The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-08
Fairfield
BRIDGEPORT BOYS
WHO BROKE PAROLE
ARE SENTENCED TO
STATE REFORMATORY
fSnecial to The Farmer.l

Fairfield March S-As a result of
trying TO play wild west hold up
week ago Sunday night, three boys
were last night sentenced to the State
Reform School for Boys in Meriden
until they reach the age of twenty
one years.
At the time of the hold up, on Feb
ruary Is. four boys, Thomas Dough-
ertyepf 156 Lesbia street, John Mead
of los CORTLAND street, Francis Fox
of e4e Fairfield avenue, and George
Swanberg of 3s1 Fairfield avenue, all
of Bridgeport, were arrested ana
found guilty of assault, the hold up
charge not being used because of the
youth of the offenders At that time
the sentence pronounced was fine of
81 with costs, for each boy, with a
six months probationary period. dur
ing which time the boys We're to re-
port once a week to Probation Officer
king at his law office in Bridgeport.
Thomas Dougherty reported within
the week as the sentence required, but
the other boys evidently did not real
sze that the court meant what it said
and neglected to see Mr.. King. At
the end Of the week Mr.. King had
warrants made out charging John
Mead, Francis Fox and George Swan
berg with violating their parole, but
did not have 1T served until yesterday
afternoon, when Sheriff Ellwood went
TO the Prospect school in Bridgeport
and brought the boys to this town
where they were arraigned before
Judge Wakeman at O'Clock in the
afternoon.
The parents of the boys were noti-
fled in ample time to allow them to
reach Fairfield before the hour set for
the trial. but at that time the only
person present in the interest of the
boys was the mother of John Mead.
Judse Wakeman was inclined to be
hell "a waiting
over the arrival Of three cars from
Bridgeport, but no one came and the
trial proceeded.
Supt-S p. Williams of the Pros
pect school. Bridgeport, of which all
the boys are attendants, was the only
witness called by the prosecution. Mr.
Williams was asked at some length
about the record of the boys for both
attendance upon school duties and
their conduct while In school. In the
case Of the Fox and swanberg 1oy 10Y.
the answer did not appear to their
benetat, and in the case of the Mead
boy, he stated that the record, while
not good, was not so bad as some of
the others. He testified that all three
OF the boys had at various times been
reported to the truant ofiicer, and only
this past week it was necessary to
look up the reason for the boys not
attending school, He, was asked II,
in his opinion the boys were at fault
In their on-attendance or if it might
be the fault Of the parents. He felt
that that was a question which could
not be answered fairly, as in some in
stances the boys were clearly playing
hockey on their own account, and In
othGfP the parents might be at fault.
Mn Mead was then asked what
time she had understood her son was
to repoft to the probation officer, ac-
cordlng to the decision of the court
at the first trial held February g.
She replied that she understood the
order vas once week, but did not
underse<ad 1t to mean ale week of the
trial. There were two newspaper
mem at the trial, and in the course of
Mrs. Mead's remarks the reporters
came In for share Of her opinion,
SAYING the papers had enlarged upon
the story more than had been neces-.
sarE, but she was quieted by the judge
and The trial proceeded. Mrs. Mead's
report that her sons failure to re-
port-was the result of her misunder-.
standing the meaning of the judges
Judge was inclined to be lenient in her
sons case because of that fact . Judge
Wakeman then found the boy guilty
of breaking his parole and sentenced
him to the State Reform School for
Boys at Meriden until he became the
age of twenty-one years. He then
suspended the execution of the SEN
fence provided, however, the boy re-
ported to Mr.. King at his office in
Bridgeport at Saturday noon of this
the. next six months. The boy, John
Mead, aged fourteen, was then per-
united to leave the courtroom with
his mother.
A~recess was then taken to await
the arrival of the next car from
Bridgeport, in order to give the par
ents@of the Swanberg and Fox boys
every possible chance to appear in
their behalf, but they did not show up
and the trial proceeded Both boys
testified that they had misunderstood
the order in regard to the reports to
be made to the probation officer, but
their reasons were not satisfactory to
the court and they were pronounced
guilty of the charge of breaking their
parole. and were sentenced to the
State Reform School for Boys at Mer-
iden until they reached the age of
twenty-one years. In their case sem
tence was not suspended and they will
be taken to Meriden at once unless
appeal is taken to the higher court
at once. The boys were left in
charge of Sheriff Ellwood, who was
kind to them and found good lodging
for them for the night, without taking
them to the Jail.
Just before the boys were taken
away the mother of the Swanberg
boy appeared and explained to Judge
Wakeman that she had not received
the notice in time to arrive earlier
The judge told her that the case had
already been decided and sentence
pronounced, but he was willing to
give her until $50 this morning to
appeal the case, and if she appeared
at that hour, with security in the sum
of $50, he would bind her son over to
the Superior court. Failure to APP
pear at that hour would mean that
her SON would leave for Meriden with
in the day. She, together with the
boys, pleaded pitifully for mercy, but
without avail, and the boys were
taken away for the night by the sher-
III. No one appeared for the Fox
boy.
At half-past nine this morning
Judge Wakeman reopened the case,
and after hearing testimony from Tire
stepfather of the Fox boy, and addi-
tional testimony from the mother of
the Swanberg boy, he decided to sus-
pend the judgment, provided that the
boys report to Mr.. King before noon
on Saturday, and before Thursday of
each week following for the next six
months. He also added that the boys
must be kept in their homes every
evening and that non-attendance at
their school duties would be counted
as a violation of their parole. and in
that case they would be sent to the
reform school without any further
hearing The amount of the costs of
the trial. is also to be paid by the
boys, being equally divided between
the three.