New-York tribune., 1901-01-29
HOWARD PLEADS GUILTY.
THE BIGAMIST SENTENCED TO 1NO
YEARS AND TEN MONTHS M
PRIS lNMENT-TAKES ALL
THE BLAME.

C.ao-pa W Howard. who committed bigamy in
marrying Helen p Hawkes.. the daughter OF
Henry Hawkes. pleaded guilty yesterday morn
ing, in the County Court Brooklyn, and was
sentenced by Judge Hurd to two years ana ten
months in State prison. He was taken 10 sing
Sing in the afternoon. In confessing his crime
Howard maintained that he must nave peeh
suffering from temporary mental aoerratoh
when he married Miss HAWKS last summer.
Had he stood trial and been convicted Whlch
was a foregone conclusion, ne WOuiu nave IL
ceived a heavier sentence.
In :he courtroom were eight witnesses from
Boston and Cambridge and twenty from New
York 10 prove Howard's two marriages How
ard when arraigned was pale and looked "ol-
ried Stephen c. Baldwin. for the prisoner salu
the defendant withdrew the plea of not guilty
made at his first arraignment ana entered
plea If guilty. Mr.. Baldwin urged that HOW
ard as he viewed the circumstances surround
ing his marriage 10 the Brooklyn woman when
he was areadv married 10 another woman
Thought. ard his friends also thought. he must
have teen laboring under temporary mental
alteration. Howard wanted his counsel TO say
there WAS an intmation that the woman IN
Brooklyn whom he married was cognizani OF
the fact that h. had living wife and SON.
and there was also intimaton that the VINE
in Boston knew OF th' Brooklyn martlase anu anu
was q party to il Howard wanted every
to know that of those inumations was as
false rhe other
Mr. Howard said Mr.. Baldwin. takes upon
himself all the blame. He stands here truly
penitent man and throws himself upon the
mercy Of the Court
In faint voice Howard pleaded guilty ana
his pedigree was taken. He said he was thirty
eight years old. an engineer. and living at
Raymond Street Jail at present. lie was an
Euiscnpalian his parents were dead, ne was
temperate in his habits, and had mol beeh con
victed before OF any crime. He did not Know
whether he was born in Reading. Penn or
Woburn Mass At his request sentence was at
pronounced.
Judge Hurd said il to be regretted that
the Brooklyn woman and her friends had not
made some investigation before the marriage
and discovered that there was already hNlns
wife He continued:
1t must be said in your favor that you nave
frankly admitted your guilt and done all IN
YOUR power TO atone for the crime. You nave
Acknowledged that the woman in Cambridge IS
YOUR legal wife and have established the legiti-
macy OF YOU son and her son. and have made
it possible for the b 'ooklyn woman to procure
an anEulment Of her marriage to you You have
saved the county considerable expense and
saved the feelings OF a great many persons by
entering your plea OF guilty. all OF which
/ shall therefore sentence you to serve at hard
labor in the State prison at Sing Sing for
term Of two years and ten months
On leaving the courtroom a bystander re
marked, You got off easy. George Howard
smiled His first wife, Mrs. Annie r. Kay How
ard would not come from Cambridge to
testify against him At the time of his arrest
she declared. in order 10 save him. that she had
never been married 20 him.