Evening journal., 1897-12-24
WARNER SENTENCED
Kidnaper Gets a Term Of Fif-
teen Years imprisonment.
GIVES NEW VERSION or THE AFFAIR.
DlscIaims the Honor OF Reing the Arch
Conspirator aud Delegates That Po-
sition to Blake, who Has Been
Sentenced Already.

HthA@hNea fAA'A'3f
ALBANY, Dec 24-To Albert S. War
ner. the last Of the hdnapers Of Johnny
Conway, has been meted "A term Of 10
years This sentence was passed by
Judge Alden Chester in the supreme
court yesterday afternoon after he had
listened to q plea for mercy from the
criminal himself. Warner pleaded guilty
to the crime Of kidnapipg at the morn
ing session Of the court and was re-
manded for sentence until the after
noon.
When he was arraigned for sentence
and asked If he had any statement to
make why sentence should not be pass
ed upon him, he gave an altogether
new version Of the kidnapping story as
told by Blake and denied most emphat-
ically that he conceived the kidnapping
plot. lie said in part
II came to Albany on the Saturday
before the kidnapping Of the child on
pleasure excursion with Mr.. Blake. 1
knew nothing of a plan TO kidnap the
child until after Il had been done 1
had no ideas concerning the doing OF
this before.
II went to q saloon In Hudson avenue
and inquired for Blake. They told me
he had not been there / left for Keel
ors TO look for him and met Hardy, who
said Blake was out on some turnpike
west Of the city and that he was in
trouble and wanted to see me. I went
out TO the West Albany station, where
1 found Blake with the boy. 1 said TO
him: Harry, what have you done this
for? You can't do anything with the
child. What have you done 1t forY
Here came my mistake. If I had
left, l would not have been implicated
in the thing at all. But I staid along
with the child, and the others said that
they would get the money all right, and
the thing would be over with. So I
staid in the church with the child, and
Tuesday / took him 10 the woods go
ing back that night. 1 told them that
they would have TO do something right
away, or I was going TO leave the thing
right away.
"On Wednesday night we took the
child back into the woods. I told them
that If they did not do something right
away / would leave them with the
child. Next morning Blake came where
i was with some men and told me he
had men who would give $500. 1 told
him he was foolish. My object was to
and let the child go Arrangements
were made that the men should go back
to their carriage and get the money
and then we would take the child to
them. Blake turned TO me and said he
did not think they had the money. /
said, Certainly not; ] am going to rum.
I dropped the child and ran off through
the bushes. The child followed me-
| screaming, and Blake ran along with
me.
"I knew nothing of this mans char
( acter. He had been a friend to me,
and. according to my code. 1 had to
stick 20 him. Probably ] did wrong,
and now ] must take my punishment"
Warner was exceedingly nervous
| while he was delivering his story, and
at its conclusion the district attorney
stated the case briefly TO the court and
said thaS he believed in the main what
Warner had said. but he did not think
that justice could be done unless the
full sentence prescribed by law was
meted out
Judge Chester. in passing sentence
said in part: "I wish there was some
thing in your statement that could LET
me look upon this offense with some
leniency. You have tried TO make II
look as though your responsibility came
OF OBTAINING the child and that you
were all through trying to aid a friend
As a lawyer, you know that one who
aids In crime is equally guilty with on,
who conceives it. You are a lawyer
and as an officer OF the court yol
should have aided justice. When al
officer of the court gives himself up {,
a crime. il is necessary that an exam
pie should be made. The judgment an,
sentence Of the court is that you b
confined In the prison at Dannemor'
for term Of 10 years at hard labor"