Arizona republican., 1904-10-18
n'DONNOLD SENTENCED
Fifteen Months, Four of Which Have
 Expired.

Professor R. L. AIcDonna.d was sen fenced yesterday to fifteen months in the territorial prison, the sentence to date from the time of his arrest on June If of this year. There is thus left eleven months which, by good i.s- haVior, may be reduced to about lima months.
 The prisoner was brought into court at o'clock yesterday afternoon to re- ceiye his sentence. It was thought that the case would go over fer a day or two, as McDOnloId will have to be kept here until after the trial of the case of Woodward and Thomas. In fact, when Judge Kent took his seat he intimated that there would be postponement of the sentence, but J L. B. Alexander, counsel for the de- iendant, after a brief conference with his client, asked that the sentence might be imposed at once.
 The papers in his case having been gathered together and the court hav- Ing deliberated for a few minutes, the attorney for the prisoner made a plea for clemency. He said that it was evil dent from all the circumstances in ths case that his client in the commission of the crime had intended to defraud
 
 movements after the forgeries had been actually committed When he left Phoenix on his summer vacation he told his friends where he was going. and he went there. He wrote them from time to time, informing them of his movements. Before leaving he had been employed as superintendent of schools, at a salary of 5000 a year. and he could reasonably hope that he might be able to take up the forged orders for warrants.
 Immediately on his arrest. said MT. Alexander, his first thought was to secure those to whom he had become indebted. He telegvaphed t. his brother for money and the brother by subsequent correspondence having ascertained the amount of his indabt- edness, sent to Phoenix money sufH- cient to discharge all of the indebted- ness. This money, without the knoWl- edge and consent of the prisoner. had been diverted to other purposes. But since then nearly all the debts of the prisoner had been paid except the SJCO which he had obtained by means of the forged warrants, and the attorney said that the prisoner had told him that immediately on his release from prison he would begin the payment Of that debt.
 The attorney dwelt upon the blame less life of the prisoner up to the dis closures preceding his arrest His con duct had been honorable. He held the confidence of the community, and st.H numbered among !is friends many Of the best citizens of Phoenix. The attorney urged the court to take into consideration the high standing which the prisoner had enjoyed. and pointed out that to ore Of his position and his training the disgrace he had already suffered Was ample punish ment.
 The prisoner was told to stand up | and was asked if he desired to say | anything why sentence should not be ! passed upon him. He replied: "I have l nothing to add to what my attorney 1 has already said, your honor" l In imposing sentence the court ad- mitted much that had been said in the l plea for mercy. He did not believe | that the prisoner had intended to de- | fraud. The court could not follow the | mental processes of the prisoner in the | commission of the crime. McDonnold | he said, was incapable of viewing the i moral aspects of it. His misunde-- 1 standing of the condition into which he 1 Ae-u put iliIilStlL was llCOuGelFdDle 1 He was inclined to believe that there was less of criminality in his conduct ! than there was of stupidity. i maj of a properly balanced mind must have been aware that he could not es- 1 cape discovery.
 The court believed that NcDOnnolC had already been severely punished l and he was disposed to make his fur ther punishment as light as possible l He was still a young man, and tho l world and hope was before him. Or emerging from prison he might easily become a man again, and it was pos sible for him to rise to q position q. | high as that from which he had fallen Tn conclusion, the court said that he had approached no duty since his Oc- ! cupancy of the bench with greater re l luctance than the one before him. The prisoner contained himself wei l throughout, but it is observed that h,
 is failing, the support of excitement having been withdrawn. His eyes art swollen, and there is an increasing ! pallor not due entirely to long condae | ment.