The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-29
FLAGLER CASE NOT UNIQUE
Olher Light Sentences in Cases
of Deliberate Murder.
VERDICT WITHIN THE Law
Miss Flngler's Sentence Was Really
No Less Severe Than Many Others
Gen Flagler May Ask to BE Sta
toned Elsewhere as the Family
Feels the Disgrace Keenly.

The action of the district attorney and
of the court in the recent sentencing OF Miss
Elizabeth NJ. Fiagler. who killed Ernest
Green, to only three hours in jail in addi-
ton to u fine of $500, is still the basis OF
considera bic conversation among habitues
of the city hall.
Opinion as TO the expediency of taking
the action followed is about equally divided.
1t is pointed out that both the court and
prosecuting attorney, however, had prece-
dent for their course.
One OF the most striking Illustrations
cited is that Of the sentencing OF Joseph NJ.
Chase. the colored man who killed Prof.
Paul, TO Jail for only thirty days, after he
had been convicted of manslaughter 10y a
jury.
Chase was a coachman in the employ of
Senator Cullom. One bright afternoon, in
the early part of April, 1888, he was out
exercising his employers horses on Four
teenth street. When he approached the
top of the hill, on which the Fourteenth
street terraces border, he saw Prof. Paul,
principal of the High School, coasting
down the hill on bicycle.
Chase was accused of deliberately giving
his horse the rein and Crewding Prof. Paul
over TO the curbstone and then running
over him, causing almost instant death.
He was indicted for manslaughter the same
month.
The trial took place the following July.
1t lasted but two days and at the end Of
that time the jury brought i'll a verdict
of manslaughter, without any recommen-
dation OF mercy to the court Two weeks
later the defendant was taken before Judge
Montgomery, who conducted the trial, and
was given a sentence of thirty days in jail
and fined 5000 In the event that the
latter was not paid he was to spend four
additional months in prison.
The case aroused no small degree of
| indignation at the time. but the sentence
was, of course, never changed.
George Robinson was indicted for man
slaughter, June %, 1894. He murdered
a child by holding it under water until
it was drowned. The case was tried before
Judge Cole and the apparently light SEN
tence of one year in the penitentiary was
imposed.
Sentences of less than five years for
manslaughter have been by no means in
| frequent in the District courts.
A CLOUD OF SORROW.
Whatever may be said about the proceed
| ings in court in the case of Miss Flagier,
who entered the unusual plea of guilty
| of involuntary manSlaughter, the fact re-
mains that a c:oud OF sorrow hangs like
| a pail about the house of her father, Gen.
Daniel w. Flagler, No. 2144 California
| avenue.
| The Flager residence is large mansion
! of fifteen rooms or more away up in what
| might be called the Harlem of Washing
/ ton Houses are not yet so plentiful in
| that region as they are further down in
| the city, and the newness OF the locality
| and the utter lack of large trees still gives
! it q bit of IoneSoneness that is bard to
| shake off. The unfortunate gloom that
has come upon Gen. Flagier' sbouse is there
| fore lightened i'll but a slight manner by
| the surroundings.
Mrs Flagler, who has been sick unto
| death since the Immediate proceedings in
| the trial of her daughter drew near, Is still
! far from well. Now that the trying ordeal
| is over she is improving in health, though
she had q temporary setback yesterday Oh
account OF the contracting of a severe cold.
The daughter has been at home but little
| since the shooting OF the boy. She could
| not bear the thought inspired by her sur
| roundings. Only a short time ago, when
| her mothers life was despaired of, did
she return, and she then went away again
as soon as she had carried out the laws
| command.
1t is more than probable that Gen. Flag
ler Will ask to be stationed in some other
city as soon as his family is ready for the
change, though he would neither deny nor
affirm such statement when seen by q
Times reporter yesterday
GEN. FLAGLER TALKS.
''There has been so much notoriety and
publicity given to this case that l am
loath to say anything" said Gen Flagler.
There have been many unkind things said
in the papers, and much of 1t because no
one knew the exact facts in the case. But
few were able TO know them.
1.-The unkindest statements of all were
those that my daughter did not want to
stand trial because it would reveal heI
guilt She had no guilt. Beyond the fact
that it would have been an awful strain on
her to go through the formality of public
hearing, / doubt whether she could have
stood it. II threatened the life OF heI
mother, who was confined toher bed through
the anxiety it produced. Her life was
despaired OF and had our daughter beer
forced to trial / believe her mother wouid
not have been able to survive.
LAS | said, one reason why VIC have been
criticised is because so few know the true
circumstances of the case. My daughter
knows them, know them, for we have, ol
course, talked them over time and again
and her God knows them, know that she
was innocent of any intent to kill, and thai
the unfortunate affair was the merest acci
dent. All these things that the people il
general do not know, and not knowing OF
which they critieise us, would have beer
brought out at the trial. That is the only
way in which they could have been prop
erly brought before the public.
There was nothing irregular about tn
proceedings, as they were carried out
My daughters lawyers consulted with the
prosecuting attorney and he consulted ant
recommended the action, The judge had
perfect right TO pass the sentence that
he did,