The evening world., 1893-11-08
WEEKS SENTENCED.
The Embedding Lawyer Gets 10
Years in Sing Sing.
He Pleaded Guilty to Robbing Mrs.
Nicholas Fish.
The Larceny OF S72, 300 Was the
Indictment.

Francis II. Weeks was sentenced to
ten years at Sing Sing by Recorder
Smyth this morning on his plea OF guilty
Of grand larceny.
"Francis II. Weeks to the BARI
As Clerk Hall called the case the door
Of Part 1. of the Court of General SEES
sions opened and Francis Henry Weeks.
the embcZzler, entered the chamber.
where Recorder Smyth presided.
a shave had restored the spectaCled
lawyer and trustee of 81, 300, OOv in estates
to his former apearance-a handsome
man. tall, intellectual and of gentle
ways
Deputy Sherifrs Burke and Brown, who
brought him from the Tombs at 0 o'clock.
that he might have a last farewell visit
with his stricken wife. followed Weeks
up the aisle to the bar before the Re
corde:.
Clerk Hall went through the usual
formula. asking Weeks II he desired to
plead.
District-Attorney Nicoll explained to
the Recorder rat Weeks had been re-
manded for a week on Friday last by
JuuSe NdTtlnt, 1T ethS 3 TeuutSl, Dul
that Weeks, who was held under five
indictments, had asked to be permitted
to plead guilty to one OF these. charg-
ing him with the grand larceny of ST.
800, the property of Clemence S. B.. Fish
(Mrs. Nicholas Fish. which he held in
trust.
do you so plead?' asked Clerk Hall.
II do replied Weeks in a subdued
voice.
Then I move the immediate sentence
Of the prisoner" said Mr.. Nicoll. where
upon Recorder Smyth, in a voice full
of sadness and solemnity, pronounced
sentence.
II regret very much to be placed in
the position OF sentencing a man who
Is a Of the same profession to
with which l have haH many ransac-
TONS" said the Recorder.
Il know that you belong to a we'll
that you have brought ruin and disgrace
upon. yourself and your family and that
you feel 1t keenly.
] is unnecessary for me to say fur
Their. The sentence of the Court Is that
you. be confined In the State Prison al
hGrd labor for the term OF ten years"
Weeks took his sentence, the heaviest
the law allows for his %offense, without
1t. He told Clerk Hall. in answer to
the usual questions, that he was forty
older than that when he arrived last
Friday from Costa Rica. He looked
ten years younger as he stood erect
and finely poised at the bar OF justice
He turned and followed the sherlT,s
deputies out of court with a firm, al
across the hall to the office of Col.
Townsend, where he had a long visit
with his wife.
She has excited the compassionate ad-
miration of the detectives and other
connected with the case. She was
dressed in deep mourning. She was ac-
Cha lies l.. Peabody.
She bore pu under her heavy load of
sorrow bravely. and spoke only words
Of comfort. cheerful encouragement to
her husband. There was 10 display of
weakness on the part of either, though
the wife wept a little at the final part
Weeks was arrested on five indict-
ments. The first was that to which he
pleaded guilty; the second charged him
with embezzling $500 in securities and
10000 In cash belonging to Mrs. Fish;
the third was for the larceny and misap-
preparation of $4,000. the estate OF
Isabel Won Linden: the fourth was for
John Jacob Aston Brlsted, in which Ce-
cile Bristed and William Ellery Sedg-
wick are interested, with residuary ben
efits to Edith Brevort Kane and other
children; the fifth indictment was for
the larceny of $4,000. the property of the
Sidney S. Harris estate.
Should II be discovered that Weeks
has secreted any OF the embeZzled prop
erty he will ne brought to account on
these other Indictments. and will surely
spend the rest OF his life in prison.
The Office of Assistant District-At-
torney George Gordon Battle was lit
tered to-day with Weeks's check-books,
accounts. a boxes and other para
phernalia.
The twenty-seven check-books present,
In their stubs, the story of the down
fall of a respected citizen, n man whose
word was as good as his bond, and to
whose care had been entrusted no less
than tifty-fOur estates, aggregating
1000. 900 in value, the legacies of many
widows and orphans.
The first check book was used by
Weeks in 1885. Its first check was num-
bcrei 1851. He did business with the
National Bank OF Commerce. Between
1855 and April %. 1898, Weeks signed
10, 1877 checks.
During all those times Weeks seemed
to be a prosperous man of large affairs,
his checks running into the tens OF thou
sands of dollars.
Mrs. Weeks has taken refuge with
friends in this city.
Weeks will be taken to Sing Sing to-
- .