The evening world., 1903-02-13
POOL.R0OM MEN
GET SCAPECOAT
Telegraph Operator Is Railroad
ed to Sing Sing to Save Those
Who Were Backers OF a Yonk-
erS Resort.
HE MUST SERVE A YEAR.

, William Shannon. a telegraph oper-
ator. WAS tonsured by the Sing Sing
Prison barber to-day and arrayed In the
striped suit which he will have to wear
for one year and a month, for which he
was sentenced by White Plains SUI
preme Court Justice for earning his liv-
ing In n pool-room in Yonkers
Shannon is believed to have been the
victim OF misguided prosecution. He
was arrested In Yonkers pool-room
raid. where he was employed by n tele-
graph company as an operator. His
supposed compensation was ST. but OF
this he was compelled to turn over to
tho company a certain amount eahh day.
The evidence was 40 strong that the
place was conducted as poo!-room
and the law so plain concerning all who
laid and abet" that the conviction was
easy.
But those who have followed the case
say that instead of singing out the
humble tool OF the company which
makes the agreement to report the
| races the prosecution should have Sc
lected the really guilty persons. those
who employed Shannon and who proflted
by a commission on his Individual and
comparatively unmportant breaking of
the law.
Tho residents OF Westchester County
are not satisfied with the conviction of
the operator and say plainly that 1t
! should have been aimed at those higher
| up.
Penalty Too severef
Further. It seems to the citizens Of
Westchester that an unusually severe
penalty was meted out to Shannon for
a comparatively small interest in break
ing a law.
When the jury had found Shannon
guilty. which 1t could not we'll other
wise do. Judge Platt sentenced Shannon
to Sing Sing for one year and a month.
AS Shannon was being taken to Sing
Sing he said
Its a tough deal on me. Here 1 get
It all, and those who should be where /
am are not even brought to trial. l was
only acting as telegraph operator In the
placed and worked at IS a day for them.
When the place was ra!ded 1 was singled
out when they might have got a man
close beside me who was running the
room.
81 didn't even live in Westchester
County. but tho law gets me and have
to go to prison for merely earning my
living while men pretty we'll known In
New York, who are behind some of the
biggest games there. won't even be
touched nthis thing. They are willing
to put up for my fine II was let down
easy. but they won't serve time in
Sing Sing for me-"
District-Attorney EInted.
But District-Attorney Young Is e.ated
Tor the authorities in New York. he
said:
The same evidence has been gathered
there. but there Is no record Of a pris-
oner in State prison as the result OF
prosecution. The evidence against the
others who were arrested during the
raids at Yonkers is Just as conclusive
as in the case Of Shannon.
shannon may. not have been the
hacker OF the pool-room In which he was
arrested, but he was an active agent in
ploy or as one of the principals in the
gambling committed.
Attorney Donoghue. representing Shan
non, said:
II appear In this case merely as coun-
sci 10 Shannon. That he will get an
appeal to the Supreme Court Is certain
In my mind. as the evidence, In nv
opinion. was by no means conclusive
as 10 my clients connection with anv-
thing defined as gambling by the law
under which he was convicted