The morning call., 1892-09-18
over HALF A CENTURY.
Sidney Bells Punishment for
Robbery.
SIXTY YEARS IN PRISON.
Judge Murphy's Heavy Sentence of the Foot.
pad - The Prisoner Smiles at the
Orders Of the Court.
SIXTY YEARS IN PRISON.
Sixty years in the State penitentiaryl

Sixty years In the State penitentiary!
Ihat Is the fate that awaits Sidney Bell,
the notorious footpad and convicted mur-
derer Of Samuel Jacobson.
so Judge Murphy ordered while sentenc-
ing the bold, cynical and nonchalant stealer
OF mems purses on dark and gloomy nights.
Bell smiled when the decision was rem
dered. but 1t was the smile of man who
makes merry when the surgeons knife Is
cutting the flesh, saying it does not hurt.
Sixty long years behind prison walls; to
enter there young. and emerge, should life
last that long, only to meet the grave!
All through his rapid trials for robbery
Bell has shown the most remarkable indif-
ference.
lie did not think his offenses so great as
made out. All he did was to take q little
portable property against the will Of the
owners. Who steals my purse steals
trash" said Bell, who is a believer in
Shakespearean doctrine. And for three
crimes of this nature he received sixty
year sentence.
Judge Murphy's court was crowded when
the Bell case was called yesterday morning.
1t had been announced that the great foot
pad would be sentenced yesterday, and the
attraction proved drawing-card.
Sidney Bell, stand up." said Judge
had been convicted of robbing John Cur
ley. Edward Grove and Peter Robertson.
The prisoner arose. and the court asked If
he bad anything to say why sentence
should not be pronounced.
NO." replied the prisoner.
Howard McSherry. counsel for the prIs-
oner, said: 'The prisoner is not OF the
criminal class, and there should be no preiu-
dice against him because of a charge of
murder, of which crime he is innocent"
Ildn Il
charge would not affect his decision. He
had not known of any understanding re-
arding the deposition OF the murder charge.
80 tar as he knew the charge would be tried
il due time.
As for Bell not being an old criminal, the
court SAID that, for the short time he had
been in the highwayman business, he had
eclipsed the performances Of the most
trained and thorough pillagers of the road.
Bell was again requested TO stand up, and
was asked II he had anything 10 say why
he should not be sentenced for having
robbed John Curley.
Bell replied that he had nothing to say.
Judge Murphy said: 1T is the judg ment
OF the court that you be imprisoned in the
Folsom Prison for term OF forty years"
The same question was asked in the case
OF Edward Grove, and the court pronounced
a sentence of ten years. to take effect on the
expiration of the first term.
third time the Court asked the prisoner
il he had anything to say why he should
not be sentenced in the case OF Peter Rob-
ertson with the same negative result.
half century of imprisonment already
stared the footpad in the face, and still he
smiled, though he must have staggered at
the dreary fate ahead.
Judge Murphy added ten years more in
the last case, making Bells term in the
peniIentiary sixty hears.
When the last sentence was pronounced
the prisoner whispered to the Daliff that he
would be 80 years old when he got out AS
a matter Of fact Bell will only have to
serve thirty-six years and four months If he
takes advantage of the credit system.
Bell will be taken TO Folsom this alter
noon.
The case Of murder against him in the
jacobson case will be set next Saturday,
and Captain Lees states that the trial will
be vigorously pushed.