The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-11-30
City Judge Converse Would
Not Listen to the Plea of
Arthur SpurIock for Mercy
At Hands of the Court.
CLAIMED TO BE PENlTENT
AND BLAMED WHlSkEY.
Testimony Given by Chief
Bailey and Sergeant Nc
Manus. of Damaging Ma
ture-Mrs. SpurIock Gone.

When Arthur II. Spurlock, wife
beater. appeared in police court in an
freedom and said he was ashamed of
his actions if he had committed an
assault. He maintained that he re-
membered nothing OF it. The court
took the case under advisement
short time and when Spurlock was
again brought into the court room to
hear his sentence he was given a fine
of 81 and costs and so days in Jail.
He sat petrified Tor minute by the
size of the sentence and then heaved
bitter sigh. He showed no other
emotion and sat looking around the
that Spurlock would at least ar
range some sort of a defense but such
was not the case as he depended sol
ely on his plea TO gain his freedom.
Spurlock said: Il am guilty but am
ashamed of it If | had not been
drinking the affair never would have
happened. l don't make a practice of
drinking and will take an oath that I
will never drink another drop, either
in Richmond or elsewhere. if you will
but grant me my freedom. think I
have been punished enough for what
did. My heart is broken. The whole
affair hurts me more tnan II does her.
Again | say, | am ashamed of it," The
man said that he and his wife had
been residents of Richmond for six
weeks He said that the quarrel of IA
few days ago was the first they had
ever had and he was greatly aggravat-
ed or the affair would not have hap
pened.
Court is Not Moved.
| Spurlock's plea was such as many
other police court victims often give.
! being decidedly tangled and for that
! reason judge Converse paid little at
! tertiOn to his cry for mercy. Although
! stating that his wife had aggravated
him into beating her. Spurlock said he
. remembered nothing of it and was un-
der the Influence of three drinks of
whiskey at the time. Although claim
ing that he nothing of the crime
which he had committed against his
pretty little wife. he maintained that
he felt very sorry over the affair.
The men who Wore about police
court When the case was called for
trial were anxious that a heavy sen
tence be imposed upon the man. They
We're pleased when Judge Converse
gave him such sentence. but would
have been better pleased had the
court assessed the limit.
Prosecutor Jessup was not present
to pre- sent the case for the state and
although himself i'll, City Judge Con
verse questioned witnesses. Daniel
McManus police sergeant and Jesse
Bailey. superintendent, We're the only
prosecuting witnesses, Spurlocks wife
having gone to Indianapolis fearing
further trouble with her husband
McManus told Of the details of the as
sault as it occurred near his home and
on his own porch. This alone aroused
= the ire. of those who heard the case.
: McManus maintained that Mrs. Spur
5 locks ewes were black from the ef-
: fects of the beating She. carried n
; long cash on the side of her face in
5 addition to several bruises. While she
= was lying on the ground after Spur-
lock struck her he kicked vicously
: at her right shoulder, badly bruising
1t.
Spurlock's fine and Jail sentence
will mean 1o1 days in Sheriff Mere.
] dith's hostelry.