Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-24
KILLS FRIEND
GWEN FREEDOM
SAYS He SAW LITTLE "RILLA"
HIS LIBERTY
A. E. Lane, Found Guilty Of Man.
Slaughter, Is Placed on Proba-
ton-Served Only Five
Days In Jail

Under the probation clause of the
states constitution which, under GER
tain conditions, permits judge
to put a man on probation SEN
tence, Judge B. N. Smith of
department one of the superior
court yesterday allowed A e.
Lane, butcher charged with the kill
ing of John Smilde, to leave the court
room free man, with only technical
sentence of five years probation hang
ing over him.
Lane was accused of the killing of
his friend during free-for-all row over
some women on San Fernando street
July 81. The butcher pleaded not guilty
to manslaughter charge after having
been held by the coroner's jury, and he
was forthwith examined in the lower
court and held for trial before Judge
Smith.
Lanes actual punishment for the
taking of a human life was just five
days Imprisonment in the county Jail,
for as soon as his relatives heard of
his predicament they came to Los
Angeles and put up the $4,000 bail money
necessary for the young mans release.
During his stay in the county Jail,
however, Lane lived as a boarder and
he suffered practically no punishment
for his crime.
ChauHeur Is Killed
When the young man was tried in
department seven of the superior court
he admitted having struck Smilde
Smilde was a chauffeur and in COM
pany with some women took an auto
mobile ride on the night of July 81.
Although Smilde was married he is
said to have spent many nights about
the city in his employers automobile
generally accompanied by women. On
the night of the tragedy he started
out for a good time and two women
accompanied him. The women were
also friends of Lane. and he and a
friend followed in order to be able to
joke with them afterward.
Lane caught up with the auto on San
Fernando street. The machine was
stationed near Campi's restaurant, and
when the women and Smilde put in an
appearance Lane and his companion
attempted to laugh the surprise off
and offered to shake hands with
Smilde. Smilde refused to make up
and quarrel followed when Smilde
terminated by walking over to the
machine and starting to crank up.
Lane became enraged, and followed
Smilde and struck him on the chin.
The young chauffeur, turned and ran
to the corner and there dropped dead.
Death resulted from dislocation of the
Vertebrae OF the neck.
Heavier Penalty for Theft
Lane was tried in department seven
of the superior court and found guilty
of manslaughter. The usual punish
ment for such crime is imprisonment
for ten years in the state penitentiary.
Recently an old, infirm and friendless
miner, who stabbed an East First
street lodging house keeper to death,
was found guilty of the same charge.
He went to the penitentlary for twenty
years, practically life sentence con-
sidering his age.
The most ordinary crime in the su-
perior court list, that of stealing bicy-
cles, has rarely brought a lighter sem
tence than six months Imprisonment
in the county Jail, yet Lane was con-
victed of taking human life, and he
walked out of the court room with
the same air of Indifference that he
showed the night of the tragedy.
Yesterday Deputy District Attorney
John North, representing the district
attorneys Office, asked for time to in
vestigate the case. but Judge Smith
refused and put Lane under five years
probation, even allowing him to go to
Fruitvale under the guidance of his
father