The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-04-12

rreqently assumed by court and attorney
and there were some matters brought W
that the. reporters were unable to ge
hold of.
Having disposed of the accounts of the
dead the court took up the cases of the
living, and called up some men who had
been breaking the law. The first on the
list were three who had pleaded tc
charges of chicken stealing. There had
been a general mixup in these cases In
which three men were implicated. One
had turned states evidence and had
pleaded guilty, but the other two insisted
they were innocent. All told different
tales and when they were brought to-
gether in the jail, they finally got down to
single basis, and all agreed they had
better plead guilty.
The men were Joseph johnson, Stacy
Lippincott and Robert Branson. Against
each one were seven indictments, and they
all pleaded guilty to the charges, with the
exception of johnson and Branson who
denied the charges in two indictments.
Lippincott was the first to be given a
chance to speak and he said he was under
the influence of liquor every time he went
out on chicken-house raid. He claimed
that johnson was sthe ringleader and
supplied the other two with LIQUOR and
then they started out. Lippincott said he
tried to get johnson to desist but the lat
ter said there would not be any trouble
and if there was he would see the Others
through It,
Harold B. Wells made a lengthy ap-
peal for johnson. He said he had, as
counsel for the latter, prevailed upon him
to confess. Each of these men had tried
to put the crime on the other. Mr.. Wells
said he did not wish to be considered as
defending chicken stealing, on the other
hand he considered 1t one of the most
despicable crimes on the list. But he did
feel that Joshson should not be dealt with
too harshly. He is uneducated, cannot
read or write, and has always been hard
worker. He had started as a poor boy
and by industry and hard work had gained
some little property. He was not in the
habit of getting drunk, although he in
dulged In intoxicating liquor. johnson
had always borne good reputation In
every community where he lived and 1t
was great surprise when the news was
given out that he had been arrested. Mr..
Wells believed that Lippincott was the
ringleader In the entire affair He was a
man of great personal magnetism and enc
could not talk with him long without dis
covering that he could easily persuade
one of weaker mind. In this way he had
induced johnson to go wrong. To SEND a
man to the state prison, especially for
a single and first offence, was great hard
ship for 1t was well known that man
once sent to the state institution came out
with detected spirit and was not able to
again gain the footing he had held before
incarceration. In this case Mr.. Wells
thought the ends of justice would be fully
met If fine was inflicted upon johnson.
james M. Davis spoke for Branson.
He, also, considered Lippincott the brains
of the party and said that Branson was SO
much putty In the hands of the other,
He called attention that 1t was through
Branson that the entire affair came out.
and 1t was because of the evidence he
furnished that the Prosecutor of the Pleas
was able to bring the men to justice. Mr..
Davis said he could not ask for fine for
his client as the man could not raise the
money but he did think sentence might be
suspended or that Branson be sent to the
county Jail for reasonable period.
Prosecutor Atkinson said he had given
this case the most thorough investigation
and the only thing he could see in any
way favorable to the prisoners was the
fact that they pleaded guilty. That
Branson had given the entire matter away
was undoubtedly so, and Mr.. Atkinson
believed the man had told the truth. If
any one was led into the affair by other
people it was Branson. 1t was Johnson Is
wagon that was used to 20 after the
chickens, it was Johnson's barn to which
the stolen property was brought and it
was johnson who furnished the liquor
which the men used to brace up their
nerves before starting out on their thiev-
ing expeditions.
The prosecutor further argued that 1t
was JohnsonIs responsibility and the good
name he had heretofore possessed that
had prevented the crime being discovered
before. He could not see any reason for
leniency In the case of either johnson or
Lippincott.
Judge Horner told the men to stand up.
He said he was of the opinion that the
crimes with which these men were charged
were not simply single offence but a
chain of systematic offences, Chicken
thieving must be made unpopular. Sc
far as Lippincott was concerned he was
an old offender and had been In the state
prison for similar crime, but the court
of pardons, for some good reason beyond
doubt. had given him parole. That ACT
had not been appreciated by Lippincoti
and the confidence reposed In him by the
court had not been appreciated.
The Judge then imposed the following
sentences: Branson, is months in the
state prison, on one indictment. Johnson,
one year on one indictment, one year on
another, and two years on a third-four
years in ALL Lippincott, one year on one
indictment, two years on another and four
on another-seven years in ALL In addi-
ton to this Lippincott will be compelled
to serve six months that were left on a
former sentence when he was paroled.
Sentence on the other indictments was
suspended and will be held 80 they NAV
be imposed when the men haye served
the above terms, If it is deemed neces.
sary.
Joshua Winston, another chicken thief
was sent to the state prison for fifteen
months.
Robert West was brought up for steal
ing a duck. Robert said he and two
friends were out on a little booze picnic
and he was told where there was dead
duck. He went to the spot and found
the duck lying in ditch. He sold 1t tt
man for 90 cents. Afterwards a mar
came to him and claimed that the ducE
had been stolen from him. The man who
gave the 20 cents returned the duck anC
West gave him back the money. Their,
had been two or three different stories OF
this subject and it was decided to lay tn,
matter over for further consideration.
George Abbott, who was in the prison