The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-10-04
IN PRISON CELL.
Paul o. Stensland Wears a Striped
Suit for His Crimes.

Paul o. Stenslaud, former bank
lpresident and now convict 1902"
passed through the doors of the Joi-
let penitentIary Wednesday after
noon at 2:30 o'clock, six hours after
his arrival in Chicago. For the part
he played in footing the Milwaukee
Avenue State bank and bringing ruin
and death into many homes of the
people who placed their trust in him
he will serve an indeterminate SEN
tence within the guarded walls of the
state prison.
The final chapter in the history of
lt,e pursuit, capture and conviction of
tie bank wrecker was replete with
dramatic details. Brought to bay in
a foreign land where the American
authorities had no power to arrest
or detsin him, he was induced to re-
turn for trial by the promise of i'm
munity to his son, Theodore Stems
land After sacrificing his liberty to
save his son he returned to find that
the man he had sought to protect
was the man who had betrayed him
to the officers of the law. The dis
covery has broken the heart of Paul
10. Stensland and brought him to the
Verge of nervous breakdown.
Upon his arrival in the city of his
adoption, where for years he has
been looked upon as leader among
men, he was greeted by = bowling
mob, which surged about his cab
yelling curses and threats in his ears.
When given permission to plead
guilty to two of the charges which
have been brought against him and
accepting an indeterminate sentence
in the penitentiary, he grasped the
opportunity and asked to be taken IN
Ito court. A few minutes after 12
O'Clock he was taken before Judge
Kerstein, who had been his close
friend and adviser for the last fifteen
years.
As Stensland stood with bowed
head before the bar tears came to the
eyes of Judge Kersten and in a voice
trembling with emotion he question
ed the prisoner. StensIand stood
with one hand upon the railing of
the desk and responded in a scarcely
audible voice.
From time to time ne passed his
hand over his eyes as if seeking to
wipe out the vision of the suffering
he had caused and the penalty which
he would be forced to pay. As the
sentence was read by the court
Stensland turned and sank into a
chair. His daughter, Mrs Inga
Sandberg, the only member of his
family present, stepped to his side
and putting her arm about his neck,
smoothed back the hair from his
forehead.
The indeterminate sentence on
each charge will run concrrrenfly
The term on each charge is from one
to ten years. A fine of $120 was also
entered on the charge of receiving
deposits when he knew that the bank
was insolvent This IS double the
amount named in the cnarge.
AS Stensland left the courtroom he
was asked if he wished to make a
statement.
People vii see in the future that
l am not as black as have been
painted" he said Il was The victim
Of and the sentence was inter-
rupted as the deputies led him from
the room.
In discussing the case in the after
noon States Attorney Healy decIar-
ed that the FIVE directors of the de-
funct bank would be vigorously pros
ecuted The directors under indict-
ment are M. A. La Buy, Elof John
son, F. R. Crane, John Lister. Mathis
S. Kirkeby. The states attorney said
that the next step in the Milwaukee
Avenue State bank case would be the
trial of the directors.
One of the indictments to which
Stensland pleaded guilty was that of
receiving deposit of $50 from c. S.
Lind after knowing the bank was in
solvent The penalty in such case
is imprisonment, not to exceed three
years, and fine amounting to double
the sum received from the deposition.
There were other indictments for this
offensc against the banker, some of
them banging as high as $1,000, but
the 500 was selected haphazard, ac-
cording to State Attorney Healy.
The other indictment was that
known as the big enbezzlement" in
dictment, in which he was charged
with stealing $1,s00,00o For embez-
Element the punishment is limited to
ten years, and as both sentences are
under the indeterminate act they run
concnrrently, and are served out at
the same time
Taking into consideration the
good time" which will accrue if the
prisoner behaves himself Stensland's
sentence will expire in six years and
three months