The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-04-04
COURT At
p0TTSVI1AE
Michael Flemming Sentenced by Judge
Koch This Morning.
STRONG PLEAS FOR MERCY MADE
The Prosecutors Joined in with Them-The
Court Imposed a Sentence Of Two Years
After a Pathetic Review Of the
Circumstances-Argu
the Meyers Case

AlbGI d TdluGllG htNltW OF INC
Circumstauces-Argui
+,,, r1,,.,... roo.
/ Pottsville. April /. james w. RYAN ESQ,
counsel for Michael Flemmiug. who pleaded
guilty to setting fire to the Eagle hosiery
mill at Mahanoy City, was aruigued before
judge Koch this morning for sentence. In
asking for mercy Mr.. Ryan said "Michael
Flemming is before the court and I desire to
make an appeal in hi, behalf He is
/ but % years old and this is the first
time he has been in the criminal
| court. In fact it is the first charge
| ever brought against him. According to the
testimony of two Of the defendants Flem-
ming was not a regular associate of theirs,
but they met on this evening by accident.
He left Deano that evening at 7:25 o'clock
for Mahanoy City intending to take the
electric railway car to Shenandoah. The ex-
citement Of the early fires caused him to re-
main and he became implicated in the burn
ing Of the mill. His character previous to
this, am told, was very good and Policeman
Geiger and kleindentz both state that it was
first class before this trouble He was a
brakeman ON the Lehigh Valley railroad
living at Delano, and they had an excellent
tutDtb 10 0lNaN his tNhldtltIalQ ulSlOhIllOu.
The prosecuting committee Of the Town
Council of Mahauoy City tell me that he
keenly feels his position and regrets his act
He has made a voluntary confession which
he swoIe to aud signed When 1 was en-
gagged by him he told me he had
made his confession without any
inducement and that he would
go on the stand and swear to the whole story
and rather than commit perjury. would take
whatever sentence he got The most reliable
and prominent citizens of NIahauoy City are
ready to go on the stand and ask for leuisncy.
Capt. VIM. L. Jones' one of the committee
whose property was destroyed, jeins in the
plea for a light sentence The best citizens
of Mahanoy City ask you to be lenient with
him. The prosecuting committee is here
: Mr.. Ramsey, the Borough Solicitor, and Mr.
Marr, private counsel. all Join in REQUESTING
you to be as lenient as possible
w. p. Ramsay, Esq, addressed Judge Koch
and said 1t is but just that the court should
be informed that it is the wish of my clients
that the court should be informed that it is
A the wish Of my clients that the court be a.
a lenient as possible. The defendant appears
: thoroughly peucteut and has done everything
f he could to assist justice. There was no in
p ducement to him that confession would
{ B Ila Sc i
1, told all he knew at first ana corroborated il
on the witness stand in court by telling the
same story. Without him it would have
beeu difficult to convict
I Judge Koch then addressed the Drisnner
4 who remained standing ina front of the bench.
n The court said Michael Flemmiuu. Won
10 have heard what the counsel have said
4 There were three different fires on the night
+ of jan. 1924 at Mahanoy City-the first at
r about o'clock. the second at about 10. and
Y the third at a. m. that at the FagIe hosiery
\, mill. If was very disastrous The chairrnsn
= Of the prosecuting committee. Mr.. Jones
d who alone lost q. 600 is here askiur Ieuienry
a for Won. The man whose home was burned
f., forty feet from the mill. has naught To saw
If against you. The Borough Council that of
# fered $500 reward and Mr.. Ramsey tbeir
n soIi9itor ask tbe court far Ieniencv The
fact that bears strongly with lis ia that Won
anneared fuIlv peuiteut dpripg tho trial
and also that vonr confession was nron,rted
e Inv vour conscience and came from vour
,f heart. The next day YOU said ''It.was the
1t sorri.st act of NV life " and Won also lxoenIv
,e annreciate vour positiop. If appears Won
ID were not associated with the others untiI
,e fter the Eicbman fire. at about II O'Clock
le that night, when something was said as tc
Of what nice blaze the mill would make
ID Contagiou seems then to have taken hold o
n you. You were in a state of iutoxication
In fact you we're all intoxicated, but tha
does not lessen the crime The service yol
have rendered to the Commonwealth
ID and to the people Of Mahauoy Cit
especially, your confession having been die
I''tou Oy com puu'D.on ',.. ol oopSclenGo' AM
noV ny ouls'ue l"nuenVe' an quo" Vn0U III
ne'ehVlS Sou "ie npu i,,' d "'u ) So"us man 10
as SPr'hs from " i"ul',S N'o"u lor Hlveen yeal
Is 'o SOME o' Euo9o yT VINO nave spohou 10 me In
IS. oIulns' Iiolo no'o nI' Deen d cna Nd
" ~ ael'nI' auS '"G'l'"el VI H. ou
s. p"'"clp"I'oT' ynoioio'0 "N'"tIoul"D'o !
IN 'ue anu uo "oS UoI'''o "a" ~, "
a properly oAp''lno' ~ "uSouo, w
er canno' Iet you sV ~ "a Necessity 70 IN
p''SoI Sou -. o VI ;ii 49,
so ! ",l, Vo,,t :, ~ "'', ,lU J"', @ 'lI'' L r,