Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-12-19
Special to the EvENINc NEWS; !;

Special to the EVENING NEWS:
NEW BRUNSWICK, Dec. 49,
The jury in the trial of George and
Michael Bochino returned a verdict
OF guilty yesterday afternoon on the
charge of assaulting a keeper at the
New Jersey Reformatory at Railway.
Judge Booraem this morning, sen
fenced them TO nine years each in
state prison. Lawyer Cowenhoven
made a plea in their behalf and NJ Ay
take out writ to stay the carving
out OF the sentence.
George Bochino, who with his
brother was charged with assaulting
Keeper Neils Hansen with intent to
kill at the reformatory farm last Sep
MEMBER, went on the stand yesterday
and confessed that he had struck
'1,Iansen.
NIe denied that he meant to kill
Hansen, and declared that his brother
had nothing to do with the affair and
had no intention of escaping. 1t was
moving spectacle to see the boy, for
he is little more, though with the
features of hardened criminal, on
the stand swearing away his own lib
erty for the sake of clearing his
younger brother. Though probably
when former Judge Cowenhoven,
counsel for the boys, allowed George
to go on the stand, he figured
Georges story would gain a verdict
of minor degree of assault rather
~ otar IN, n
indictment.
Committed Over Two Years Ago.
George said that he was sent to
the reformatory from Bergen county
October 20, 1904, for breaking and
entering, and served fifteen months,
when he was paroled. He was sent
back, he declared because he gave up
his job without permission. He said
he gave up the job so that he could
. help his mother, who was i'll.
Back in the reformatory. accord
ing to his story, his heart grew bitter
and he planned to escape. But he
told his brother nothing of this plan
On the day of the assault he
watched his chance while in the po-
tato field and saw that to get away he
would have to strike Hansen down.
Hansen had rifle and could shoot
before the prisoner could take a
dozen strides George declared that
he hit Hansen with the handle OF the
fork, not with the tines
Said Keepers Beat Him.
AS George ran, he said he saw his
brother running after him, begging
him to come back and not spoil his
record. But George kept on running
until the bullets began to fly, then
gave himself up.
George swore that after he was re-
ce Dtured Keepers Hansen. Hoover
and Day beat him so he could hardly
walk. He said he bent over to drink
from a pail and was struck on the
head by one of the keepers. When
he got back to the reformatory, he
said, his clothes Iere stripped from
him. He started to tell what had
happened then, but Prosecutor Ber-
dine objected and Judge Booraem
agreed that these statements were
irrelevant to the matter at issue.
The man positively swore that he
mad no intention of killing Hansen,
but only meant to stun him so that
he could make good his escape.
r Michael Bochino was on the stand
IRE his brother, and denied that
! had tried to escape or that he
knew anything of Georges plan.
There we're not other witnesses
for the defense.
Parole officer Moore, of the Re-
formatory, was on hand yesterday
afternoon Will warrants for the ar
rest of the Bochinos in case one or
both of them should be acquitted.
The boys were brought here on cap
Eases, and there was no record in pos
session of the court here to warrant
the men being taken back to the Re-
fromatory in case of acquittal, which
would have been the case If the men
had been secured under habeas cor
pus proceedings. Moore's warrants,
however, were sufficient to take the
prisoners back to Railway. Moore
watched the proceeding closely and
was ready to nab the Bochinos at
moments notice.
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