The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-20


| se-tereius or the For-,er Autsorat 90
| ersve-eud . More Impressive scene ths.
| Eve. that OF His Copvic,ios-Th. court
| Roor was Crowded Never Before
Nearly AT Present MeK.u.'- Fris.a--
| Cot. Jan-s,s PIsn for Mercy Met ~
Lawyer shsp.rd'- Bemaus for Ju.ue.-
Judge BARTLETT Implies that six Years
In si-s si-e - Justice Tempered VITA
| Mercy-eooa Conduct M,y Commute This
| co Feur Years and Two Mo-th-.
In court room filled with his own peopls.
| where only those were not his friends who
represented. as officials a stern and unswerv-
ing justice. John Y. McKane. the fallen king Of
Gravesend. was yesterday sentenced to six
years In State prison at Sing Sing az punish
| ment for the crimes he committed against the
| elective franchise at the last election. The
| great crowd wrought to the highest pitch Of
excitement. but held in check by the warning
Of the dgnined Judge who was to pass sem
| tence. the oppressive silence preceding the
| pronouncinR OF judgment. the white-faced
| prisoner. standing with downcast eyes and
| shaking limbs awaiting what to him was
almost worse than a death blow. all contribu-
! ted to the solemnity Of the occasion.
| Picture TO yourself the scene A room built
| to accomm odate 200 persons holding thrice
| the number; a gallery built to accomm odate
| fifty filled so full that those in the front row
are almost cut In two by the crowd that pushed
| them against the railing. Leaning far over
this rail. blue In the face some Of them. they
seem In momentary danger OF being precipi-
| tated on the crowd below and with all these
people there the silence OF graveyard.
| At the bar facing the Judge. but with head
| bowed and eyes almost closed. stands man
whose word. one might almost say whose look,
| had for years been the law to q very great
number In the crowd.
| His counsel said OF him: "A man who has
stood high In this community. whose aid has
| been sought By many whose generosity has
been shared By many. whose friendship has
been enjoyed By many"
This man. whose chief boast through life had
been Il fear no living thing" now almost
crnges before the law. He knows at last what
| fear Is. Though n convicted felon there are
hundred In the crowd who still respect him.
There is not one who does not pity him.
| As the Justice speaks the words which con-
sign him to prison life sigh escapes the
crowd. and from the gallery above a whistle.
which In Its very tone expresses Just the feel
| ing that permeatea the people McKane. the
felon. inclines his head slightly and sinks into
| his seat
| As the crowd OF Thursday. when McKans
| was found guilty. was greater than any that
had ever before gathered in the Court House
|
the crowd than that OF Thursday. Court was
| called for 10 o'clock. The people began COM
| ing at o'clock and ut o'clock the gallery
| was packed to suffocation. That was the only
| part OF the court room that was open at that
hour. The entrance to II 10 on the third floor
| OF the Court House. and the room behind II
and the corridor on that floor were iammed a.
| we'll
McKane and Sheriff Bu.tling In the Ray
| mond street jail had read the ridiculous
| stories OF alleged parties that had been made
| up to rescue the chief from the clutches OF the
| law. and they determined to surprise every
| body. They started out alone and walked
| down to the Court House. They went in at .
rear door. and not 200 persons knew they were
in the building for half an hour after they had
| arrived.
In the mean time the Court House had filed
| up. The rotunda and the corridors on every
| floor were packed Six policemen under Ser
| geant White came. When he saw the task be-
fore him the Sergeant sent for reenforcements
More came until there were twenty-five in all.
| II was o quarter before 10 when these DO
!icemen attempted to make an impression on
| the crowd That attempt was greeted with
yells OF derision by the crowd who didn't
know the men they were dealing with. for in
| ten minutes these twenty five policemen had
| opened a passage straight to the court room
| door. 1t isn't easy to explain how they did 1t.
| but they did II. and in their wake came twenty
| or thirty reporters who were admitted TO the
| court room through the Judges private on
| trance. The crowd was held back until 10
| o'clock. when 1t got away again and assaulted
| the doors to the court room. These were held
| outside and in by the policemen. but they
| were forced slowly open. There were shouts
| and screams as they gave before the pressure.
but In this rush only two men got In. and
| doors as II they had been Hired from cannon:
They were aa%yeE pTstS oil New t 11sE no ana
A few minutes alter 10 o'clock the word was
| given to open the door and admit as many as
could ind seats. but no more. Are you
ready 2" shouted the man In charge. The next
il takes to tell it the room was diled; The
little relief in the corridor made It possible for
Next McKans came. Sheriff lluttlins held
The ~ moment he Was through tho door 'i The
officers released Their grin. and he forced his
"There he is! There he 81 came from the
gallery, and the real pushing then begsn;
over the back s OF chair, lie stood dT then facing
the gallery. but not once looking up TO 1t lean
did not look at that moment as II lie had =
great deal on his MIND. hr spoke to four or
badly Worried as Sheriff pulling, Finally he
saS HGT ara Troy eSms IL 0 With co Ed%in z
| James. IL went around the court room very
quickly that Col James had been retained to
assist the defence. Col. James sat down be-
side Mckans. Ex-JudgN, Troy leaned over
ann Mr.. shepard o. the counsel for the prose-
cution came IN. Then there was another rush
by the crowd outside, and another assault on
| the doors IL was successful in that every
iuch OF available sDacs in tho room was illled
before the police recovered themselves
At a quarter past 10 o'clock there was A
| chorus OF Sh-h-h-es here comes the Judge"
and quiet came over the crowd as Justice
| bartlett entered tho room and took his seat
The Hear re hear We" formally opening tho
court was called. John \; MckAnes lace be.
| came pale when he heard II. He half closed
his eyes Mr.. shepard got up and said;
| May II please YOUR Honor We understand
that the counsel for the defence wish to make
some motions before sentence Is moved"
Col James was on his feet in an Instant ana
| as Mr.. ShepATd sat down he said:
| Il appear as counsel 10 present TO your
| Honor a motion which We deem II proper and
| right should DO passed uDOn by the Court.
| First, we move your Honor Tor now trial un-
der section 4I5. subdivisions and OF the
Code OF Criminal Procedure, which IL in sub;
stance that when the Court has INSTRUCTED
| ~ In, q uftar Df llV OF I'm T.fu In