Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1896-03-29
SERMON FROM THE COURT
JUDGE hAWLEY DiSCOURSES
TO A LARGE AUDIENCE.
Justice Tempered With Mercy in
the Piper Case.

the Piper Case.
Yesterday morning the U. S. Court
room was packed with people and the
isles filled.
Henry Piper, found guilty of taking
one dollars worth Of amalgam from
the mint, was ordered to stand up,
The Court looked at him in a kind
ly way and speaking quietly, with mo
touch of asperitv in his voice, alluded to
the fact that he bad been for years a
respected citizen OF the State, where he
had reared a family and had been es-
teemed bv his fellow men. In a
moment OF weakness he had lost re-
spect for his family, his good wifi"
and his previous good reputation and
committed an illegal act. The fact
that the jury had made a recommen-
dation for mercy. and also that the
officers of the mint had condoned the
affair and suppressed it for nearly
three years, was taken into consider
alton.
If the Mint officials had done their
duty and brought offenders to justice
when crimes were committed, it
seemed to him that SO much deficit
and dishonest work would not have
existed in the institution today. He
vas unable to understand the princi-
pies Of any business man in a public
institution who permits a thief to 80
at liberty simply with a discharge.
He was satisfied that mercy in the
case would result in no repetition OF
the o~ffense, and fnlt from the bottom
of his heart that the accused had
made a bitter rppentence for his act
and already suffered great mental
anguish. He would waive the i'm
prisonment and fix his fine at 1900,
The audience had been listening
with great attention tOthe words Of the
Court and when the mercifnl sentence
fell from his lips there was . burst of
applause which was promptly checked
by the Court.
W WOMEN ~LFCTUEED.
MIS-. buAN, "ItOSt Cl vas StilltHI
whisky to Indians, was ordered to
stand mp.
She a a of between so and
60 years of age, not progressing and
showing marks of her criminal sur
roundings.
Her attorney, Mr.. MCGOWAN, made
a strong plea for mercy, but the
Court said it thought that a term in
the State Prison would be better for
her than a return t. the degradation
of her life in Virginia City among
Indians and Cinnamon.
She kept shaking her head as the
judge talked but it had no effect. The
Court said il regretted that the law
did not in some way provide the
Kelley cure for people with such ter
rible appetites for liquor, and that a
year in the p~enitentiary would have
to take the place of the cure.
A frail remnant Of humanity, known
as Rickety Kate, was ordered to stand
up.
LIZ a'bol NY I1puSIl ne Was hot
mentally responsible, but the court
thought different on this point. He
deplored the fact that a woman and a
mother could sink into the depths as
low as the defendant, and send heI
six year old child to a whisky den tc
buy liquor.
He felt that the officers of Storey
County should take Immediate steps
to locate the wretch who for a little
gain would sell whiskey to a child
He complimented the officers for send.
ing the child to the Orphans Home
They should go further and arres'
the saloon-keeper who had vendeC
liquor to a minor.
+. Ross Allen had sold liquor to a half
breed, not knowing it was illegal. H.
saw the saloon-keeper az Paradise
selling whiskey to half-breed Indians
and was told by him that it was al
right. He was hungry and needed
the money. Sentenced to sever
months in the Storey County jail.
8 A Cinnamon from Reno, an old Of
, fender, was sentenced to a year in tn,
~penitentiary, and another put on trial
The majority of the audience filed GU
and the two women were placed in tn
prison wagon and taken to the pen
. itentiary. As they passed the H"m'
l a group Of little children were play
ing. One was the daughter Of Rick
ETY. Kate. She rushed to the gate a
she caught sight of her mother pass
> ing. But the woman turned ava,
l her head, ard the horses did no