St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-28
CRIME AND IT'S WAGES.
Big Grist of Business Before Judge
Wills.

number of matters of more or less
interest received attention at the hands
of Judge Willis in the criminal depart
ment of the district court yesterday.
One of the most important Of these
was the sentencing of Herman Smith,
the man who robbed Henry Frazier of
$21, his vest and shoes, while the two
occupied the same room at the Richie
lieu hotel. Smith made a strong plea
for leniency, but in view of the fact
that he has previously spent several
terms in prison, the court gave him the
limit, ten years. When asked if he had
anything to say, he handed the fol-
lowing letter to the court, which the
latter read before passing sentence:
ST. PAUL, Jan. 26, 1S96-Honorable Judge:
AS l have few statements to make before
you pass sentence upon me, l will ask you
| ask you in Gods name. l have had lots of
trouble in my young years. The first crime
committed | was sent to prison for two
years and while there l lost my only friend,
and that was my dear old mother. When
went there had hopes to see her as soon as
free; but no, she died; so l came back home
and went to work the third day after leaving
prison and took my two little brothers and
made a home for them and myself. l worked
two years steady for the st. Paul & Duluth
railroad. so then l fell out of work on ac-
count of nothing doing on the road, so then
| went to work for Treasurer Refs at castle,
under Mr. Coniey, the one you took little Joe
liOIl " IdlSe was ASKING you JUST TWO
months ago where Joe was, and you told me
he was clerking in some store. So l have
been working at everything almost to try and
get along. I have married and lost my
wife. have child seven years old going to
school in Iowa, and last spring Capt. Lowell,
of the Rondo street station. took out for
drive and told me how to get my application
papers fixed to get on the fire department.
So Attorney j. J. Mullen headed them for
me, then Attorney Mr. Ives signed them for
me, and Sheriff Chapel and Attorney Henery
On IUhi la oil
ing for show to get on, l went to work for
the Northwestern Telephone company, and
was working there up to the time I
rested. So your honor, judge, l will ask you,
in Gods name, to be leanent with me, and |
will prove to you if life shall never be led
to bar of justice no more. | ask this for
my poor old fathers sake. You have seen
him on the witness tand, and l wish to see
him before he dies. He is seventy six years
old, and lost his hearing in the late war. He
was shot through the collar bone. So | will
come to you as a sinner to God to get for
giveness from. Herman Smith.
nolle presequi was entered in the
two remaining indictments against
James H. Burns. Burns was indicted
for grand larceny for obtaining large
sums of money from the Second Ma
tional bank by means Of false represen-
tations while serving as county auditor.
County Attorney Butler told the court
that two trials on the indictment on
which it seemed most easy to convict
resulted in disagreements Of the juries,
which made 1t useless to hope for a
conviction on another trial. The court
took the same view of it, remarking
that the county attorney had done all
Inat was necessary. Burns is now In
Chicago.
William. Lawler. and Edward Burke,
indicted in November last for keeping
a disorder1y house, the Olympic theater,
withdrew their pleas of not guilty and
pleaded guilty. They were fined $50
a piece, paid their fine and departed.
Alexander Fence, indicted under the
name Of Joseph Smith, for improper
relations with Minnie Kozki was
brught in for trial. but after the in
dictment was read and the first juror
called, the prisoner weakened and
pleaded guilty. Sentenced was de-
ferred.
John Dillon, indicted with another
for grand larceny in the second de-
gree, is on trial. The pair are charged
with stealing a fur overcoat valued
at $3.50 from Merrill Ryder. They went
into the store, it is claimed, and began
examining coats, and while one held
Mr.. Ryder's attention, the other walked
out with the coat.