Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-25
|SW|HART GIVEN
/ Term IN PRISON
Man Who Forged Checks
Admits Guilt and is
Sentenced to Anamosa
COURT GIVES BOWMAN
SIX MONTHS IN JAIL
Young Man Who Gave Sell
s5ass s1a,s is Shown Leniency by
Judge Upon Pleading

Pleading guilty to the charge OF oh.
tanning money by false pretense, David
w. Swihart and Joe Bowman, were
given the Judgment Of the court this
afternoon. The former drew term
OF imprisonment in the reformatory In
Anamosa and the latter six months In
the county jail
The crime for which the two young
men are sentenced is that OF obtain.
Ing money by false pretense and the
method used was worthless check
passed upon Joe Barmash.
Although but one charge Is pleaded
to by the men. when taken Swihart,
who at the time was going under the
alias OF Frank Marshal was wanted
for stealing a horse and buggy from
the Hoogewoning livery stable, and
writing bogus checks as we'll. He
was taken In Davenport and brought
from there by SheriK Knox when the
latter attended the meeting of sheriffs,
held few weeks ago In that city.
Desert Horse and Buggy.
The horse taken was left near
bridge at Lakonta by Swihart and
Bowman. who left Ottumwa In the rig
August "a. Bowman went to Oska-
loosa where he took employment on
the railroad and Swihart struck for
other parts only to be arrested later
by = constable near Davenport
When taken by Sherin Knox. Swi-
hart was ready to plead and talked
freely OF his actions. He apparently,
was familiar with the law and pro.
posed to plead guilty to obtaining
money by false pretense ana take the
penalty rather than stand trial He
would not plead guilty to horse theft
on the grounds that he was drinking
when he hired the animal and because
1t was later returned to the owner.
Bowman Gave Self up.
Bowman when hearing that he was
wanted In connection with Swihart,
came to Ottumwa and gave himself up
to the sheriff and told the county 1t.
torney that he was willing to plead
to the charge of obtaining money BY
false pretense because he had assist.
ed Swihart in passing the bogus
checks. He insisted. however. that he
had reen drinking and did not fully
realize the extent Of the wrong he did,
and wanted to submit his case to the
court on plea OF guilty
Immediately upon the conyening OF
court this afternoon the two men were
present to receive judgment. Bowman
was called upon first and after the
charge was read to him, pleaded gull
ty, but stated the circumstances to the
court. He said he had passed the
checks. but was not aware that Swi-
hart had no money, and blamed his &C.
tlons on his condition. saying that he
was drunk at the time and did not
realize what he was doing.
Swihart when quizzed by the court
showed favor to his pal and said both
were drinking at the time, and that
Bowman passed the checks while he
had written them. He could not sat
isfactorily explain the reason for using
two names when asked by the court.
In passing Judgment Judge Vermil-
ion told Swihart that while the sen
tence was for an indefinite term not to
exceed seven years, he would ask the
board Of parole to consider the case
and make 1t not more than eighteen
months II the prisoner behaved him
self. Bowman was told that his Of
rense was the lesser. but that he must
serve six months In the county jail to
expiate his crime.