The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-08

District Attorneys Statement.
Your Honor, there has been a
plea of not guilty entered upon the
Indictment against Silas E. Lord as
to the first count and plea of gull
ty on the second count in the indict-
ment. The Commonwealth is will
ing to accept the plea of not guilty
as to the first count and guilty as to
the crime of manslaughter as set
forth in his petition, hoping that
justice will be done in this matter.
In accepting this plea, however, am
compelled to say to your Honor that
we must not overlook the fact that
a very serious crime was committed,
that the community was shocked by
the crime and that this defendant
took some part in this crime as has
been stated by him through his at
torney. Samuel Reed made vio-
lent attack upon this man and it
was through him and the effect of
his blow, assuming that he is correct
in his statement that the conditions
were made possible that the other
defendant could commit the crime of
Murder, accepting his view of it
and that he is guilty of participating
III JHe VI lnu1uGT OT udn-
slaughter, and that the actual out
come of his attack had the effect of
making it possible for the other de-
fendant to commit the crime, this
should be considered by the Court.
1t is due to the county and to the
people at large that crimes of this
kind should be punished and while
it may be true that this defendant
was working for another party and
was possibly led into this crime by
her, still this would not be sufficient
to excuse him or enable him to avoid
the punishment due to the part which
he took; he is responsible for his
own actions; it is no excuse for him
to say that somebody else led him
and he is not excused because he said
he did not commit it, he should not
be excused because he said woman
led him on. Adam was not excused
for his transgression because he said
he was deceived or tempted by a
woman. We must not overlook the
fact that Silas e. Lord was killed in
the fight"
Lawyer Lee IntercedeS.
LAS attorney for Mrs. Leona Lord
| would like to say a word. Perhaps
more than any other member of this
bar, | have spent more time, have
seen more persons and learned more
of the facts in this case than any 9th
er. l stood on the spot where Silas
E. Lord fell down in the road from
the effects of the hoe; l saw the spot
to which Samuel Reed retreated; the
place where stood Silas E. Lord
w or I
the threats that had been made by
would do if anything occurred there.
The threat he made within 200 feet
that very day from where the fight
occurred. l know that Mr.. Reed
knew fully of the threats at the
time; / have been acquainted with
Mr. Reed for years and | want to say
this for Mr.. Reed that when Silas e
Lord attacked him he retreated to
the very precipice of the road before
anything occurred; that Samuel
Reed did all that was possible to be
done excepting to jump down the
bank before striking Silas E. Lord
with the hoe, and Samuel Reed knew
as l fully believe, that if he did not
settle Silas e. Lord that there would
be murder at that house that day
and | know that Mrs. Leona Lord
and her son, Millard Lord, fully be-
lieve that the fact that they are not
now sleeping under the daisies is
due to the act of Samuel Reed in
striking down Silas e. Lord. If Reed
had not done that upon that day
Silas e. Lord and his son would
have been here for murder and Mrs
Lord and her son would have been
dead; they have said that to me
from the beginning and to the close
and this l fully believe. Now Mr.
Reed did what man and many 9th
er men would have done and with
great deal of candor should have
done. He made just one simple mis-
take, he struck harder blow the
last time than he should have done;
that blow was not the result of any
intention on his part to injure Silas
e. Lord, not at all, he struck that
blow with view of stopping him
and preventing him from killing
Leona Lord and Millard Lord, heI
son. Now Mr.. Reed has been in jail
six or seven months for this error
of judgment and nothing else; il
does seem to me that this is case
that ought TO appeal strongly not
only to the heart but to the con-
science of the court to give him as
slight punishment for this offense
as in the opinion of the court may be
consistent with justice"
Judge Searle, before pronouncing
sentence, spoke as follows to Reed
Judge Searle's Remarks.
"You, Samuel Reed, have pleaded
guilty to the crime of manslaughter
and in entering this plea, under the
advice of your counsel, have acted
wisely.
The evidence which could be
brought against you were a trial
had has nearly all been heard In
the case of the Commonwealth VS.
Leona Lord, recently tried in this
court. Therefore the District Attor'