Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-25
Miss Flagler Given a Short Jail
Sentence.
she PLEAD GUILTY TODAY
Her Confinement and How She
Passed the Time.
THE KILLING OF GREEN

MISS EiZapetn M fiagler, who shot and
killed Err est Green, a small colored boy,
last August. To-Day pleaded guilty in Crimt-
nal Court No. to an indictment charging
her with mans,aughter. and Judge Cox
sentenced her to pay a fine of $500 and to
be imprisoned in Jail for three hours The
young woman's father Gen. Daniel w,
Flagler. u. S. A., at once paid the fine by
handing Clerk n. c. Downs ten crisp fifty.
dollar bills, and then. accompanied by her
father and a female friend, the distinguish
ed prisoner was driven to- Jail to serve her
brief term Of Imprisonment.
The proceedings in court today were the
result Of conference yesterday between
District Attorney Birney and Miss Flaglers
counsel Messrs. r. Ross Perry and Jere NJ.
Wilson. II being then agreed that she should
this morning come into court and plead
guilty to the Indictment. In order to avoid
as much publicity as possible, the matter
was Kept secret, Judge Cox directing late
yesterday that court should be opened at
9:So this morning. half an hour before the
usual time, when the matter could be dis
posed OF. AT that hour this morning Judge
Cox appeared uron the bench. District At.
torney Birney, ewspaper men and the
usual court officers being the only other
persons present. In a moment Miss Flag.
ler. accompanied by her father, her friend,
Mr.. Perry and Mr.. Wilson, entered the
court room. seating themselves directly in
front of the bench. Mr.. Wilson then stated
that Miss Flagler was in court and desired
to enter plea Of involuntary mansiaugh.
ter.
The Sentence.
1T is needless for me to say" said Mn
Wilson. that this is one Of those unf ,rtu.
nate accidents and cases which, In the
pleading Of the defendant Of guilty OF in.
voluntary manslaughter. does not call for
anything but the Hghtest penalty in the
power of the court. Without making any
further statement, we submit the matter to
your honor. and crave, on the part of the
defendant, the minimum penalty To the
s lEdlctment she now desires to enter plea
OF guilty OF involuntary manslaughter."
To Judge Cox's inquiry, District Attorney
Birney merely stated that the plea would
be acceptable to him, and then Judge Cox
asked If he should at once impose the sen.
tence MIR. Perry and Mr.. Wilson nodded
an assent. and as Miss Flagler stood up to
receive her sentence. Mr.. Perry arose and
woman, attired in smart street costume
or dark material, was perfectly composed.
ard now and then held a delicate hottie Of
salts to her face. Judge Cox made no com.
ment Whatever, merely saying: Il sentence
You to pay fine of 500, and to be impIis.
oned In jail for three hours"
Miss flagier's face slightly flushed an
She heard her sentence, and then she calm.
~ seated herself beside her counsel
Taken to JAIL
Her rather handed Clerk Downs ten s5n
pliis' and. after the clerk had recorded tho
plea and sentence and marked the fine
paid, the party stepped across the corridor
10 the private room Of Marshal Wilson.
Ihere they remained until Miss Fiagler's
commitment to Jail had been made ont
Gooh Sneh IL ,, was handed to Bailiff Thos. r.
T' Took' Who escorted the prisoner to jail.
Two carriages We're awaiting the marty
ana In one Miss FIagler and her fenaie
ana a,.aiio seated themselves. while BailiT Cook
H.. hn ntl,a
was quickly reached, Messrs Perry and
wilson bidding Miss Flagler adieu at The
court house and at the prison the bailfr
formally handed his prisoner over TO the
CUSTODY or Warden Leonard, taking the
"ardens receipt for his charge.
The Shooting.
Ihe onense for which Miss FIagler was
To-Day sentenced was the killing OF Ernest
Hreen' small colored boy. the morning Of
the I'd of last August. That morning thn
little fellow. accompanied by a number of
his friends. started out to play bail I'm tn.
suburbs. On the way they stopped near
the residence of Gen. Flagler, on California
a,aan akeilue: some hne fruit trees were on the
piace, and boys had been in the habit al
ropplng them. Noticing The crowd of bows
Miss Flagler imagined that they were
ABOUT 10 rob the trees and, to frighten
secured small revolver and fired as sha
has always contended she supposed In the
air. She Is said to have fired twice. and
the boy. who was said to have been on the
renee, teil to the ground, shot through the
body.
The moment she discovered that the boy
had been wounded Miss Flagler had him
brought into the house, but he died before
a physician could be secured. The young
woman at once drove to police headquar.
ters, where she surrendered herself to
Maj. Moore. An inquest was held that
evening. the jury declaring, while we do
not believe she (iss Flagler) did ii with
murderous intent, yet We believe the shots
were fired carelessly and indifferently. and
upon the evidence We cannot hold her."
Miss Flagler was thereupon discharged
from arrest, but five days later she was re.
Qured to give bail in the sum Of $4,000 to
answer any Indictment which might be re.
turned against her. The 3lst of last Octo.
bcr an indictment was returned against
her, charging her with manSlaughter. the
penalty for which offense is imprisonment
for not more than ten years. and fine not
exceeding 81, 600.
Conviction Was Probable.
1t is understood that the entering OF 9
plea Of guilty by Miss Flagler was the re.
suit Of intimat on given by District At.
torney Birney to her counsel that IL the
case was tried a conviction would, In his
opinion, surely follow. In that opinion the
young woman's counsel are said to have at
length concurred. So, it is believed, rather
than stand the ordeal of public trial, with
the more than probability Of a conviction,
and perhaps a severer sentence In that
event. her counsel advised her to plead
guilty and throw herself upon the mercy Of
the court 1t is pointed out by those who
believe that Miss Flagler was made ac-
quainted beforehand with the precise seTis
tence she would receive, that her father
handed to the clerk Of the court the exact
amount Of the fine imposed.
Drive to tho Jail.
Miss Flagler's term of Imprisonment I'd
the District Jail was neither long nor Z
particularly tedious one Three hours may
or may not seem a very long time. depends
ing upon circumstances. but for Miss Flags
Ter the circumstances were made as please
ant as possible.
From the court house the prisoner drove
to the jail in private carriage. She was
accompanied by her father and q female
relative. With the party was a deputy
from the marshal's Office, in whose custody
she was until formally turned over to the
authorities at the Jail.
1t was a cold and windy drive over Caps
ttol Hill and across the commons to the
long. dreQry.lOOl<inR Rfructure W ehG