Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-07-25
MONDAY, JULY rs, 1910.
PUNISHING LAWBREAKERS.

H.HE
breakers will have a wholesome re-
spect- for Judge Lyon after the SEN
fences by him last week. The fact
that Prosecutor Booream is not
afraid to go out after them is not
encouraging either. A few lessons
OF this kind Is what Middlesex needs.
There Is, altogether too much dis
respect. for the law In this county.
There probably will be less of 1t
while Judge Lyon premains on the
bench. We cannot believe that a
majority of the citizens of this
county are in sympathy with de-
fance of the law, We believe there
fore, that the people approve of the
determined stand taken by the court
in melting out punishment to fit the
crime.
In the cases In this city which are
now attracting considerable atten-
ton, the evidence against the men
was conclusive. Nearly everybody
was aware of the kind of place Ezra
Sweet in particular was conducting
In New Brunswick n There
is little argument for his good bust
ness reputation in the fact that he
had never been arrested or dis
turbed before. Rather, 1t is to the
discredit of the local authorities
that such a place was allowed to ex-
let so long. Those who were not
aware of the character of the place
by personal knowledge were con
WINGED that nothing good could come
from a hotel which main source OF
revenue was a barroom with a cheap
concert hall adjoining. This is par
ticularly true when many of the per
formers were of more or less
questionable character. No one ex-
pressed surprise when this place was
raided and many of the more know
ing ones said they knew sweet would
"get his" sooner or later.
1t doubtless was no easy matter
for Judge Lyon to pass such a sen
teDeAaPsuLa fellow townsman, but
Deing a resident of the city, he was
well aware OF the reputation this
place had had for a long time and
the raid by the prosecutor and sub
sequent conviction by a competent
jury fully confirmed what nearly
everybody had previously believed.
we think the great majority OF
the people are in hearty accord with
the Judge when he said, in passing
sentence upon Sweet. that he should
have considered the matter years
ago, Courts are inclined to show
clemency where the criminal has
been placed Under strong temptation
in MS wrongdoing, and in cases
where the criminal has shown peni-
tenee after committing the crime
but in this instance" went on the
judge, 1.-The accused for years KEEP
a place made d~isorderly by gamb,
ling and the music hall attached
The eourt further said that Sweet
purjured himself when he testified
on the stand that he knew of no dis
order in his place. In closing the
judge said there is no crime more
harmful toea community than the
ones under which Sweet had beer
convicted.
UHder the circumstances the Sc,
we're sentence was justifable. While
many hesitate to say so openly, we
believe most of the people think
that Sweet got what was coming tc
him. In such cases a fine would be
of little use, 1t would only be (
signal for others who may be con.
Quoting similar resorts to go OF
without fear. Any of them would
be glad to pay a fine to know thai
they could continue unmolested ii
their nefarious business. If they
canRSt pay the fines themselves
there are others who stand ready t.
do so. but there is no substitute fol
a term in prison.