Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-07
SHERIFF COULDN'T EXPLAIN
Attorney Lynch Handled Man Who Thlotted His Prisoner.

Part of the criminal business of the district court was disposed of to-day by Judge Cowell. There was a call for volunteer lawyer to de- fend John O'Rrien of Southbury, who was charged with breach of the peace, intoxication and abusive language. Judge Cowell announced that the law did not permit him to appoint a law yer to defend any prisoner in his court, but he thought 1t the duty of every lawyer to protect fellow man in misfortune. Thereupon Attorney James M. Lynch walked out of the bunch of lawyer spectators and an nounced he would take OBrien.s 8 case, and everybody felt like applaud ing him. During the trial of O'Brien, Dep | uty Sheriff Wakeley of Southbury was on the rack for a time and show. ed great disposition to get out of the fire, which Attorney Lynch kept heaping upon him. O'Brien is a war veteran, about 70 years of age, and 1 feeble. It appears that he was on spree in Southbury and started in tt' paint the town red. The deputy sher- iii Is big fellow and instead of talk | ing O'Brien by the back of the neck and thrusting him into the lookup l he. gave him a blow in the face and knocked him down. Then he put 1 his knee on the old fellows stomach and pressed it until O'Brien's tongue was forced out on his chin and held him in that position for some time. l The accused was later taken before a
 juror and fined on charge of drunk enness and assault and an appeal was taken to the district court at Water bury.
 | Deputy Sheriff Wakeley in the course of his testimony stated that at Irish jag and was fighting drunk. MT
 Lynch wanted to know what that
 meant and requested the witness to l define 1t, but the sheriff fell down on 1t and finally said all he cared 10 say l on that point was that O'Brien waa under the influence of liquor l O'Brien said that the only thing he regretted when Wakeley was pum- meling him was that the incident did
 not take place forty years ago. The accused was found guilty and sen
 fenced to thirty days in jail. l The jail prisoners were then put to plea and disposition was made of them as follows:
 Michael Lane, breach of the peace sentence suspended Whiskey and
 morphine was the cause of Lanes
 downfall. Lane said he would take the pledge and Judge Cowell on let.
 ting him of said he would be in trou-
 ble again in week.
 Jane Conaty, common drunkard. sentence suspended.
 Thomas Mccarthy, breach of the peace and resisting Officer McElli.
 gott, had sentence suspended on his promise to do better Mccarthy is only 23.
 Nicholas Cavanaugh, Jr, 21. com mon drunkard, was put on probation
 after his present sentence expires on l June 26.
 James Perrello. theft of bicycle
 valued at $10, the property of Ma. l than Albert. It developed. that this 1 boy is only 13, yet he has not beer to school since he came to Water.
 bury two years ago. He is employed by the Scovill Manufacturing Co
 Sentence was suspended in his case.
 The cases against Benedict Haus-
 dorf for violating the liquor laws;
 John Birney, for breach of the peace
 and Gustave Cornelis for violating
 fishing laws, were put over to to-mor'
 row.
 The trial of O'Brien then began.