The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-24
IN THE NASHVILLE PRISON..
ID. a. TYSON WILL SPEND THE NEXT
FIVE YEARS OF HIS LIFE.

Jail ana the Otner 0OnSpiFatorS
Lighter Jail Sentences - Tyson
Made a Plea for NHercy-TOld an
Ingenious story of the Connection
He Had with the Plot to Defraud.
n A Tyson. five years in the state
prison at Nashville, Tenn and fine of
$1,000; J. H. W. L. and Morris w, Hutch
inson. eighteen months in the Nashville
prison and a fine Of 500; j. S. Wheeler,
Jr, siwelve months in Chatham county
jail and a fine of 500; H. 3. Watts, c. j.
Phillips and ]. T. Hammond. six months
in Jail and a fine Of 500; J. M. Harrell
and II. l.. Kicks, four months in jail and
a fine of 500.
These sentences were imposed by Judge
Speer on the confessed conspirators to de-
fraud through the use of the mails, at yes
terday mornings session of the United
States District Court. Considering the
gravity of the offense with which the men
were charged and of which they acknowi-
edged themselves guilty. the sentences
may be regarded as remarkably light. Ty
sons was the heaviest of course and the
fact that the evidence showed most of the
other conspirators to have been his tools,
and weak tools at that, doubtless led Judge
Speer to mitigate their sentences as far as
was deemed by him consistent with his
duty.
The court room was crowded with Gu
rious spectators when Judge Speer took
his seat The wives and children of sew
eral of the prisoners had accompanied
their husbands and fathers, but to avoid
the distressing scene that would have oc-
Cured had they been permitted to be
present while the court passed the sem
fences, Judge Speer directed that they be
removed to another room of the building.
The women were weeping they left
and the children, some of them too
young to appreciate the gravity Of the sit
uation, sobbed in sympathy with their
mothers
Tyson and several of the others supple
mented the remarks of their counsel
with personal appeals for the mercy and
consideration of the court. Tyson stated
that he had embarked in the business of
erecting telephone lines throughout the
section of the state in which he lived,
and in this manner had incurred large
obligations. Some of the defendants had
permitted him the use of their names and
the goods he had ordered he had hoped
to pay for soon as he got his tele
phone lines in successful operation. He
estimated that this would have been in
less than year, had he been permitted
to retain his liberty and had the prosecu-
ton not been brought.
The attorneys for the lesser criminals
based their pleas for mercy on the ground
that their clients had prolited little, If a.
all, by the conspiracy and that Tyson was
not only the brains of the plot, but the
only large recipient of the spells. The
men, said their attorneys, We're ignorant
countrymen, who had permitted them
selves to be drawn into the commission of
a crime. the gravity of which they cid not
recognize.
In passing sentence Judge Speer alluded
to the opportunity enjoyed by all of the
defendants to make a decent and honest
living and to the manner in which they
had neglected and scorned this opportun-
ity and cheated and defrauded merchants
by he use of the mail service of the coun-
try, an institution designed for the con-
venience and good Of The whole people,
but which they had prosttuted to their
own vile ends
Judge Speer sroke of the defendants ac-
knowledged plot to defraud and of the
success wi which its execution had been
attended. In doing so" said the court
you have, to a certain extent, stained
the honor of the state and that stain can
only be wiped out and You properly pun
ished by the enforcement of the law"
Now you and all others must know
that it is never safe TO violate the laws
VI the OhlieO states. w nile II Is benig-
nant government, il is "a very powerful
government. While il gives 10 everybody
fair trial, whenever a man is plainly
guilty of crime. he is eiways convicted in
the United States Court. and l have never
known one 10 escape. during the many
years that have been judge i'm these
courts, when he ought to have been con-
victed. l may add, to the credit of our
Juries that have never known an limo
cent man to be punished. This machiu-
cry has worked TO bring you to the bar
of public justice, and you are plainly
guilty. So guilty that your own learned
counsel, after carefully considering all the
facts Of the case, had to withdraw their
pleas of not guilty and consent TO veY-
diets of guilty against YOU
Of course there are different degrees
OF crlmdnality in your offense ana The
court villa be just as lenent as it can be.
ana as 1t is always happy TO be because
nothing gives me more happiness than TO
De able TO help person who is in trouble
am really very sorry for you all. par
ticuiafly Tor some of you. Without fur
ther elaboration, in respect TO the honor
ana dlgn1ty of the law, and the rights
OF the public which are involved in the
performance of my duty l will proceed 90
assess your sentences -
Judge Speer then imposed the sentences.
me laws of the United States Drovide
that eny line imposed may be served out
" tie prisoner, upon his taking a pau
pers affidavit and spending thirty days
ADDITIONAL in confinement This is true
whether the fine be S. or 5000 Should
the conspirators elect this alternative. a
month Will be added to each of their
terms If Imprisonment. In Tyson's case
Judge Speer sentenced him TO pay also
the costs of his prosecution, and il may
De that some property wiz be found be
longing to him. out Of which the fine and
costs may be made
The men sentenced to terms in iai all
seemed well satisfied with their fate. as
they had expected to receive
much longer terms of imprison-
ment. After the adjournment Of
court yesterday the consprators were
taken into the Circuit Court room. on
the second floor of the building. and "A
group photograph OF them was taken nv
Photographer Wilson Full face and
profile photographs of the men indvidu-
ally were also taken. The only one OF
the men who objected to appearing in the
group was Wheeler, but the arguments
of the deputy marshals prevailed, and he