The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-03-19
Iawyers-four queens counsel
barristers-was about the lam

lawyers had ability enough to appear in
police court here to conduct hearing
before an ordinary magistrate.
| do not propose to enter into the de-
tails of our preliminary hearings before
the lord mayor at the Mansion House, or
of the trial Both the hearings and trial
were sensational in the highest degree
and attracted universal attention all
over the English speaking world. Full
page pictures Of the trial appeared in
all the illustrated journals of Europe
and America, and our portraits were on
sale everywhere.
After many hearings before Sir Sid
ney Waterlow we were finally commit
ted for trial.
For eight mortal days the final trial
dragged on, and there we were pilloried
in that horrible dock-a spectacle for
the staring throngs that focked to see
the young Americans who had found a
pregnable spot in the impregnable Bank
Of England.
The misery Of those eight days! No
language can describe it, nor would I
undergo it again for the wealth of the
world.
The court was filled with fashionables,
ladies as we'll, who f1ocked to stare at
the misery, while the corridors Of the
Old Bailey and the street itself were
packed with thousands eager to catch a
glimpse Of US. The judge in scarlet sat
in solemn state, with members Of the
nobility Or equity aldermen in gold
chains and robes On the bench behind
him. The body Of the court was filled
with bewigged lawyers-a tippling lot
of sharks and rogues, always after lunch
half tipsy with the punch or dry sherry
which English lawyers drink, TESTING
and cracking jokes unmindful of the
fate of their clients. Captain Curtin
and score Of detectives were present.
No fewer than 213 witnesses were
called by the prosecution. Of these about
80 were from America, and by them
they traced our lives for many years be-
fore. AS the forged bills were all sent
by mail it was necessary to convict us
by circumstanttal evidence. It really was
all very weak save only in that re-
markable matter Of the plotting paper.
The jury retired to consider their yer.
dict shortly after O'Clock, and on re-
turning into court after the lapse of
about quarter Of an hour they gave in
averdict of guilty against all Of the four
prisoners.
Judge Archibald proceeded to pass
sentence. He began with the interesting
and truthful remark, 81 have anxiously
considered whether anything less than
the maximum penalty Of the law will
be adequate to meet the requirements Of
this case, and I think not. :" We had in
formation that few days previously a
meeting Of judges had been held and
that he had been advised to pass life
sentence. What he really meant to say
was that he had anxiously considered
whether anything less would be ade-
quate to satisfy the Bank Of England.
He went on to say that "the sentence is
penal servitude for life, and I further
order that each one Of you pay one-fourth
Of the costs Of prosecution-e49, 900, or
e249, 900 in all. R"
And, after all, what aroused so greatly |
his Indignation? 1t was simply this
because we were youngsters and Amer
leans and had successfully assaulted the
fondly imagined impregnable Bank of
England, and, worse still, had held up
to the laughter Of the whole world it's
red tape idiotic management, for had
they even asked me for reference the
fraud would have been made impossible.
Let my reader contrast this modern
Jeffreys, his savage TRADE, and for an
ofense against property the most brutal
sentence, with his treatment of the War
wickshire bank wreckers. Greenaway,
the manager of this bank, and three of
the directors, by false balance sheets
and perjured reports, for years had loot
ed the bank, finally robbing the depos-
itors Of e1,000,000, several of whom
committed suicide, and thousands more
of whom were ruined.
They were tried, convicted and in
being sentenced were told that, being
men Of high social position, the disgrace
in itself was severe punishment
Therefore he should take that fact into
consider alton and ended by sentencing
two to months, one to 10 months and
one to ID months Imprisonment.
We were sentenced late at night,
nearly 10 O'Clock, smoky, foggy Lon
don night. The court was packed, the
corridors crowded, and when the jury
came in with their verdict the suppress
ed excitement found vent. But when
the vindictive and unheard Of sentence
fell from the lips Of this villain Judge
an exclamation Of horror fell from that
crowded court.
We turned from the Judge and went
down the stairs to the entrance Of the
underground passage leading to New
gate. There we halted to say farewell.
To say FAREWELL Yes. The Primrose
Way had come to an end, but we were
comrades and friends still, and in order
that in the gloom Of the slow moving
days and the blackness and thick hor-