The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-02-24
IS NOT PLEASED
BY THE Sentence
GIVEN TO PIPER
Lontz Thinks the EmbezzIer
Should Have Been Charged
= With Burglary When Ar
raigned in Circuit Court.
JUDGE TO RECOMMEND
THE EXTREME LIMIT
Will Advise Prison Officials to
Hold Piper for ID Years.
After Having Reviewed List
of Crimes.

John Nj. Lontz. president of the F.
and n. Lawn Mower company, stated
this morning that he was very much
dissatisfied with the sentence Of from
two to fourteen years for embezzlement
imposed on George NJ. Piper by the
court yesterday afternoon. He de-
clared that Judge Fox refused to per-
nit the man to be prosecuted on the
charge of burglary, and overruled the
motion of Prosecutor Ladd that the
embezzlement charge be dismissed
About the same time Mr.. LontZ so en-
phatically declared himself, Judge Fox
announced that he had made a careful
study of the history of Piper's case and
would. upon the embeZZler'S commit
ment to the penitentiary. recommend
to the prison authorities that the man
serve the limit of the sentence, fou--
teen years.
Action Court Will Take.
He stated that he would acquaint
the authorities at Michigan City with
Piper's past history in making the rec
his entire time.
After this decision of Judge Fox, Mr.
LOntz was communicated with by tele-
phone and notified of the recommends
ton of the court. He was asked if
this action would in any way effect the
statement he made to the reporters for
publication before he (Mr. Lontzl bad
become acquainted with the courts lat
est decision in the matter. He re-
piled that it would not. Mr. LonIE
stated, however, that the recommen-
cision he had made. When interview
ed this morning. before the recon-
mendation of the court had been an
nOunced, Mr.. Lontz made the following
statement in regard to the sentence of
George NJ. Piper of from two to four
teen years in the penitentiary, for en-
beZZlement:
Statement by Iontz.
THE officials of the f. and n. Lawn
Mower company are thoroughly dissat-
'isfied with the disposition of the case
against the swindler, George NJ. Piper.
We feel that there is small encourage
ment to assist in bringing criminals to
justice when we have spent hundreds
of dollars in the employment of detec-
tives and gone half way across the con-
tinent with officers, at our own eX-
pense. and brought back to this juris
diction the greatest swindler of the
age. to see him get a sentence such as
would be meted out to the starving
man who steals a sack of flour. So
far as we are concerned, We might have
allowed the scoundrel to have contin-
ued his work. as his recent operations
have peen among his schoolboy friends
and own relatives. Still, we are con-
scious Of having done our duty in
bringing about his apprehension.
Have Tried to Be Fair.
up to this time. We have tried to be
fair in ever consider alton OF this case
and have endeavored to spare the feel
ings of those who must suffer for the
wrongs>of another. After our treat
ment of yesterday. however. We shall
no longer be moved by sentimental con-
sideratiOns. The court sentenced the
prisoner on plea of guilty to embez-
element and refused to hear the far
more serious charge of burglary. We
were not given the opportunity to be
present and show the court the vast ex-
tent of this swindler's wrongdoings.
do not want to seem as criticizing The
court, for We must patiently accept his
decision. have long known Judge
Fox from my boyhood, and have long
esteemed him for his probity aad
learning. l think he was misled by
some one who had an Interior purpose
to serve. The morning we returned
from Hartford, Conn, with the prison
er. he asked me if ! would kindly ar
range. through his family that he could
see an attorney at once. 1t was the
first act did on leaving the train He
was treated with all possible kindness
He ate the same food that We did and
We even had a drawing room on the
sleeper to avoid the curious attention
of passengers. Now. am repaid for
these gentle acts by being tricked.
Well, l want it understood that the
plan won't work.
To BE Arrested Again.
'Tnder the law, this criminal will be
returned to this county after serving
his present sentence. when / propose
to see that he Is arrested on charge II
burglary. And I think, instead Of his
being tried in Wayne county. We viii
let the National Bankers association
take the affair in charge as its officers
have been wanting to do. and pass the
offender along TO some one of the tloz-
en- other states where indictments have
Continued on Page EiEht.)