The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-03
COURT DEGREES AMEs MUST
SERVE SIX AND oNE-HALF
YEARS IN PENlTENTIARY
STAY OF SIXTY DAYS is
GRANTED DEFENDANT
Former Chief of Minneapolis Police Re-
ceives Ruling of Judge Brooks Sto-
icalIy and Proclains His innocence
Appeal Will be Made to Supreme
Court.

Six years and six months at hard
labor in the penitentiary at Saltwater
was the sentence passed by Judge
Brooks yesterday morning upon the
former superintendent of the Mime
apolis police, Frederick w. Ames. The
tGnse strain of expectancy, of hope or
fear as to the possible decision Of the
Jury which gave to the scene in the
court room Wednesday afternoon it's
dramatic elements, was lacking yester-
day. The die had been cast the
jury had pronounced him guilty; now
only remained for the court to set the
limit of his eXpiation.
AS he stood before Judge Brooks to
answer the customary questions which
precede the passing of sentence Ames
showed not the slightest concern. Once
only did his face lose it's, stoieal calm.
When Judge Brooks asked him if he
had anything to say before sentence
was passed, his eye frightened as he
answered.:
- DiscIaims His Guilt.
'"The verdict of the jury has been
received by me and 1 suppose 1
must submit to it. 1 am not guilty"
Before passing sentence Judge
Brooks asked the customary ques-
tons, to which Ames answered that
he was born July 5, 1858; that he now
had no occupation; that he had for
merly been superintendent of police;
previous to that he had been a soldier
and before that cashier of the Bank
of Minneapolis and Of the postoff1ce.
When Ames had finished and the
judge was about to sentence him, At
torney Welch called the courts atten-
ton to the character of the testimony
upon which Ames had been convicted
aud asked that in consideration a light
sentence be passed upon his client.
:. 'Worse Than Anarchy"
The remarks of Judge Brooks, in
explanation of the severity of the SEN
tence, were brief and impressive He
said:
"The crime of which you have been
convicted in this case is, under the
statutes of this state, most serious
one. Our highest court has said that
1t tends probably more than any other
to sap the very foundations of all civil
government. If such offenses were
tolerated and should become general,
government would indeed be worse
than useless. Anarchy itself would be
preferable. And from considerations
such as these the law imposes, and
justly imposes, a severe punishment
upon those found to be guilty of this
crime.
For the purposes of imposing SEN
tence l must assume that the verdict
is just. And if it be so. ma e1tenuat-
ing circumstance have been disclosed.
The fact that you held high public Of
fee merely aggravateS the offense. If
guilty, as this verdict declares you to
be, you were not the mere tool of one
higher in power than yourself, whose
orders you undertook to obey, but
were, on the contrary, the chief Of
fender and the instigator of criminal
conduct on the part of others.
Punishment in criminal cases
should be relatively just. A subordin-
ate member Of the police force of Min
neapolis, convicted of a similar crime
has recently been sentenced therefor
1.by this court to Imprisonment in the
states prison for the term of six years.
These considerations, especially the
gravity of the offense under the law
and the absence of any eXtenuaung
features, in my opinion, justify the
sentence which I shall impose.
Stay Is Granted.
A stay of execution Of fifty days
was granted. Mr.. Boardman wanted to
be assured that the stay would not be
extended beyond Nov. 22. The court
presumed that Mr.. WEIGH would at
tend to this and other cases as soon as
possible. An appeal will be taken to
the supreme court if a new trial is not
,gDanted.
The new bond was fixed at $4,000.
This, added to an old bond of $4,000,
makes $4,000. The sureties on the
big bond are Harry p GalIaher, Hor-
ace NJ. Weston, Egbert N. Fairchild
and William l.. Martin. The SuretieS
on the small one are Messrs. Gallaher
TTairohjId