Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-02
PASSING JUDGMENT.

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the judges Of criminal courts Crimi-
nails come and go, some charged with
petty offenses. and some with graver
ones. Some never were seen before
by the judge and are never seen again
by him. while some come up for sen.
tence two or three times.
While it may not be the most pleas.
ant duty of a judge to pass sentence
upon some of the bright appearing
young men or the tottering old men
that come before him with an appear
ance and facts showing that they are
not there as confirmed criminals, there
are so many of the petty thieves and
burglars against whom the heart of
the court may become hardened. For
one to realize what duty sometimes
devolves upon the court let him i'm
agine himself sending life long
friend to the penitentiary to finish his
days. 1t Is safe to say that not half of
the feeling of Judge Kersten Is ex-
pressed in the following language in
passing sentence upon Paul o. Stems
land, the trusted president of the Mil
waukee Avenue State bank:
1T is an unpleasant duty which de-
wolves upon me, having known you SO
long and SO pleasantly as citizen and
as friend. Your case is an extra
ordinary one. For many years you oc.
cupied position of prominence In
both the social and the business life
of Chicago. The possibilities of your
future were unlimited. You enjoyed
the confidence and esteem of all who
knew you. You were looked up to and
honored by all.
The patrons of your bank believed
you to be an honest man and trusted
you implicitly. They believed you the
essence of business honor and man
hood. You saw fit to betray that con-
fidence, and must now suffer the pun
ishment which the law provides. There
is one redeeming feature in your case,
however Instead of demanding the
Formally Of trial in the criminal
court you have come here voluntarily,
confessed your guilt and expressed a
willingness to make atonement for
your wrong. 4
You have also given the states at
torney full information tn regard to
the wrecking Of the bank and the
names of all persons connected with
you in the affair. You have consented
to become witness for the state in
the prosecution Of these men. The
people of Chicago insist upon the full
est investigation of this crime and
prompt punishment of all those con-
nected with the affair. / am sorry
you are in this situation today but I
am obliged to do my duty under the
law. Paul o. Stensland, have you any
thing to say before sentence is passed
upon your"
Some judges are inclined to pass
over the ceremony with as few words
as possible and some feel it their duty
to say more on the situation, especial
ly if dealing with some person young
in crime whom there is hope of raising
to higher level. Paul o. Stensland's
case was, as the judge said, an extra
ordinary one. He was not a young
man who would have a chance to be-
gin new life. He was not what
might be looked upon as a hardened
criminal, although his operations
covered quite a period Of time. He
has reached time of life when he can
not begin over If he should be released
and his sentence is so long that he
will simply waste away inside the pris-
on walls. There was little for the
judge and old friend to say except
just what he did say: "Your case is
an extraordinary one. am sorry you
are in this situation