Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-01-18
Hands Out Hot Shots to Some
People.
GAVE THEM HARD RAP
Circuit Judge Notin sympathy With
Tendency To Wink at Crime
In That city.

Tavern c. Britton was convicted at the
October term Of circuit court in Stanton,
for entering the Psre Marquette depot at
Greenvile and stealing a sum Of money
belonging to an orphan asylum. He was
in company with one Earl Mclaughlin. a
notorious character, and afterwards Nc
Laughn was CONVICTED of highway rob
berry and was sentenced to the lonia prl-
son for term not less than five or more
than | S years In the Brtton boys case
it appeared to the court that the time he
committed the offense he was under the
influence of liquor and was led astray by
Mclaughlin. Britton was placed under
suspended sentence. Later petition
was presented to the court to suspend
sentence upon Britton, stating that
Britton had been led astray by others and
that the cause of his downfall was his
habit Of using liquors. The petition was
signed by many prominent citizens OF
Greenyllle. Judge Davis made some
comments upon the case raped Green
He said:
IN the last four weeks this is t. = bird
case from Greenvle where intC..S Ting
liquors has brought men to the bar Of this
court, one of them charged with crime
that would send him to state prison for
fourteen years on his plea Of guilty; an
other one for fifteen years. A boy l6
years old sentenced the other day for
is years, and here is young boy 8
years old charged with crime that would
give him | o years.
at seems to me a little deplorable that
conditions are such in as good town as
Greenville that that becomes necessary IN
so short a time under a law that everyone
ought to know what his duties are. 1t seems
a little strange But find here the un-
der sheriff of this county, the mayor, one
of the alderman, the city marshall and
several prominent men of the city stating
that they know it 10 be fact that this
boy has been using intoxicating liquors;
they set up the fact that that is the rea-
son of his downfall, and they want this
court to turn him loose upon society un-
der certain restrictions, believing it will
be for the best interests of the boy and all
concerned. But want to say when they
ask me to do this and assume their re-
sponsibility after he has acquired these
habits, they ought to take some of the
responsibility upon themselves. | think
especially the officers who have signed
this petition should make it their duty as
well as their pleasure is their duty
and ought to be their pleasure = to ascer-
tain where these boys (and habtual
drunkards too get their liquor and pros
ecute the men who are furnishing it to
y5ung boys and putting them in condl-
ton to commit these crimes. II there
ever was good opportunity, it is IN this
case.
81 want to say to these gentlemen
and they are all men | have the highest
regard for-that what | shall do with this
young man will depend upon what they
do towards roofing out the cause Of his
ruin. They are asking that the boy be
let loose and continue the habits that have
led to this, but there isn't much use of d
Judge trying to help the people in this way
if the cause of it all is still allowed to
exist "