The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-13
TWO YEARS SENTENCE
JUDGE BAKER PASSES ON CASE OF
JAs.B b. WILSON, OF THE PEOPLE.
Court Strongly the Articles
cation-Supersedeas Asked For.

James B. Wilson, editor of the People,
was sentenced to two years in the Leni-
~tentiary and was fined $50 yesterday b.
Judge Baker on the charge OF sending OBJ
scene matter through the mails. The case
came up on the petition for a new trial.
John W. Kern. the attorney for the de-
Tense. based his claims upon the fact that
the obscene matter was not specifically set
out in the Indictment. He also claimed
that the Indictment was faulty IN that IL
did not charge that the obscene matter was
deposited in the mail with the knowledge
of the defendant that it was obscene. The
argument was combated by District Attor-
ney Burke. After argument Judge Baker
asked the defendant II he had anything to
say why sentence should not be passed
upon him. His words were very indistinc,.
but he said something about the matter
in his paper being the same as was printed
in other papers OF the city.
After summing up the matter Judge Ba-
ker. In pronounceing sentence. said:
You have received a fair trial and have
been ably defended, but the jury has found
clinei to- agree. In my opinion this Of
Tense OF which you have been found guilty
is much more aggravated than that OF Il
man who steals a horse: or VINO hi n,Ss a
POthCtDOOhs W CtCn DaAAio A0'@f
midnight over its sleeping inmates. Toe
government OF the United States did not
establish its mails for the evil purpose to
tablished for business convenisnce a:,o to
carry messages of love and affection be-
tween relatives and friends.
abroad publications that are calculated to
lead the young. the rising generation.
astray. it seems to me. does :, tn,ns tnat
stroying a human life by means of this OBJ
scenity Is a fearful thing. / would. rather
a thousand times that the mldnlgnt ma
rauder should break INTO my mouse tSs wo and
than that the disseminator OF this KIND OF
literature should gain an audience among
IA poor man who steals a cow must
~perforce go TO the p~enitentiary for two
years, maybe fourteen; that the use or the
mails for such a purpose Is a less grieVoIs
offense than that of stealing a cow l am
unable TO see. 1 am not disposed to be Sc
we're, nor can I be so weak, or so regardless
Of the duty Of this court as TO refuse TO
used as the disseminator of obscene litera-
ture to be used for the corruption ana &C.
moralization of the youth Of the state"
allowed to remain here ten days in the Gus
tody Of the marshal while he prepared the
papers and asked Judge Woods TO grant a
granted. Wilson was allowed to remain at
large on his old bond OF 500. Afterward
the deputy marshal informed the Judge that
the bondsmen desired TO be released from
the bond. Judge Baker informed him that
this could be done only by bringing wilson
into court and getting the releases N the
proper manner.
The present bond is signed by Harry
Walker, a saloon keeper. WILSON'S nrst
bond was signed by Charles Polster, an
-Indiana-avenue saloon keeper. but ne asked
10 be released from It.
The petition for a supersedeas had not
been presented to Judge WOODS last nlgnt.