The Detroit times., 1910-03-10
IS GIVEN
IS YEARS IN
JACKSON
They Are Sending an Innocent Man
To Prison." Doctors Only Com.
ment When Judge Phelan
Passes Sentence.
Court Receives Statements of Four
Girls Who Say They Received Ille-
gal Treatment From Physician.

Fifteen years in Jackson prison is
the penalty DR.. George A. Fritch must
pay for causing the death OF Miss Ma.
bel Miilman by a criminal operation
ana attempting TO conceal the crime
by cutting up her body and throwing
the sections in Ecorse creek.
Sentence was imposed by Judge
Pheian Wednesday noon. after he had
denied the motion of Fritchs counsel
for stay. Under the law. the court
cannot impose a sentence OF more than
one-half the maximum. in this case
seven and ope-half years. but the
judge recommends that the prisoner
be confined the full period. Ii there.
lore amounts 10 l5-year sentence.
provided the courts recommendation
is complied with
Dr. FTtch had nothing TO say before
sentence Was passed In fact. he was
not asked IL he desired To make a
statement. When II was all over he
stated TO the representatives of the
press.
All | can say, boys. is that they
are sending an innocent man To pris-
on"
Not for an instant did Fritch lose
his nerve during the trying ordeal. He
stood erect in the prisoners box look.
ing the Judge squarely in the eye. He
was evidently prepared TO receive the
maximum punishment. and the sen
tence came as no surprise TO him. He
was alone in the courtroom save for
his counsel and his devoted brother,
Wallace Fritch, OF Drumbo. Ont who
has stood by aim from the very out
set Of the trial
The doctor sat IN the corner OF the
box that extends Tito the courtroom.
and Wallace occupied a chair immedi.
ately To his left. ely the rail that runs
around the box separating them They
CCnversed earnestly together until the
convicted man was ordered TO stand
up To hear his Goom.
In passing sentence Judge Phelan
said:
1t is The duty of the trial Judge,
in passing sentence upon a fellow man
who has been convicted Of a criminal
charge, to carefully review all the cir.
cumstances,N not only those in agra
walton, but also those IN extenuation
OF the offense. This | have done in
your case, since the verdict Of the jury
pOiIOunNtu YOU guilty duH III the lIll-
position OF my judgment, | am moved
solely by the record upon which you
stand convicted
ION August p, last Mabel Millman
was alive in this city. and her life
was as sweet 10 her az is the life 81
any one OF us. Some days later her
mutilated corpse was recovered from
the river. Upon the jurys verdict
you not only deprived the unfortunate
girl Of life. but would deny her a
grave. and the mother the consola-
ton of laying her daughter away
among the ashes OF her kindred.
II have considered also that Won
were physician by profession
occupying a most important and con
fidential position in society. and trust
ed by individuals and by families with
their dearest secrets. The nobility OF
your calling as a healer Cf men impos-
ed greater responsibility upon YOU
to guide right those who sought your
aid. Had you so wished. you could
have been a bulwark of law and JUS
tice, but on the contrary you elected
70 trample upon the law of your state
and then 10 conceal your crime by the
most heartless method that human
mind could conceive fail 10 find
aught I'm this record TO mitigate the
wickedness of your crime"
Earlier in the morning Attorney
Lodge had renewed his motion for q
stay OF sentence pending an appeal 10
the supreme court. Prosecutor Van
Zile on the other hand, asked the
court TO proceed at once. declaring
that he saw no reason why the defend
ant should enjoy any greater consider
alton than is usually shown convicted
men. Jedge Phelan took the matter
under advisement until II o'clock.
when the prosecutor, at the formers
request, submitted for the courts
perusal copies of statements made by
four young women who claim to have
been Crininally operated on by Fritch
within recent months In the event
OF the death OF any OF these women
her statement would have become an
ante -mortcm statement and would
have formed the basis OF another trial.
had the Millman case failed. Two OF
these operations were performed ac-
cording TO the statements OF the wC-
men after Fritchs trial had started
After reading these statements.
Judge Phelan promptly denied the
stay asked for and announced that he
would pass sentence at 1 o'clock. Al.
torney Lodge then requested that
the court proceed 10 sentence Frltch