Evening star., 1897-06-14
TWO YEARS EACH IN PRISON
Joseph W. Geyer and Lawrence Ball,
Housebreakers, Sentenced Today.
Gcyer's Lille SON nm Innocent Spcc.
t"t"r-bnii Recent Complainant
Against Warden Leonard.

Joseph W. Gcyer and Lawrence Ball. tho
young white men who plead guilty several
DAYS ago In Criminal Court No to break
ms INTO ana rohhinS the dwelling of Nver
>. 'ohen the night OF February IL last.
were sentenced today by Chief Jilsti,a
binSham TO two years each in the New
Jersey state prison at hard labor
In calling the courts attention 10 the
case District Attorney Davis explained
that the night in question the men broke
into and robbed four different houses I'm
the northeast. The 3d of last December.
said Mr.. Davis, they robbed one clark. A
man from Ohio. Ii being lmpossit,,.. to
secure the attendance Of Clark the charge
was n2lle pressed the 18Th Of January, and
Just seventeen days later they entered
upon olesale robbery OF the HOUSES
Last MarCl they pleaded guilty in on,
OF the housebr,akiaE cases. aad The court
q mel Justice BinghaniD not being inform
ed OF the otner cases. hut being told ~
counsel for the men that their previous
character was good, and that they were
intoxicated at The time. =. very licht sen
tthce' sIAty days IN Jaa, MAS imposed upon
them.
1t is apparent, said MI. Davis. that Tho
men did not appreciate Their duty 10 either
society or to their families. and he sug-
Gested that they be placed whore q hey
VIII be unable tor some lime at least 10
wrong society.
Mr.. Campbell Darlington. counsel for
GcNer, made a strong plea FOR lenicucy.
Geycr, ne stated, is a married man Of ~
ccllent family, and Mr.. Darlington called
the courts attention to TIA" mans little
son. who stood beside his father tueEIni,
at mis-. parents hand. There Was nothing
in the Clark case, said Mr.. cdrr.ngton.
and the four houses broken into and rob
bed by the men really amounted To tut
one crime. In pleading guilty as To the
first house in March the men supposed
that the sentence then imposed upon them
covered the other houses. Both young
men were intoxicated at the time of The
robbery. and for their S2kcs. for the sake
Of their families, MIR. Darlington asked
the court not to send them to the pen.-
Tertiary.
Mr.. Chas. H. Turner. repr, sentlnS kaiL
the man who complained recently taat
Mardea Leonard hau u"justly discrimnAi- =
ed in his treatment of HIM and Sugar Trust
Prisoner Chapman, also pleaded Tor lea
iency. Mr. Davis. however, insisted mat
the men should be severely dealt WITH.
Geyer he said, has pers!Stcnty refused 10
give the police authCltios information con-
ccrning the robbery Of hous" here "i
So,poo worth of jeweiry, the box being
titled to further lon.ency, suggested Nh.
Davis, their past record being bad.
In imposing sentence, Chief JustIc" BilE-
ham said IN At in view OF the later develop
mentS, the first sentence was entirely TOO
light. Very often. remarked The court,
light sentences encourage the commission
OF crime. and despite the unfortunat" po-
sition OF the men and their families, a
severer sentence should now be imposed.
Imprisonment in the penitentiary, Will" a
matter of disgrace, never prevents refor-
r:ation where the convict is sincere in his
efforts to reform HI elf. ana if courts al
ways listened to pleas for leniency many
crimes would go unpunished