The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-30
END OF TIE COURT
Adams Sentenced t, Sven We IN the Peni-
teniary-O other Sentences.

OF Attorney Ady aud, in fact. all the OIL
GERS Of the court as we'll IS the juries.
Yesterday forenoon was devoted to
/ routine business, and in the afternoon the
I prisoners who had been convicted during
/ the term were sentenced Mercy was the
! predominant characteristic of the judge
during the entire day and in every case,
/ with but one exception he imposed the
/ minimum penalties OF the law.
I Tie first prisoner brought up for sen
/ tence was =. &. Adams, the man VINO
/ killed Captain Couch two years ago in
! Oklahoma. Everybody expected that he
would be sentenced to ten years in the
penrtentiary, but they were mistaken as
! the judge gave him only seven years.
! When Adams and his wife catered the
court they were given seats at the table
next TO the jury box while the other pris-
/ oners were seated on the benches in front
/ OF the railing. When Adams was cal ed
/ before he bar Judge Riner recited briefly
! the history Of the case including the court
proceedings and the action of the jury
/ aud asked him whether he had anything
! to say why sentence should not be passed
upon him.
Everybody expected to hear him make a
/ speech, as he has the reputation Of being
! good of hand talker, but he contented
| himself by saying that be hoped the court
would order his confinement as far away
/ from Kansas and his friends as possible.
| The court assured him that under the law
! he had TO be confined in Kansas, but ii he
/ is good prisoner and able TO control his
passions that he would probably be con-
] -
! year or so. The judge spoke very kindly
and Adams was affected SO much that ne
! burst into tears.
Mr. Comfy asked the court for some
time to file an application for new trial.
/ The court said he could have al the time
/ he desired, and upon Mr.. Comfy asking for
! thirty days the court said he
could have sixty days Mrs. Adams was
/ beside her husband when sentence was
! passed. and, while she wept bitterly, yet
( it could be seen that she was grateful 10
/ the judge for not infictng the high ss
! penalty. When Adams was leaving the
room he shook hands with and thanke
/ his attorneys, Messrs. Stanley and Comfy,
and also shook hands with Mr.. Ady. who
/ told him he might be able TO do something
/ for him later on. Il is the general impress
/ sion that if Adams behavior is good he
/ will not have to serve more than four
/ years.
/ The next prisoner called was Richard
/ Hansing, who plead guilty of perjury. The
court asked him if he had auything to say
why sentence should not be pissed upon
him, and he tearfully plead ignorance
! of the law aud said that he
i ! T.
/ pittiful TO see the poor fellow weep. and he
had occasion to weep. for he left after him
at his humble home q wife and eight
children in destitute circumstances. Colo
( mel Johnson of Oklahoma City took up the
cause of Hansing aud made a very elo-
quent and sympathetic speech to the court
in kiz behalf. The court listened atten-
lively and manifested a good deal Of com
passion Tor the prisoner. He thea passed
sentence upon him which is that he must
serve one Year and one day i'll the penlteu-
tiary and pay fine of i've dollars. aud
added II he behaves himself he viii be
given his freedom in about ten months.
Richard Lester was the third man
brought Up for sentence. His crime WAS
perjury also and he was also given the Ula-
imum sentence which i exactly the same
as Hansiug. Mr.. Lester when asked what
he had TO say why sentence should not be
pronounced upon hin he replied that he
did not intend 10 commit perjury and did
only what hundreds OF others did. Lester
IS also married man aud was st one
time business man of Caldwell and also
Of bis city.
The fourth prisoner was Clay Spiker, of
FL Reno, who was accused OF perjury also.
He plead guilty. but 1t is doubtful whether
he was guilty. Tie judge said as much
aud stated that if II WAS In his power
under he law lie would not give him the
sentence he gave him. which was the same
as the other TWO. Spiker Is brother-iu-
law OF Jimmy Jacobs, the young man who
Is accused OF tue murder OF Frank Brady
at FL Reno.
JGdson Meecham who is accused of
having mould tor making cOun-
terfeiJ money on MS person was the next
one sentenced. The judge said that while
there IS good deal OF talk about the free
coinage OF silver that the agitation did not
justify him in preparing himself With
mould 70 make it and told him 10 drop
financial questions Of that Kind for the
future He sentenced him to Que year in
the penitentiary and 10 pay i tine OF -.
David Hawkins, Meecham's partner, was
the next. He also plead guilty TO having
moulds for making money on his person.
The judge told him that he had better
leave the money making business to the
governors of tue United States minis AMI
sentenced him TO the same penalty i'm
posed upon Meechsm.
john r. Sanders, an effemiGate young
attorney from Hutchinson, was the next
victim. he was found guilty of opening
letter, ana upoa being asked what he
had TO say why sentence should not be
passed upon him the food-gates CT his
heart opened and he said that whatever
sentence the court passed upon him would
be life sentence 10 him, meaning that
his iudiscreel action had blasted his repu-
tatiou. TIE court took pity on him and
sentenced him 10 three months n the
Hutchinson jail
Jefferson l.. Byrre WAS the next. He
had been found guilty % appropriatiaE to
himself 4 pair of horses which did not be-
long to him He sho wed = disposition 10
argue the p0int with the court blt after
he had his say the court sentenced hin 20
twelve months IN the county jai. and 70
pay fac OF 500 II at the end OF his Jail
sentence be makes affidavit that he Is IN
able 20 pay the tue II viii be remicted.
/ Byrne Lsi no tears TO shed. he Is the
! associate poet 10 the poem recently sent 70
the EAGLE which, unfortunately, hap
pened 10 De published about forty years
before be Was boru-
The ninth and Last victim was Harvey
Hawk OF Hutchinson, VINO was Charged
win operating and maintaining a diStil-