The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-15
PRISONER PLAYS GAME
FOR HIS FREEDOM
Continued from page y

es. AT best, his defence in total
would consist of nothing more than
an 'insimation that there was a posi-
bility of the innocence of the prison
err Only the possibility, of In
nocence land an insinuation of the
possibility could be credited to his
work las attorney for mis- own cause.
An insinuation of alible failed
~miserably for Edwards yesterday,
when by his witnesses ,he attempted
to prove that he had taken lodgings
at the p. j. Haag boarding house.
and ate meals at the Mcdonald res
taurant, at about the time of the
burglary Of the Preston residence.
Jacob Haag, and his daughter Miss
Ada Haag, were summonded by the
defendant, as his witnesses. Both of
these, the defendant asked if they re-
membered a George Mosher who
lodged at their rooms, on the night
of November 9th, which was the
night before the burglary. Neither
remembered of any such character.
The witnesses were each asked to
identify the defendant las the man
who had lodged there, under the as
sumed name of George Mosher. Mr..
Haag, and Miss Haag, could not
identify him, and were positive that
they had never seen him before.
Mr.. and Mrs. Samuel Mcdonald of
the Mcdonald restaurant were then
called In effort to have them identi-
fly the prisoner as having taken
breakfast and supper at their res
%taurant. on Nov. 9th the day of the
house breaking. In this he failed al
so, as neither could remember ever
having seen him before. The remain
der of the defence consisted in an at
tempt to show that the burned mat
ches found on the floor of the Pres
ton home after the burglary were not
of the same kind, which Edwards
used. The defendant exhibited two
kinds of matches, one in a patent
package, and the others in a match
holder, which he infers are used by
himself and the round white matches
found on the floor, could not have
been struck by himself. The total
inference then and case Of the de-
PENDANT, is that on the night of the
robbery he also had been a victim of
robbers, and in fleeing from them,
he was mistaken by Sheriff Voreis
for a burglar running from the
Preston house. The articles taken
from the ~burglarized house, were
placed in his pockets by the sheriff
or someone else.
Think Ex-Convict.
1t is the opinion of local attorneys
who have been cu%riously watching
the case and the modes of the pri-
soner defendant, that the latter is
perhaps an ex-convict, who has had a
smattering of law, at some time. The
knowledge which he possesses of the
methods, of court procedure was
acquired through some experience
with courts. The disconnection of
his thought land apparent Jack of
reasoning powers, strongly indicate
that he is not well balanced mentally
This latter may be the solution to his
criminal propensities
Tuesday afternoon Judge Bernetha
sentenced Lawrence Edwards the
burglar who acted as his own law
yer, to the Jeffersonville prison for
q period of ten to twenty years. This
was the lightest punishment that
could be given him for the crime Of
which he was convicted. Edwards
gave his age at IS years and as there
was nothing except his older appear
ance to disprove his statement, he
was allowed to 60 to the southern
prison instead of Michigan City.