The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-15

was yesterday convicted IN the united
states district court of making cour-
terfelt money and having counterfeit
money In his possession. John h. Can
sci, of Munsey Valley, Sullivan coun-
ty. who was indicted with Lavalle.
was returned not guilty OH both
counts. Gansel's defense was that ne
was acting in the capacity Of a detec'
tice for the purpose of trapping Law
allie in the act Of making spurious
coin.
When court opened yesterday morn
ing Lavalle went on the stand and
was subjected to cross-examination at
the hands of United states District
Attorney Heiner. He maintained, as
he did in his examination In chief,
that he was innocent OF wrong-doing
and that 1t was Gansel who first sug.
gested the plan to manufacture coun-
terfeit money and who actually did
make a few coins one night up on
North Mountain. This story was
somewhat shaken by the cross-eXam-
ination. Brady Biggar. James Payne,
Benjamin Taylor and Fred Fitzpat-
rick, all of Williamsport, were sworn
for the defense and testified that they
had conversations with Gansel while
he was In the Lycoming county Jail.
JURY DID NOT BELIEVE THEM.
These witnesses testified that Gansel
told them that Lavalle was innocent
of the charge of counterfeiting and
that he ordered the metals used in
manufacturing the coins at the in
stance of Gansel. Closing addresses
were made to the jury by Attorney
w. NJ. Stevens, Of Williamsport. and
G.. L. Peaslee for Lavalle. District
Attorney Heiner argued the case for
the government.
The jury evidently did not believe
the stories of Lavalle and his Will
Transport witnesses, for they returned
him guilty on both indictments. but
recommended him to the mercy of the
court. Gansel was returned not gull
ty in both cases. There is another
indictment against Lavalle, charging
him with passing counterfeit coin. 1t
will be mol pressed. Before court ad-
journed Lavalle was brought down
from the county Jail and sentenced by
Judge Burlington to eighteen months
Imprisonment in the Western peniten-
tiary. The sentence was smaller than
he intended to make it, the judge
said but he was induced to be lenient
out of consideration for Lavalle's wife
and eight children and from the fact
| that the convicted man has been In
Jail five months awaiting trial. Even
when sentence was be:jg passed Law
allie maintained that he was innocent
| OF the crime of which he had been
convicted.
THE JUDGES REMARKS.
with your statement we have now
| nothing to do" the judge said. "A
jury has said you are guilty and it de.
wolves upon me to impose sentence
| 1t Is a serious crime and deserves
serious punishment, but will be more
lenient with you than I had intended
| to be-
james Scanlon was at that moment
| standing before the court awaiting
sentence for passing counterfeit money
and, In connection with his case, the
| judge said, addressing Lavalle:
| You have before you an eXampl,
Of the result of the work such mer
as you engage in. You put 1t into the
power of others to break the law by
passing the stuff YOU make with q
| view to defrauding the government
| Scanlon's case was then considered
He said he had been an officer con
nected with Alderman Donohue's cour
! at Wilkes-Barre and one night wa!
arrested for being drunk and whel
he was searched at police headquar
ters in Wilkes-B Barre IA counterfeit
dollar. which he had been carryinl
around in his pocket for some time
was found on his person and he wa
the next day arrested on the charg
of having counterfeit money in hi
possession. The officers of the cour
explained to the judge that Scanlol
had made three unsuccessful attempt
to pass the coin on the night of hi
arrest, but that he was Intoxicated a
the time. Judge Burlington suspende
sentence for one year, Scanlon in tn
meantime to foreswear whiskey an
counterfeit money or he be called Il
and sentenced.
WOMEN GIVEN THEIR LIBERTY
Mrs. Mary Adams and Mrs. Lizzi
l"- county. We're indicted yesterda
by the grand jury and afterwards en-
tered plea of guilty. They wer
charged with sending an unspeaka bl
obscene letter to Jacob Adams, VIII
lives at Rebuck. the same county
Adams ia Mrs. Adams brother-in-la law
She alleges that she had Mrs. Hoffma
write the letter in reply to an obscen
document she received from Adams.
When called before Judge Buffingto