Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-17
SIX MONTHS IN JAIL.
Hobbs Receives Sentence
For Contempt.
SHORTAGE IN HIS ACCOUNTS
The Injuries" to His Leg Amounted
to Little or Nothing.

BOSTON, Jan. l7.-Judge Knowlton yes
terday afternoon found Receiver Hobbs OF
the Stock bridge Savings bank guilty OF
contempt of court and sentenced him to
six months in Suffolk Jail. 1t appeared
from the testimony OF one of the wit
nesses that there is 600, 900 unaccounted
for by Hobbs, and it was asserted by the
attorney general that he had appro
priated the funds to his own use.
Hobbs, who refused TO answer q sum.
mons from the supreme court to appear
before 1t In Boston, because he said that
he had broken both of his legs, arrived In
this city yester "a, ~ 'rning, and was met
by an ambulanr, IG AIKEN to the En-.
ergency hospital. An cy imination reveals
the fact that only one of his legs is In.
jured, and that only slightly. In the
afternoon he was taken into court for ex.
animation on the charge of contempt, and
the testimo ony Of the physician was that
he was perfectly able, physically, to obey
the summons.
Morphine Eater.
The sensation of the day came out after
the hearing before Judge Knowlton be-
gan. Attorney General Knowlton ap-
peared for the state and Lawyer Dickin-
son appeared for Mr.. Hobbs. DIR. Segen,
who received Hobbs at the station in Bos-
ton, told OF his condition, and said that IL
was evident he had been taking morphine.
He had asked for the drug, but it was re.
fused by the physician.
Then statement from DR.. Paddock of
Pittsfield, the medical examiner for the
Berkshire district, was read. DIR. Pad
dock said that Hobbs injuries were
slight; that he had acknowledged to DR..
Paddock that he was a morphine eater.
Then came the bombshell. Banking
Commissioner Wilton said that he had
seen the papers which Hobbs turned over
to Receiver Spaulding when the capias
was served. He had hastily examined
them, and found that there was t21 900
short. Whereas he should have turned
over some $50, 900, he only handed to Re-
ceiver Spaulding about 1000. He made
no explanation whatever TO Mr.. Spaulding.
The Defense.
Lawyer Dickinson then said that he had
no evidence to offer excepting that of Mr..
Hobbs, who was, however, not able to be
sworn or to testify. He said that for the
last few years Mr.. Hobbs had been acting
strangely. He suffered from q head
trouble, which compelled him to take
morphine, and he had got the habit that
way. He didn't believe he was respon-
sible for his action and pleaded with the
court not TO send him to Jail. II Mr..
Hobbs was guilty of embezzlement he
would no doubt be indicted by grand
jury and be tried before the proper court.
AttCrney General Knowlton wanted
Judge Knowlton to send Hobbs to fail.
He said he had given the banking COM
missioners lot of trouble and that he
had wilfully disobeyed the order Of the
court. 1t was practically admitted, said
the attorney general, that Hobbs IL an
smbezzler.
Judge Knowlton said that it was per-
fectly evident that Hobbs had hagrantly
disobeyed the courts orders In not turn
ing over his papers to the new receiver.
1t was evident that he was an embezzler
and morphine eater. He didn't believe
his life would be endangered by sending
him to Jail. He certainly deserved severe
punishment.
He then ordered that Hobbs be con-
fined in Jail six months, unless sooner re-
leased by order of the court.