The San Francisco call., 1896-02-29
ROBBED OF ALL ROMANCE
The Boy Safe. Crackers Sentenced
to Ten Years at
Folsom.
NO REASON FOR LENIENCY.
An Effort Will Be Made to Ask the
Governor to Change the Sen
tence.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI
QAQ Broad n,au Eah [

OAKLAND OFFICE DAN FRANCISCO CALI,l
90S Broadway, Feb. %.
Judge York stripped a career o
burglaries and safecracklng by boys of all
its romance this morning. When the
young burglars, Abe Majors and Bert Will
more, were taken before him for sentence
he committed them to Folsom for ter
years each.
AT the private examination held yester
day it was developed that Wilmore had nc
right to demand that he be sent to a re-
form school on account of his age, so he
was allowed to plead guilty and place him.
self on the same footing as young Majors
who pleaded guilty when first arraigned.
Mrs. Wagner, the mother of young
Majors, was present and at one stage o1
the proceedings broke down entirely. II
was truly pitiable spectacle.
Young Wilmore was first told to stand
up. His attorney made plea for len.
iencv and District Attorney Shook in re.
ply said that the boys had participated in
twenty burglaries, all of which had been
undertaken at night. They had also gone
armed, so that they could take the of
fensive If they were molested.
+ Judge York said: Il can see in the facts
thus adduced no mitigatin circumstances
The record Of crime is one of the most re-
markable that l have ever heard of. II
this boy is sent to the State school, being
over II years of age, he would only be in
restraint four years. ! shall deny the ap-
pl1cation to send him to lone. There
is a provision of the law which per-
mits that prisoner who is minor may,
upon recommendation of the board of di-
rectors of the State prison and approval OF
the Governor. be transferred to the State
at te H.,
within the power of the prisoner himself
by good conduct to have himself trans
ferred."
Sentence of FIVE years on each Of the
two charges was then passed on Wilmore.
Abe Majors was then told to stand up.
Several people testified to his previous
good character. AS mem Der of the First
Baptist Church and the Young Mems
Christian Association he had always borne
a good reputation.
Mrs. S. G. Sanford of the Humane So
cietv spoke OF Majors having been arrested
at Hanford for vagrancy at the request OF
his mother. After hearing the evidence
Judge York said he could see no reason
for making any discrimination between
the two boys.
"The case is a most fragrant one" he
said, land in each case the lad is an intel
ligent one. l think the boy will have a
chance Of good conduct to justify trans
fer from the Prison Directors to the
State school at lone. | have no doubt
that if your conduct is such that you
demonstrate desire TO become good citi-
zens the Governor will pardon you at
the expiration OF the first sentence. Ii is
for you to prove this. The protection OF
society demands your restraint until you
demonstrate that you will become law
abiding citizens" The parting between
Mrs. Wagner and her boy was very
pathetic. Wilmore's mother is in the city
prison, charged with receiving the stolen
money, and her boy walked off with the
Deputy Sheriff, apparently unconcerned.
There is general feeling that the sen.
tence is peculiarly severe for first offenders,
and an effert will be made at once by the
boys friends to secure the immediate in
terference of the Governor.