Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-11
TEARS STAY A SENTENCE
Diamond Thief With Many Tears Asks
Mercy from the Court,
SERVED ONE TERM FOR SAME oFFESSE
But the Judge Did Not Know This and Was
Touched by the Against
Gamblers-Other Cases In
District Court.

The sight OF warm and briny tears, flow
ing as copiously as water through a twenty
four-lnch main, moved the heart of Judge
Scott yesterday, and for a season he felt
as though he would like to release from Gus
tody one Of the bad men of the community
and send him out Of the county Jail a free
man.
One year ago last November II. II. Bland
ing arrived in the city, representing that he
was a young farmer from Kansas, and that
as he was about to lead some young woman
to the altar. thought that 1t was proper to
make this identical young person some pres
ent as an evidence OF his intentions. One
bright day in autumn he strolled into the
store OF Max Meyer and at once proceeded
to look over the stock Of diamonds, with a
view to purchasing. Being pleased with the
sight which met his gaze, Blanding pur-
chased a $3.50 ring for his betrothed and
a stud OF the value of SIS to grace the front
OF his own shirt. Having made these pur-
chases, Mr.. Blanding discovered that he was
short OF cash, though he averred that he had
a deposit OF 81 900 in the First National
bank. Against this account he drew a
check for 1925 and went his way with the
jewelry. That same day Mr.. Meyer dis
covered that he had been duped, and that
instead of Blanding having $4,000 in the
bank, his deposit was $40, and that it had
never DeeH any more tnan that amount.
The case was at once turned over to the
police, but smooth Mr.. Blanding had left the
city and had completely buried his trail.
Two or three days later, however, a report
was waited over from Avoca. Ia, to the eff
feet that one of the jewellers of that town
had been worked in a similar manner. Mr..
Meyer was induced to take a trip to Avoca,
and there saw the same man who had conf
denced him out of his diamonds. The Iowa
officials having the culprit in custody insti-
tilted nrDrnp1lnUg and nnnuiptinO plnnhfn0
succeeded in sending him to Fort Madison
Tor one and one-half years. In the prison he
was a model convict and by good conduct
shortened his term several months.
All OF this time the Omaha officers had
Mr.. Blanding in mind, and about the time of
the Iowa term of Imprisonment expiring,
armed with a requisition. Captain Mostyn
went over to Fort Madison, where he took
charge OF his man and brought him back to
this city. He waived preliminary examina-
tlon and was held to the district court.
Friday, knowing that Judge Scott had not
heard OF his former escapade. Blanding eX-
pressed the determination of pleading guilty
and throwing himself upon the mercy of the
court. Clinging to the hope that he would
get of with a light sentence. Blanding went
into the criminal court yesterday, where
he told the court that he committed the
crime or which he was charged. but main
tanned that at the time he was so drunk that
he did not know what he was doing. He
declared that he was an honest farm
erS boys from the broad acres of Kansas,
, and that prior to his advent into the city Of
Omaha, he had never known what it was to
sin. In fact he averred that the only rough
side of the world with which he had been
brought in contact was the brambles and
briers OF his fathers COW ranch. He was
sorry that he had defrauded Mr.. Meyer out
OF his diamonds, and was ready to make all
kinds of promises that in the future he
would live an upright life and travel in the
straight and narrow path.
While telling the tale of woe. tears welled
up into the eyes of the man who was ready
to acknowledge his guilt, and as he mopped
his eyes with n huge bandana the moisture
crept into the eyes Of Judgt Scott, and while
the moisture looked like real tears, the court
insisted that 1t was due to the fact that
some one had been smoking in the room dur
Ing the early hours of the morning.
The harder that Banding cried the more
the scene effected the court, and as the
drops of water coursed down the young
mans cheeks Judge Scott remarked that it
looked to him like a case where a man had
been made a creature of circumstances. He
was not ready to impose a penitentiary
sentence until he had made a more thorough
investigation. With this Banding was sent
back to the county jail. where he will remain
until Judge Scott learns of that Iowa affair.
at which time some of the police officials
think that he will want to hire a CHEAP
hand to kick him for the shedding of the
tears OF sympathy.