The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-05-13
COURT PROCEEDINGS.

Com. VS.. Charles Pennypacker, as
saut and battery. Case tired, verdict
not guilty, county pay costs.
Com. VS.. S. X. Heller, defendant
pleads guilty to second count, and mol
pros allowed as to other counts.
In the case of Commonwealth VS..
s. K. Heller and A. p. Breihof for
Gambling andkeeping gambling places,
both plead guilty to the indictments
and the court pronounced Sentence as
follows:
Augusuts r. Breihof. The grand
Jury have recommended you to the
mercy of the court. Their reasons, of
course, do not appear; but there is
enough upon the record before US to
warrant our conjecture that it is be-
cause Of your readiness to assist in the
investigation of other like cases.
For all offenses enumerated in the
act of assembly punlshing crimes Of
this character, the penalty is both i'm
prisonment and fine (wthin certain
limits) at the discretion of the Court.
Under the law, we are obliged to i'm
pose both fine and some term of i'm
prisonment. Under all the circum-
stances of your case, the sentence Of
the court is: That you Augustus p.
Breihof, pay to the commonwealth the
costs of prosecution and fine for the
use of the Columbia county Law Lii
brary) of twenty-five dollars; and that
YOU undergo imprisonment in the
county Jail of Columbia county for the
period of one hour-the shortest term
allowed by law-and that you stand
committed until this sentence is com
piled with.
Samuel Il. Heller: You have also
pleaded guilty of allowing or permit
ting or suffering persons to gamble at
your place of business-play games of
chance for money or other valuable
things. There is no recommendation
from the grand jury in your behalf;
but counsel and Others think that you
are not an exception to the rule in the
town OF Berwick and in other places.
To us it seems singular that our
constables and peacemakers do not
report cases of this kind, if they exist
to any extent or are very numerous;
and it seems remarkable that your
case should lie searched out and sent
here, almost alone, while gaming and
cock fighting and the like violations Of
law are spoken of IN the public prints
Of the county as taking place with the
iulI knowledge and view of the public
generally We have been looking and
expecting to hear from peace officers
In reference to crimes of this sort, but
your case is among the first brought
to our attention.
An appeal has been made to the
court on your behalf for mercy, and
we cannot help feeling, from our
knowledge of you and of the circum-
stances surrounding your case; that
the appeal is entitled to considera-
ton; nevertheless the sentence of the
court should be one that will not only
punish you but deter others from con.
unulng the practice of gambling or of
allowing gambling on their premises.
1t Is practice very demoralizing TO
the community: it produces nothing,
and somebody invariably loses; it leads
to ruin and disgrace, and does the
country no good. We hope that the
penalty inflicted upon you will be a
warning to others. We know you to
De respectable person; reputed to be
aSgood, enterprising and useful citizen.
We know you to be aOle to pay fine,
and we believe, that, on account of
your good name and the welfare of
your family, you would prefer to pay
heavy fine rather than to suffer
long Imprisonment; and we think that
II would be better for you and for your
family and for all concerned, and that
the ends of justice will so be better
served.
The sentence of the Court, there
lore, Is: That you, Samuel X. Hell
Ter, pay to the Commonwealth the
=, Vi piOoS' utiOii diltl u INV \ioi
Ihe use of the Columbia county Law
LIDrary) of two hundred dollars, and
hat you undergo Imprisonment in the
county Jail of'Columbia county for the
period of one hour, and that you stand
committed until this sentence Is COM
piled with.
y Com. VS.. Hiram S. Williams, gamb-
ing, a true bill.
Report of grand jury filed.
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.
10 The Honorable Judges of the
court OF Quarter Sessions of Coz
m'0io County:
me grand inquest of the Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, inquiring in
ana Tor the body of said county, re-
Sspecuully report: That we have, pur-
sa. suani to our required duties, investi.
saled all bills of Indictment presented