The record-union., 1895-04-05
MUST SPEND SIX MONTHS IN JAIL.
Mrs. Palmer and Mrs. BidweII Sen
fenced Yesterday.
Justice Davis Performs Painful and
Embarrassing Duty With
Flrmness.

Mrs. j. F. Palmer and Mrs. H. Bid
well appeared in the Police Court yester-
day morning for sentence for petit
larceny, on the charge of having stolen
millinery and other goods from num-
Der OF merchants of this city.
The courtroom was again crowded to
overtlowiDg by curious individuals who
wished to see and hear the proceedings.
So many crowded into it that the persons
who were interested in the case were un-
able to gain admission, and at the request
of City Attorney Brown the courtroom
was cleared, in order to give them
chance TO enter and secure seats. The
crowd dispersed reluctantly, and some
individuals had 10 be sharply admon-
ished by the officers before they would
give way.
The articles that had been recovered
were brought in and piled up in front of
the Clerks desk, obscuring his view of
the row Of feminine faces that were in
side OF the rail, to his great sorrow. The
two defendants appeared at last. and took
their seats beside their attorney.
Justice Davis called the defendants for
sentence, and the City Attorney said he
would like to make q statement of the
case TO the court and those interested.
When Mrs. Parkinson secured the search
warrant, 1t was to look for hat which
she believed had been stolen from her by
defendants. The hat was not found, but
large number of other articles were. 1t
was ascertained that they had been
stolen from various business places in
the city. While the owners recognized
them as having been stolen from their
places, they could not swear that they
had been stolen by the defendants, and
under the decision of the Supreme Court
the mere possession OF stolen goods is
not sufficient in itself to convict. He
was satisfied at the time the other conf
plants were sworn to that he could not
obtain conviction on them, on account
OF that decision. lie had therefore con-
Cluded il would be best that the goods be
returned to the proper owners, as only
the complaint OF Mrs. Parkinson could
be sustained. This had been thought
best, on consultation with the attorneys
OF various merchants, and it had been
arranged that If the goods were restored
the charges should be dismissed and the
defendants would plead guilty to the one
charge.
There had been charges and insinua-
tions made in this matter, in regard TO
which he wished to make statement
" hatever responsibility attached to the
decision reached, belonged to himself.
Justice Davis knew nothing of any OF the
arrangements being made, and the blame,
If any, rested entirely with himself and
he accepted the respOnslb bility. Some
newspaper articles had been published
dragging the a. z. A. into the matter.
he VAS not himself a member OF that
order, and did not know whether Justice
Davis was or not, and no influences of
that sort had been brought to bear on
himself OF the Justice. There had also
sTT.e,E Wl,.,@ . H.,
squared" by himself and the officers,
which were absolutely false.
After the Cefendants had pleaded
guilty, officer dayes and himself went TO
their rooms end they restored articles
that had not been known to be stolen.
Two articles had been recovered which
were not known to have been stolen.
one OF them was dress from b. Wilson,
which amounted to SIS. and the other
some silk and I, dress from l.. S. Elkus,
amounting TO 5. l, for which the defend
ants had refunded TO him the money.
Ii some OF the merchants had acted in
the matter with as good faith as he had,
they would have recovered a quantity of
other stolen goods that have not been re-
covered. one merchant refused to swear
to a complaint because the husband Of
woman accused belonged TO a fraternal
organization IN this city, and he did not
want to drag II into court. Another nier-
chant refused TO swear out a search war
rant although he BROWN was satisfied
that the property was in the house desig-
mated at the time, and would have been
recovered.
THESE two women pleaded guilty, with
the unG erstandlng that the remaining
charges Ne dismissed. He was satisfied
tnat the properly had been stolen from
the pieces where claimed, but the owners
could not lrnish evidence that they were
stolen nv the lpfanIaufg Au no..
fssslUns were made under the promise of
immunity, they could not be used against
them; and II he were forced to prosecute
them on their own testimony he wouId
prefer 10 resign his office and defend
them. he now wished TO have the goods
restored TO their owners before sentence
was passed.
An argument occurred between +, s.
Elkus and Brown as to whether the
former had told the latter anything about
the dress silk before it was confessed to.
Brown denied that Elkus had done so.
and said the statement of the latter was
false. Wilson corrOborated the statement
OF Brown, and the dispute was stopped
by the court.
All articles not in dispute between diff
f5rent claimants were returned to the
owners, which consumed considera ble
time.
Mrs. Pealer said she would like the de-
to take the various articles and
whether they were taken under the
eyes OF her girls or not. She would like
to know for the sake of her employees.
City Attorney Brown said the defend
ants wore large circular cloaks, which
enabled them 10 hide the things, but fur
Iher than that he could offer no explana-
ton.
Justice Davis asked the defendants if
they mad anything to say why judgment
shouId not be pronounced.
ii, w. Johnson said he arose with no
little emotion to ask for leniency for his
client, Mrs. Palmer. 1t was an unfortu-
nate occurrence, and bore more heavily
on the husbands and relatives than it
dId on the defendants, and on behalf OF
ali he asked that justice be tempered
with mercy. He presented a stipulation
oil satisfaction from q number of the in
Jured parties, which petitioned the court
TO be Ienlent and not sentence the defend
ants TO imprisonment. The crime, he
SAID, was only petit larceny, and they
should not be punished more severely
IMAM many others are who commit simI-
lar ohenses. Even if they were men, and
noS women, the penalty should be only a
me. 1hey have done wrong and have
suffered for 1t. They have made a resti-
tuition OF all the property taken and had
not III any instance made dollar out of
their peculations. Mrs, Palmer, with a