The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-28
A 22-YEARS SENTENCE.
John Corrigan Will Labor for the
State So Long.
HE ASSAULTED AN OLD MAN.
In the Court OF Common Pleas To-day
Judge wilbur Gave Him the Longest
Specified Sentence Ever Given I'm Our
State Except One OF 25 Years.

The toughs VINO have been disportlng
along the water front and attempted to
run the First ward to please themselves,
are not so light-hearted as they were.
One of their number. John Corrigan, has
leen put away where he can do no harm
for many years.
On the afternoon Of My cath an out
rageous assault was committed upon
Benjamin Gardiner, an old man who was
in charge of the cotton warehouse belong
ing to the estate of the late p NJ. Mathew
son. on South Water street.
The circumstances surrounding the
crime were of a nature similar to those
which preceded and followed the murder
OF old Waterman Irons, on High street
for which offense "Soiker' Murphy
got a life sentence, only in the Gardi-
ner case the police were handicapped by
not being informed of the assault until
twenty-four hours after it's occurrence.
Mr.. Gardiner had employed three men
to move some cotton aud In paying them
off had been obliged to produce we'll
filled pocketbook. Some time after the
men had been paid Mr.. Gardiner sat
down to read his paper, and while his at
tention was thus engaged some one crept
struck him down with pair Of large
cant hooks, such as are used In hosting
bales and barrels.
The old man fell to the floor and was
robbed. He lay In his blood for half an
hour, and recovering, gave an alarm to
people in the next block, who caused him
TO be sent home without notice to the
police.
When the authorities got to work on
the case they first looked over the long
shoremen to see who, il any, were miss
ing. John Corrigan and friend were
not to bs found and they were arrested on
suspicion.
Corrigan first began to make misstate-
ments as to where he was on the day OF
the assault, and had how came in possess
ion Of certain property, included in which
was new hat. From one thing to mother
he was led to believe that his companion
bad "peached." and to save himself made
a confession, In which he asserts that his
companion committed the assault and
divided the stolen money with him.
Eventually this confession was found to
be tissue of lies, and the other man was
discharged from custody. Corrigan was
bound over, aud at this term OF the Court
OF Common Pleas, was indicted for as
sault and robbery.
To-day, to escape a heavy sentence and
to get free from term in the State
Prison, he pleaded guilty and then al
legged that he was 10 years of age.
Capt Baker, of the Third police pre-
cinct. produced record to show that in
the last three years Corrigan had led the
life of petty thief. having been mp many
times for larceny, one OF his escapades
being the theft OF handcart full OF
waste. which he attempted to sell. BY
these records IL was shown that in July.
1890, he had given his age as 10, and In
1891 as 20 years.
Judge Wilbur. in passing sentence, said
that there were no extenuating circum-
q N poon lad haA
refused his wages, that might have led
the accused to think the assault and rob-
berry were justified. Had Corrigan been
drunk he might have advanced that as q
reason for his offense. But he was per.
fectly sober, had been paid his wages and
old mans money. The confession, the
evidence and the plea OF guilty all pointed
to delibrate planning of the crime.
This led Corrigan to belive that he was
in for a long sentence and he was not dis
appointed, for Judge Wilbur, after briefly
reviewing the crime, passed a sentence OF
twenty-five and one-half years at hard
labor in the State prison.
Corrigan's face was study as this ter
rible sentence WAS pronounced. He
gasped, his lips turned blue, his face
flushed and then he grew deathly pale.
He stared at his counsel. Mr.. Hogan, like
one who had been sentenced to death.
iiS toukuc CiOSe W tuo TOOI OI us InOuCu
and he was unable to articulate, although
he vainly attempted to speak. His friends
Of the First ward gang, who were in the
back seats, groaned and "Oh'ed" until
the court officers were obliged to pound
their desks and command silence.
After the STRIPPING had been taken to
the cell-room, his widowed mother, who
had been in court during her boys ordeal,
went downstairs and wept with him.
This is the longest specified term ever
given to a culprit In this country. The
next longest in the State was passed at
Newport about five years ago, when Katie
Judd, domestic, who burned thew eaver
mansion because of having been repri-
manded by her employer, was convicted
Of arson and sent to prison for twenty
five years.
After Corrigan's sentence had been i'm
posed, Judge Wilbur informed the NEWS
representative that the sentence might,
by some, be deemed to be excessive aud
harsh but the circumstances of the
crime, the nearness that 1t came to muir
der, the ruffianly character of the man,
the safety of the community and the
necessity of a lesson to the other toughs
OF the town, warranted, In his belief, the
length Of the term during which Corrigan
was to be kept In duress