The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-11

Six years--half the maximum pen
alty-is the time James Nolan, of Car
bondale, must serve in the Eastern
penitentiary for the killing of his
father, John Nolan, at their home in
Carbondale, April II, last. The SEN
tence was imposed by Judge Edwards
Saturday morning.
Attorney Thomas p. Duffy, who
with Attorney l.. p. Wedeman, was
assigned to defend Nolan, made a plea
for leniency on behalf of the convict's
family, and a brief statement of the
circumstances of the killing as related
by his client.
Nolan stoutly maintained, Attorney
Duffy said, that the deed was COM
mitted in self defense and it was only
on the urgent advice of his counsel
that he plead guilty OF manslaughter.
His father had been drinking, and
when the son upbraided him he at
tempted to shoot him and struck him
on the head with the butt of the
gun. The son tried to flee, but the
father got between him and the door
and in the struggle which followed
the fatal blow was delivered.
JUDGES COMMENT.
Judge Edwards, in passing sentence,
said that son who kills his father
ought 10 be willing to undergo any
punishment the law might impose on
him, as it would be some satisfaction
to his conscience to feel that he had
at least PAID a part penalty for his
crime.
A comparatively lenient sentence
was also imposed by Judge Edwards
on George w. Wilson, the professional
crook, who plead guilty to two of the
indictments charging him with pos
sessing forged checks. Two years in
each of the two cases was the sem
tence. Wilson served six years for a
similar Cffense in Baltimore and is
also wanted for forgery In Altoona.
George Gardner, the alleged Fagin
of Archibald, who was convicted of in
citing boys to steal brass, was let off
with three months in the county Jail.
In imposing sentence Judge Edwards
said this thing of inducing boys to
steal metal would have to be stopped.
1t is one of the worst conditions the
court in this county has to deal with,
he said. He Understood the prisoner
had not been engaged very extensive
ly in this sort of business and would
therefore lot be severe with him.
Frank Miller, convicted of stealing
chickens from Mrs. Barbara Kennedy,
of Prospect avenue, was sentenced to
thirty days in the county Jail.
SENTENCE SUSPENDED.
Judge Savage suspended sentence
indefinitely in the case of John Noll,
who plead guilty to the charge Of
tipping house preferred by his
brother, William Noll. The statement
| Of the prisoner, that the prosecution
was brought with a view of COM
pelling him to relinquish an interest
| in n property left jointly to himself
and his brother, moved the judge to
issue the ticket-of-leave.
Joshua Miller was sentenced by
| Judge Savage to pay a fine of IS and
| spend six days in jail for stealing
| lead pipe from a tenement house own
| ed by j. j. Vetter.
Sentence was deferred in the case
| of H. b. Frank, convicted of assault
| ing his wife, Stella Frank, until a
pending desertion case scheduled for
next Saturday is disposed of.
p. II. Gilgallon was acquitted of
| the charge of embezzlement, preferred
| by the Rogers Whiskey company. B..
| S. Ketcham, charged with a similar
| offense by the Brotherhood of Rail-
| road Trainmen, was convicted but
| sentence was deferred to give the de-
| fendant an opportunity to make resti-
| tuition and ask for an indefinite sus-
| pension of sentence.