Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-22
FIVE YEARS AT HARD LABOR
Penalty Paid by James Strosnider for Crime
of False Pretenses.
Receives the Announcement Calmly.
but Break" Down After Reaching
the Cage = III. ofen.e.

James Strosnider the young white man
from Waynesburg, Pa, who ewas convicted
tuesday on three indictments, two of
which charged false prete,fses and the
o'her grand larceny, was sentenced by
JUDGE Cole today to FIVE years imprfson
meht at hard labor in the New Jersey state
prison. IL n
strosnider came to this city about the
middle of last May with one William Boyd.
lie introduced Boyd to James Z. McKahan
friend OF his here, as Billy Stibbs. in
forming McKahan that. Stibbs was a very
neet runner. and that they had made a
match with a runner who had been brought
here by one Arthur Lewis Of delphfa
Tor *, 100 side. Strosnider told McKaban
ma. ma ne dld not have sufficient money to
make such bet, and induced him to ad-
vance him $3.50 stake as wager on the
race the winnings to be equally divided
between the three Mckahan. Strosnider
and Stibbs. A diamond ring valued ~
$50, he obtained from McKahan nv st.1.
ing that he wished to make "a flash" with
II, promising to return 1t in an hour or
The WOmnn's Loss.
from Blanche Wheeler Strosnider Sc
cured SO and SIS bicycle by falsely pre-
tending that he was to place it for her on
race between him and Stibbs. 1t is. per-
Eaps' needless to explain that Lewis and
MS runner were fictitious persons; that
felther race took place, and that Strosnider
and stihbs skipped out of town with the
money and wheel T.
On behalf Of Strosnidet Mr.. Thos G.
Taylor, his attorney, made a strong nlea
ior mercy, after Assistant District Attor-
ney Shiilington had stated to Judge Cole
smal tne government would consent to a
suspension of sentence during the le
fendants good behavior In the Mckahan
cases, Mr.. ShilJiDgton, however. suggest
ing tnat IN the Wheeler case the ma xinum
pInaity; nve years imprisonment at hard
labor should be imposed
MI Taylor informed Judge Cole that
Strosnlder but twenty-six years of age is
OF a most excellent Pennsylvania family:
Ina snat ms mother, the Barbara Freitchie If
her state.' had given four brothers tn the
Union cause in the late war, one of his
uncies. Elijah McClelland, a color sergeant,
lead1ng the attack at Lookout Me,inta,n
ana the young man had been we'll educated
and reared. -
Interested in Athletics.
becoming interested in athletics, Mr..
Iaylor said, he became a runner. and
while he had never drank, smoked or used
profanity, had become a betting man. Mr..
Iaylor besought the court not to imnose
the maximum penalty, saying that the
young mans offense was not the worst
known to law
Judge Cole, in imposing sentence remark
ed that had the district attorney asked the
court to impose sentence in each of the
tnree cases. he would have felt it to be his
outy 70 DO So and impose about the full
penalty IN each, making 1t thirteen years
III an. IN -tne one case in which the gov
eminent prayed for sentence he could not
wen 90 less than impose the maximum
pehaity' Tor to do less might well be taken
as a license for others to so offend against
the law The judge said that he had never
seen more studied discrimination to COM
nut crime. and the young mans education,
FAMILY connections and good, training made
MS oHenses al 1.-The moIe inexcusable.
Extreme LenieAcy.
In consenting to a suspension Of sentence
IN TWO OF the three cases. the district at
torney had. remarked the Judge. shown the
prisoner extreme lenieacy. more. perhaps.
than he really deserved under all the cir
cumstances. Therefore, the court felt it to
be his duty to impose the maximum pen
atty in the remaining case, Which he did
strosnider, who is a INA efficiently built
ana proportional man, six feet two inches
IN height. received his sentence calmly, but
nroke down completely when, taken back to
the cage, preparatory to being returned to
broken. i