the bar
of Justice, a large number having been
settled. / believe short sentence
will serve the ends of justice as well
as a long one. The defendant is frail
and not in good health, and long
term in the penitentiary will break
him down. / do not believe that
there is any Shylock in this case de-
manding his pound of flesh, or that
there are many people in Mankato
who want the defendant punished.
[ do not know of anyone who is urging
extreme punishment. The defendant
intends to take his pun shment, serve
his sentence and then proceed in the
future as best he may.
Mr.. Cray spoke in behalf OF the
prosecution, hoping that what he
said would not add to the sentence.
He wished to protest against any
thought that there is desire to per-
secute the defendant. The de-
PENDANT was taken into the
confidence of his employers,
and his outward life was such as to
increase this confidence. The short
ages amounted to perhaps $1,000, a
portion of which was reclaimed. We
arehere because this was the onlyrefuge