The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-19
SIX YEARS IN SING sing
Sentence Imposed on John Y
gMeKane By Justice Bart
lett Today.

BROOKLYN, N. Y, Feb 19, 1S94-John Y.
McKane, the convicted Gravesend political
boss, was sentenced this morning by Justice
Willard Bartlett, in the Court of Oyer and
Terminer to six years imprisonment in the
State Prison at Sing Sing. The sentence was
great surprise to every one. 1t was
expected that the jury's recommendation to
mercy would induce Justice Bartlett 70 be
more lenient When the Judge pronounced
sentence McKane turned deathly pale and
elutched the railing before him, and tears
rolled down his cheeks.
Justice Bartlett took his seat on the bench
at 10:l1 o'clock. McKane had been brought
from Raymond Street Jail as early as nine
o'clock. His counsel arrived there at ten
o'clock sharp. They had to elbow. and
| squeeze their way through the biggest
crowd that has ever assembled at
the Court House, in this ciJy. When the
| lawyers got inside, it developed that Mckane
had secured additional counsel in the person
of Edwin c. James of New York. Mr.:
James did all the talking for the condemned
| new trial, arrest of judgment, suspension OF
| Judgment and for twenty days time to pre-
| pare exceptions for stay.
Justice Bartlett denied all OF these
motions.
| Then Colonel James made a long plea for
mercy. Mr.. McKane listened with doWncast
| ewes and flushed face After the plea was
| finished, Mr.. E. M. Shepard, for the State,
asked that long sentence be pronounced,
| Clerk Byrne then asked Mckane the us
ual question :-s.Have you anything to say
why sentence should not be passed"
| MKANE'S PLEA.
| McKane arose. seized the railing with his
left hand, and in trembling voice, said:
| s'I don't know whether / have anything to
say much am not guilty. never did any
| thing wrong in my life. / had nothing to do
| last election with the inspectors. Inever ad-
| vised them at all much less to do anything
wrong. l am not guilty. never did any
thing wrong in all my life"
| His voice grew weaker as he spoke the
last words. He hesltated and then turned
| towards his chair.
'sHold on minute" said Clerk Byrne.
''McKanee, you have not yet heard your
| sentence
McKane turned back again, caught the
! railing with his left hand and put his right
hand into his pocket Then, with lifted
head and closed eyes, he listened. The voice
of Justice Bartlett broke the silence.
THE SENTENCE.
'tI am not at liberty" he said in a tone of
intensity, s'to disregard the recommends
tion of the jury for mercy. Nevertheless IN
gravity of the crime of which this
defendant has been convicted. The fact
that he disobeyed the laws is the
more matter of moment for the reason
that he is an intelligent man who exercised
wide authority and who knew what
the law was. This aggrayates the offense. rs
| The sentence should not be too light
lest it should not be proper
punishment; and on the other hand, it
| should not be so severe as to excite synlpa-
thy. The sentence of the court is that you
be confined in the State Prison at Sing Sing
for the term Of six years"
i AS Justice Rartlett spoke the prisoners
face had gradually grown winter, and as the
words 'ssix years fell on his ears. his counte-
nance turned pallid. He started to go to his
chair, with his eyes still closed. As he felt
! his way along like man stricken blind by
i the severity of the sentence, Sheriff Buttlihg
took him by the arm and helped him into a
| seat.
THE COURT ROOM IN AN UPRoAR.
Then the courtroom burst into an uproar.
| The court officers and the judge vainly en-
| deavored to restore order. The lawyers
! tried to talk to the Court, but they could not
| be heard
! Sheriff Bnttling took his prisoner into a
side room and kept him there until squad
| of policemen cleared the halls. After that
| he took him to the Sheriffs Office and then
| to the Jail.
AN EXCITING SCENE.
/ An exciting scene took place while Sheriff
Buttling was trying to work McKane
I through the immense crowd that filled the
court house lobbies to the street, where stood
the carriage which was to take the prisoner
to jail.
| Nearly all of them were Gravesend adher-
| ents of the convicted boss. As he appeared
| the crowd surged around him. Sheriff
Buttling, his deputies and the police, could
not clear the way. The jam was 50 great that
they couldn't get through. Mckane raised
| his hand and called OUT
| "Clear away, boysl"
| HAll right, Chief" shouted back the big
| crowd in thunderous tones that shook the
big stone pillars In minute the crowd
had obeyed They fell back, forming a
passage clear to the carriage. The crowd
| kept up q continuous shouting.
tsHurrah for McKane!" "Stand by the
| Chiefp 'sThree Cheers for Chief McKanep
| they yelled.
At the carriage they crowded up. They
wanted to shake his hand "We'n never de-
sert you. Chief" they cried. "We'n always
| be your friends" 81
4 Then McKane waved for the men to make
a way for the horses. The crowd fell back
as willingly as they had done before. The
carriage sped away towards the Jail with
the shouting crowd following
McKane's lawyers will make a strong effort
to keep him from going to Sing Sing. Unless
they get stay, or time to prepare exceptions
on which to base motion for stay, he
will have to GO to Sing Sing in few days
His LAWYERS said they would apply some time
| 4o3ov tc q Srprafua Courf iudofa for dalay