The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-10-03
COZ WHAT He WAN TED.
VIM. E. Williams Insists On Being
Sentenced and Court Says
"A Year in Prison
NAN DIDN'T WANT CHANCE
Judge Offered Williams Chance II
Withdraw Plea of Guilty and De-
mand Evidence Williams
Wanted a Sentence

1t isn't every day in the week that
a man gets just what he wants IN the
Circuit Court and especially is this
the fact when hiA name appears ia
tae calendar with the state just above
it but this was what happened to Will
liam e. Williams in the Circuit Court
Wednesday afternoon. Williams
wanted sentence and Judge Belden
was accommodating enough to give 1t
to him. AS a result of the accommo-
dation Williams left this morning
for Wauppn where he will labor in the
in aarests Of the state for the next
twelve months after spending one
day In solitary confinement.
The sentence of Williams was one
of the most unusual incidents Of the
court term He was arrested many
weeks ago on charge of securing
money under false pretenses. It was
alleged that he secured $50 from z.
G.. Simmons on the plea that he was
collecting money for the building Of
home for disabled switchmen. The
check was never cashed as the fraud
was discovered and Mr.. Simmons
stopped payment on the check and it
was held by the officials as evidence
against Williams.
Mr.. Simmons was unwilling to
prosecute the man, but when the case
was called Williams, after a long con-
ference with his lawyers and the
district attorney, decided to plead
Guilty" to the charge, and after the
plea had been entered the court in
sisted that the prisoner take the
stand and tell the story Of the case.
Williams went on the stand and he
told such a different story that he
entirely exonerated himself from
blame. In his story on the stand he
told how he had met man by the
name Of John Fa1vey in Milwaukee
and that he had employed him to col
lect money for the building of a home
fo disabled switchmen and that Fall
vey had given him credentials to use
in making the collections. He declared
that he had not been aware of the
true facts in the case until Falvey
ran away and he had been arrested in
Racine.
Under the statement made Williams
could not have been adjudged guilty
as charged in the complaint and the
Judge told him so and instructed the
attorney for the state that he would
demand evidence before sentencing
Williams.
The Judge then told Williams that
he would allow him to withdraw his
plea Of guilty and Williams retired
attorneys, Calvin Stewart and Attor-
ney Larimer, of Chicago. A half
hour later he returned to the court
room and dechned the offeN of the
Court to allow linn a chance dip show
his innocence and stated thak he was
ready for sentence. The Court took
him at his word, and going back on
the bench, he said sUnder the cir
cumstances / will accept your plea of
guilty, Mr.. Williams, and the judg>
ment and sentence of the Court is that
You, William E. Williams, be con-
nned IN the state prison at Waupun
for period of one year, beginning at
noon tomorrow, and that the first day
Of actual confinement be solitary"
Williams rever said word, and as
he started to leave the court room
Judge Belden continued: ST want to
add, Mr.. Williams, that regret that
/ have been called upon TO pass SEN
tence on man of your station and
ability"
Williams was taken to Waupun to-
day and the officials were unable to
discover why he did not desire to al
low the case to go to trial, for it is
pretty certain that if he was convict
ed he would not have received
greater sentence and il might have
been much less.