The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-11
He GOES TO PRISON
Dramatic Scene When w. A.
StOltzman Is Sentenced.
Young Wife Creates a Scene in
Court Room.
HE PLEADS GUILTY.
Must Serve at Least Six Years
in Penitentiary.
Will Be Companion Of Frank
Ellis on Trip Tomorrow.

Never has a crowd Of court loaingers
witnessed a more pathetic scene than
that which characterized the sentenc-
ing CT William A. Stoltzman to the
peniteptiary today for the theft of
several suits Of clothing and bolts of
cloth. Time after time the terrified
screams of Stoltzman's pretty young
wife echoed through the corridors Of
the building and men with tear stain
ed faces sat in the court room while
a touching love scene was enacted by
the prisoner and his wife.
Victim of d crime mania. stoltzman
will tomorrow begin his third term IN
prison. The man is less than 80 years
old Yet in his short career he has been
acquitted of the charge of murder and
served time for embezzlement, larceny
and burglary. No less dramatic than
the scene in the Fort Scott court 10
years ago when Stoltzman was acquit-
ted for the murder of a wealthy nier-
chant, was the demonstration in Judge
Dana's court today when Stoltzman was
sentenced to the penitentiary for a
term of from six to Is years for second
degree burglary and larceny.
Early this morning Stoltzman was
taken from the county Jail to the Of
fee of E. r. Simon, county attorney,
where the prisoner waived his prelini-
nary hearing and agreed to a plea Of
guilty to a charge of stealing the
clothing A few minutes after Stoltz-
man was taken to the court house the
defendants wife and two sisters ar
rived at the building. When Mrs. Stoltz-
man learned that her husbands mini
mum sentence would be six years, she
| tainted Time after time the aJren-
| ton of friends was needed to quiet
the woman.
While the papers were being pre-
pared the women were taken to Judge
| Dana's court. Here Mrs. Stoltzman
was again overcome with emotion and
grief and it was ten minutes before she
could be qufeted. The young wife was
not in the court room when her hus-
band arrived for sentence. Stoltzman
was given a seat near Frank Ellis, a
burIy negro, was WAS to receive SEN
tence for highway robbery. Friends
urged Mrs. StoIt7r - and the sisters
not to go to the coadG room when the
man was sentenced. But their argu-
/ ments carried no force.
| Just before Judge Dana took the
/ bench, Mrs. Stoltzman staggered into
| the room. Her face was as pallid as
| that of a corpse and every muscle in
/ her body seemed to shake as with the
palsy. The woman staggered to a
/ chair beside her husband and threw
/ both arms about his neck. Stoltzman' s
I face was shoWered with kisses and for
a minute the crowd in the huShed
court room heard nothing but ,he
| Woman's heartbreaking sobs. Sto1tz-
man himself was deeply affected and
tears coursed down his face as he re-
turned the wife's affectionate embrace.
! Big Frank Ellis. who showed no con-
| Germ for his own future, seemed un-
able to witness this parting love scene
and turned his face from the little
party as he wiped a tear from his
/ black, greasy face.
! ST won't leave him, no. no. won't. -
| screamed the wife, as she was en-
treated to leave the court room. "Oh,
please let me stay; don't make me go
! away" screamed the woman as she
hugged her husband the tighter and
| clung to him with Mortified fear that
she wa sto be torn from her lover.
Walked by His Side.
Then stoltzman was again taken
from the court room to sign some pa
pers. His wife walked by his side,
holding his hand, as they left the room.
A few minutes later StoItzman was