The evening world., 1909-03-16
BADGER THIEF
SENT To PRISON
FOR Thirty YEARS
Wudge RoSalsky Calls William
=; Henry johnson Most Danger
Gus Type of Criminal.
ILONG WORKED GAME.
fWife, Who Is Accused of Aid
ing Him, Is Under Arrest
Awaiting Trial.
iLONG WORKED GAME.

With a tkirty-year term In Sing sing
. staring him In the face, William Henry
Johnson. twenty three years old, with Il
long criminal record to his credit. saun
tered out Of Part ", General Sessions,
to-day in charge Of ms keepers, quite as
unconcernedly as II he were about to
participate In a melon party instead Of
taking up his Journey to prison.
Before sentencing the prisoner, Judge
Nosalsky, In a scathing arraignmcnt,
characterized him as one OF the most
dangerous types OF criminals the New
York police have to cope with. He
added that Johnson was indeed a lucky
man in that he had been convicted OF
robbery In the first degree, as a second
offence. instead OF murder.
Say Wife Aided Him.
Johnson is a barber by trade, and
with his wife. Malvena, lived at No
100 West One Hundred and Thirtieth
street. Malvena, the police say, was
useful to him in his trade as high
wayman or In aiding him in his most
remuneratlve coups by means of the
old badger game.
She It was. the police declare, who
would patrol the streets In the neigh
borhood OF One Hundred and Twenty
NTH street. engage white men in con-
versation and then lure them to her
home. johnson would then make his
appearance upon the scene and after
playing the role OF the irate and tlt-
RACED husband. would endeavor to
wiring money from his wlfe's new
found friend upon promise of not press
ing the charge against him.
Failing In this he would resort to his
blackjack. hammer his victim into in
senslb!lity, strip his pockets OF all his
valuables and then throw him. help
less and insensibe. into the street.
This Is what he did to Albert pitney.
subway guard who lives at No. lO7
bloomfield street, ioboken. on the
night OF Feb. a. Malvena enticed Pit
ney to her home, where they were met
oy Johnson, and without any prelim-
!nar!es or mock heroics this time John
son piled his blackjack until P!tney
was down and out. and then they
stripped him Of his Jewelry and his
wallet containing So After recovering
consciousness Pitnsy reported his loss
to the police Of the West one Hundred
and Twenty-fifth street station and
me arrest OF Johnson and his wife fol- |
lowed
johnson Is q negro who has been SEN
fenced on several occasions. He was
sentenced to the pententiary in 1904 for
burglary, and in 1906 he was sent to the
Emira Retormatory on similar
charge. A year later he was recommit-
ted to that institution, and In 1905 he was
sentenced to three months term for
burglary.
In sentencing Johnson Judge Rosalsky
said:
Il am convinced you are a dangerous
type Of criminal and should not be left |
at large In this community. You are Just |
the kind OF criminal that, unless put out |
Of harms way for many years. would |
not hesitate to sacrifice human life, and |
II would only be question Of time that
yoW career would be enued by paying
. forfeit to the State with your life in |
the electric chair
The minimum sentence ! could i'm |
pose upon you Is twenty years, and the |
maximum Is forty years. So | will take |
Into consideration the fact that YOU
cared very little what became OF your
victims so long as you Dot a few
pAltry dollars from them nd il Is not
your fault that you are not murderer.
Therefore I will sentence you to thirty
years In the Sing Sing Pententlary."
broad grin suffused Johnson's coun-
tsnance as he left the court room. Nod !
ding to one or two acquaintance, who /.
were present to hear sentence pro- |
nounced, he staggered out OF the room
between two court officers. His wife is
yet 70 be tried.