Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-28
RILEY GIVEN
THREE YEARS
PARENT MUST SERVE TERM IN
FEDERAL PRISON At
LEAvENWoRTH.
CASE TO THE JURY.
Trial Of Lucy Thomas Charged With
Embedding Postoffice Funds Fin
ished This Morning
Damage Suit On.

Riley ascontemptuous in his character
as father, in writing obscene and filthy
letters to his daughter, and striving
by threats and promises of physical In
jury to extort from her money that
came TO her as an Inheritance from
her grandfather, Judge Smith McPher.
son Of the United States court this
morning arraigned the parent before
the crowded court room for his &C.
tions. The court stated that he felt
that 1t was unfair to say bitter things
to a prisoner, but that he also believed
that he should state to the public his
reasons for passing Judgment he was
about to make upon Riley. He scored
the prisoner roundly for his action and
said that q father who charges his
daughter in the violent and vulgar
language as did Riley, was censurable
and cited mankind in the different
phases as regards their attitude to
women, saying that the vilest of men
may turn against their wives, but sci.
dom IL ever, against q daughter; rath.
or they will give their life to protect
her reputation. He stated the penal
ty imposed by congress In such Of
would be term not exceeding three
years in the federal prison at Leaven.
worth, Kan.
Mcpherson Suit On.
The court then announced that the
case of Mrs. Anna Mcpherson vs. John
O. Malcolm involving damages in the
sum Of SEE, 900, would be started this
afternoon at 2 o'clock. The counsel
then resumed the argument in the
case Of United States VS.. Lucy Thomas
in which nineteen year old girl who
was employed as clerk in the Hooking
postof1lce is charged with embezzling
funds of the postof1ce.
Defense Makes Plea.
The Thomas case has been full OF
interest since it's beginning yesterday
morning. The testimony tended to
show that only ,$48 is actually known
to have been taken by the girl who
stated in her confession and on the
stand that she borrowed from the post
master j. T. Coppely. The shortage
Of 1892 aside from the $4S Is charged
and it has been the endeavor of the
prosecution to fasten the guilt on the
girl. Postof1ce Inspector J. w. Wei.
burn and Postmaster Coppley were the
only witnesses for the United States
and some five or six Witnesses ap-
peared for tho defense. The defense
in the argument to the jury pointed
to the postmaster as being just as
likely to be guilty as the girl and
stated that the opportunity to en-
bezzle was as great with him as with
her. The defense maintains that
the opportunity is the only thing the
prosecution has to base It's charges
against her aside from the $48 ack-
nowledged to have been secured by
Miss Thomas against which she has
left unpaid salary to the extent OF
$3.50 to meet the obligation. It was
brought out by the defense in the argu-
ment to the jury, that shortage Of
$54 was known to have existed prior
to the shortage under Miss Thomas,
and the defense points out that there
is nothing to fix the charge against
the girl any more than the postmaster
or the sixteen others employed In the
building in which the postofice Is To-
Gated and who have access to the
vault where the postotf1ce funds were
kept. The jury was charged by the
court and retired before noon to de-
liberate on the evidence submitted in
the trial.