The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-04-10
SINcL AIR Gets 6
MONTHS IN JAIL
Would-bs Kldnappel Of Miss
Steckel Goes to Prison
YOUNG STARR FINED s25

Prosecution Did Not Press For Sc
we're Sentences and the Court Was
Lenient.
Allentown, Pa, April 10. = Samuel
Sinclair, 4th, of Kennett Square, Pa,
was sentenced to six months at hard
labor in the county prison and fined
$500 and costs in court here for. his
part in the attempted kidnapping" OF
Miss Anne E. Steckel on Jan. II.
r. Walter, Starr, Jr., of Philadol-
phia, his companion. was fined $25 and
costs.
Sinclair pleaded guilty to aggravat-
ed assault and battery. He was taken
to prison at once to begin his SEN
tence. Starr pleaded to assault and
battery. He paid his fine and returned
to Philadelphia shortly after. Sinclair
received his sentence without exhibit
ing any emotion and surrendered him.
self to the court officers without q
tremor.
Reuben p. Steckel, the father of the
girl, whose fortune Is estimated at
nearly million dollars, said after the
sentence that he thought the young
men had been let off easy. but that he
was satisfied with the penalty pro-
nounced by the court.
Neither Mr.. Steckel nor his daugh-
ter weer in court. The latter denied
herself to all callers.
Sinclair and Starr went immediate
ly to the court, where Judge Heydt,
of Carbon county, sat to hear their
pleas. Judge Trexler, who usually pre-
sides, did not wish to hear the pro-
ceedings. as he Is near neighbor and
friend of the Steckels, and as such
felt that he had too special an in
terest in the case. It Is said that Miss
Steckel on several occasions went to
the Trexler home to escape the atten-
ions of Sinclair.
In the retinue for the defense were
Joseph p. Rogers, an assistant district
attorney of Philadelphia, and Profess
sor George H. Meeker. dean Of the
department of chemistry at Medico-
Chi. For the pre- ecution there APP
peared District Attorney Lawrence p.
Rupp and Thomas F. Diefenderfer, as
special counsel for Mr.. Steckel
The proceedings were opened by
Mr.. Diefenderfer, who told Of the at
tempted kidnapping. He said that
the action of Sinclair and Starr had
brought notoriety and humiliation to
Miss Steckel, her family and friends.
He assured the court that Miss Steclel
had never encouraged Sinclair. bziH-
that, on the other hand, both she aad
her father had frequently requested
him and warned him to cease his at.
tentions.
He then told how Sinclair had for
chilly carried her out of her home and
had taken her off in an automobile.
Sinclair, he said, had wrapped her in
blanket and brutally and forcibly
held his hand over her mouth to stop
her outcries. He added that Miss
Steckel since the preparation of the
outrage was afraid to go out of her
fathers home lest she again meet
Sinclair.
On behalf of Sinclair, Mr.. Gernerd
assured the court that the reason OF
Sinclairs' action was purely and sim
ply affection for the young woman,
This affection, he declared, was of the
most honorable character. That mis-
take had been made, he admitted, and
for Sinclair he entered plea of ag-
gravated assault and battery and for
Starr of simple assault and battery.
Mr.. Gernerd said that the young
lady was entirely innocent in the af-
fair. He confessed for Sinclair that
Miss Steckel was not in league with
the attempted kidnapping" nor could
Sinclair claim that she had in any way
encouraged his attentions or led him
to believe that she cared for him.
When the court asked Sinclair and
Starr whether they had anything to
say for themselves they each remained
silent.
Judge Heydt then said in fining
Starr that he was convinced his only
offense was being caught in bad COM
pany. Then, turning to Sinclair, he
said that he was unable to reconcile
his being in love with Miss Steckel
with the wretcheds treatment he had
accorded her. He added that the COM
monwealth was not pressing for se-
we're sentence and that he, as judge,
was inclined to be lenient, but he felt
that the attack upon Miss Steckel
should not be passed over lightly. He
then pronounced sentence.
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