The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-10
MRS.OSBORNESENTENCED
SHE is GIVEN NINE MONTHS AT
HARD LABOR.

Mre. Hargreaves Appeals TO the Court
for Mercy in Behalf Of the Prisoner.
The Judge Gould Have Given Her
Seven Years-Mrs. Osborne Led to a
Cell in Pitisble Distress.
LONDON. March 9.-Mrs. Florence TheI
Osborne, against whom the grand jury a
few days ago returned true bill for larceny
and perjury, was arraigned for trial In the
Old Bailey to-day. She pleaded guilty TO
the charges against her and was sentenced
TO nine months imprisonment at hard labor,
the labor to be such as the prison doctor
should permit. This ends, so far as the pub
lilo is concerned. case that has excited
worldwide comment.
MRS. HARGREAvEs APPEALS FOR MERCY.
While Sir Charles Russell. counsel for
Mrs. Osborne, was addressing the court in
appeal for mitigation of the sentence, Mrs.
Hargreaves rose from her seat at the solicit
tors table and speaking with great emotion,
said
my lord. as I and my husband are the
chief sufferers
The judge interposed, saying: II don't
think / can listen to you"
Mrs. Hargreaves, however, was nna
daunted by this rebuff. She persisted in
finishing what she had TO say, and continu-
ing she said: II am going to plead for
mercy for the accused. am perfectly cou-
viuced that Mrs. Osborne was not in her
right mind when she took the jewels. beg
OF you to deal as leniently as possible with
her / have known and loved the prisoner
all her life."
MRS. OSBORNE IN TEARS.
During Mrs. Hargreaves' remarks Mrs.
Osborne showed the deepest emotion. She
wept bitterly. and her sobs were audible in
every part OF the court room. IL was
thought that she would faint and second
female warden stepped quietly to her side
70 help support her should she fall.
Everybody in the court was much affected.
Many OF the women were crying, and the
scene was most painful to everybody.
Even the court attendants. who have seen
many persons in the dock at Old Bailey
when sentence was passed, were visibly
affected by the utter misery of Mrs.
Osborne, which seemed to be added to by
the noble appeal for mercy In her behalf
made by the woman she had wronged.
The painful scene was added to when the
clerk OF the court, turning to the prisoner.
said: Florence Osborne, have you any,
thing to say why the court should not pass
Judgment on your
Mrs. Osborne. sobbing violently, replied
In whisper, Nothing"
SENTENCE PRONOUNCED.
The judge then proceeded to sentence the
prisoner. He recited all the facts in the
case and made no attempt to gloss over any
incident OF her conduct. He said: You
stole these goods from your friends when
visiting them. You converted the Jewels
into money. which you appropriated for
your own use. When you were suspected
OF the theft you commenced an action for
libel and sat by tho side Of your counsel for
days suggesting to them that your friends
were the culprits. Had you succeeded by
your willful perjury the Hargreaves would
have left the court with an indelible stain
upon them.
COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN SEVEN YEARS.
1.-THE maximum punishment of your crime
Is seven yearss (this remark caused a sensa-
tion In the court room), but am not going
to pass such sentence on you. am taking
all the circumstances of your case into con-
sideration, notably the appeal just made for
you by Mrs. Hargreaves, and decide that
you be imprisoned az such hard labor as
your condition and frail health permits for
nine months. In prison you will be attended
by doctors"
Mrs. Osborne was seated in the dock
while the judge was sentencing her, and
upon the conclusion of his remarks she
would have fallen from her seat but for the
warders, who raised her gently, each of
them taking her by an arm and leading her
away to a cell