The Portland daily press., 1897-07-30
THE PORTLAND POLICE COURT.
Wilbur M. Waite Valves Preliminary
Examination.
Two Youthful Offenders Dealt With
Other Cases.


Other Cases.
In the Municipal court before Judge
Robinson yesterday morning, the case of
Wilbur M. Waite, the alleged fire-bug,
came up for the preliminary examination.
Waite, who has been confined at the
station, was present in the dock. His
counsel, Messrs. f. M. Hartford and E.
E. Heckbert were present, as was also
County Attor ney George Libby. repre-
senting the government.
To the surprise of most of the specta-
tors the announcement was made that
Mr.. Waite would waive the preliminary
examination and be bound over to the
Superior court.
Mr.. Hartford asked, however, that the
bail be reduced to So, 900.
In response to this Mr.. Libby said that
the respondent was held to answer to four
very serious charges. In the winters of
1896 and 1897 the city was repeatedly
startled by incendiary fires and great peril
and inconvenience had resulted.
Judge Robinson said that it.was a case
of peculiar difficulty for magistrate to
fix bail with no evidence before him as to
probability of guilt. The atrocity of the
offense was such that there would be a
strong disposition to evade punishment.
sure of causing the respondent to be pro-
duced
The bail of $4,000 seemed to be proper
and the court thought it should SO re-
main
The attorneys for the defense said that
the respondent had no bail to offer.
The two boys, John j. Sullivan and
Frank Leonard, aged respectively thirteen
and twelve years, who had attempted to
steal from the cash drawer Of Mr.. David
Hoopers store, were in the dock. their
little heads scarcely reaching above the
rail- The father of Sullivan was present,
Woodworking man. who has settled for
small theft of the boy once before. As
this was the first time the boy had been
brought before the court Judge Robinson
sentenced him to the Reform School dur
ing minority and then suspended the SEN
tence. With Frank Leonard the situa-
ton was different. This youthful often
der has been before the court three times
before for larceny. May 16, 1896. he was
fined five dollars and twenty-five cents
and costs; in September, 1896, he was
again fined nine dollars and costs; and
April &c, 1897, he was before the court but
was discharged because the complaint was
withdrawn.
After reciting these cases the judge said
it was evident that the boy needed more
efficient restraint and correction than he
was now getting; and he therefore would
sentence him to the Reform School dur
ing minority. The boy, who had been
shedding tears for some time, broke down
and wept bitterly as the sentence was
imposed, and he realized that the previous
warnings of the court had been serious.
Other cases were disposed of as follows:
George n. Parks, intoxication, three
dollars and costs.
| Patrick Murray, intoxication, three
dollars and costs.
| Fred Getchell and Frederick York, for
being intoxicated on Commercial wharf,
three dollars and half costs each.
Mary E. Pratt, for being intoxicated
in the streets, confinement in city house OF
correction for thirty days.
| James Pickett, intoxication, and resis
lance to Patrolman Craig, thirty days in
jail and thirty dollars and costs.
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