Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-18
CONVICT LAWYER MAKES
HIT IN CIRCUIT COURT
Il. Il. Hanley Pleads for Himself and
Pals, Who Escaped From
Pcnitentiary.
JUDGE CUTS PENALTY IN HALF
Sentences -Four Prisoners to Serve
Additional Two and u Half Years
Each, Instead OF Five, for Sensn.
ttonnl Escape ON january II.


Knowing that their causc was hone
Tess ana that the representations OF a
lawyer might do them more harm than
e"o". Siler Adkins. l.. Il. Hianley. H. /.
hamilton. alias Harry Mills, ana 4,
"''on me four men who effected "A
remarkable and daring escape from the
state Pcnitcntiary on the night Of Ian
uaiE II. only to h. captured ;w, DAYS
iatei' threw themselves on the ucrt-1.
% me court Yesterday morning and
cach was sentenced to serve an ad
"'t,onal term of two and II half years.
When the four men were nrr,irnci
lore Judge X. Carter scott. in the civ
circuit Court. Henley acted as their
Sf"kcHrinn. Adkins hau consulted with
N,'orhcN w w. Beverly. and had been
ADVISED by the young LAWYER that il
would he practically useless TO e,np,ov
counsel ana that II he and his com
pti,ohS ionHht IN" case Other charges
rhGht be brought against them Then
N"kihs turned to Commemorative At
,"rf"N foik"s. AUG asked linn what he
intended to request Of The court
ASK him for I'VE years for each of
YOU, said Mr.. Folkcs You are the
one VINO Kissed one Of the guards good
ny. aren't you" asked the Common
"caith's Attorney.
Is NONCOM MIIrrkI. on
KISSING INCIDENT
AS 10 that" said Adkins. 81 DO not
care TO say. You have your evidence
ana II Is not for us to guinsa, Won ar
TO al" 10 your information Bat IL will
u" pretty tough ii YOU ask the court
TO give us another five years"
TIL" four men then by leave Of the
court. counselcd among themselves ard
submitted TO trial Judge Scott asked
thai the guards who had been bound
: IA lao.
none" to give evidence. but iIanley was
quick enough to see the point, and he
informed Judge Scott that as smokes
man Tor the four. he would admit Su
Dcrintendcnt's Wood hcarsav evidence
on mat score. Major Wood had TOLD.
me court the story OF the escape as he
had heard II from the guards
we arc willing TO admit MIR. Woods
testimony. said Hanley, and we arc
Wiling to admit that il is correct And
now, II Your Honor please. we would
IKE 10 say few words. There Is 10
denial ON our part that we escaped. IN,
since we have been caught we are
Wiliihs 10 be punished We know
your Honor 10 he a just Judge. and wc
are willing to submit TO such ncnol,y
AS you may impose. We can only throw
ourselves o. your mercy and ask YOU
TO be as lcnicnt as YOU can"
HANLEY's APPEAL TURNS
TIDE IN CONyIt"TS' FAVOR,
IL was straight appeal marked
by nigh degree OF Intelligence and
knowledge of law. lie had at least tho
sympathy or the spectators, and as il
turned out. his direct appeal turned IN,
tide in favor OF himself and his coz
panionS in crime. COMMUNICATING At
toTncy Folkcs asked that the usual
term or five additional years be i'm
posed. but Judge Scott cut 1t in half
ana sentenced each Of the four to an
additional two and half years
The men could have been charged
with highway robbery in that they held
up and robbed the guards, and il was
their plea of guilty which saved them
from facing the additional burden
Han!ey, twcnty-cight years old, was
sentenced from Norfolk County for rob
berry. and had five years more to serve
when he escaped. Hamilton, twenty
four years old, was convicted in Dan
Vile for forgery. and has seven years
outside OF his additional term, to serve
Atkins, twenty-seVen years old, was
convicted in Lee County for murder
and had ten years more to serve when
he escaped Al Burton. thirty-one years
old, was convicted in Russell County OH
two charges OF second degree murder
and. with good behavior. his term would
have expired in 1899.
SLID DOWN ROPE FROM
FOURTH STORY WINDOW
The four men escaped from the over
all factory in the penitentiary by over
towering the guards and Il night
Waterman and then sliding down rope
from IL fourth story windcw and seal
ing Il thirty-f foot wall. They remained
at large only two days. They had only
few cents between them, and the
weather was bitterly cold. When final
~ discovered they were half starved
and were almost ready>to succumb.
Eight other men were convicted OF
second offenses. and each was sentenced
to an additional five years in the peni-
Tertiary. They are Joseph Campbell
William. alias George. Washington;
George Brown. Thomas Thurston, Jesse
Pearl. Thomas Branch, George Waiver
ly and Thomas Martin.
Sixteen others were sentenced to adj
ditional terms of one year for escaping
from the road gangs. Five are to be
tried to-day for third offenscs, convic-