The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-05-28
DEFENSE
Of Little Helen KriegeI a TraV-
eSy on Justice
People Are DumfOunded by Ac-
tIOn of Court I'm Case and
Bitter In Comment.

Not In recent years has anything so
incensed the people of every section
of this county as did the sentence
meted out by Common Pleas Judge
Layton. of Wapakoneta, to Lee Ay-
ers and Arch Wagner. on last Thurs
day.
Thursday night angry ciizens op-
emily voiced their displeasure as they
congregated in crowds about the
streets.
Friday and Saturday and Sunday
as the crowds of farmers from all
parts of the county came into town,
the one and only subject was Judge
Layton's release from custody these
well-to-do and prominent young
men,
What made the affair seemingly
worse was the fact that only few
months ago, John Huffman, not
over bright farmer, was arrested on
a similar charge and sentenced by
Judge Miller to an indeterminate
periodin the Penitentiary.
The people were so worked up
that several wanted to start petitions
to impeach or disqualify Judge Lay
ton.
While hints of crokedness were
openly made against the venerable
Jurist, we do not feel that he was a
party to any kind of a frame up. No
more conscientious man ever sat on
the local bench and it is felt in some
circles that a misunderstanding or a
Misrepresentation must have caused
him to pass the sentence he did.
In way the leniency shown the
defendants by the court was part
ly accounted for when the published
plea of Prosecutor Myers appeared
in the Standard last Saturday, and
after il had circulated and been read
the sentiment on Monday shifted in
a large degree from Judge Layton to
Prosecutor Myers. The Prosecutor
was cognizant of all the facts in the
put too much reliance.
All must agree that the argument
to the court was full of leniency;
that after the Prosecutor had push
ed the case as he had after he had
secured the Offering of big reward
for the return of the little prosecut-
ing witness who had been spirited
away; after he had plead to the court
to fix the prisoners bonds at a good
round sum because of the seriousness
of their crime, that his final state
ment to the court not only asked for
leniency, but it seemed that he was
pleading for the prisoners; that he
was willing to whitewash them, but
blacken the character of the friend
less little girl whose future had been
ruined
Shame, say we on such prosecution
of such damnable wrong. In an
other column will be found the state
ments of Prosecutor Myers. His
DTleI Sldl6HltHI vi lluly hio
plea to the court as published in the
Saturday Standard.
We may have mis-read or mis-con-
strued the language, but you can
read and judge for Y urself. Was
Prosecutor Myers plea 20 the court
what it should have been? Does it
defend the States case, or does il
plea for the defendants at the expense
of the character of little fourteen
year old Helen Kreigle?
The character of this little girl
was not questioned, so far as we can
learn, until she fell into the hands
of men who should have been her
protector, and to traduce her at the
bar of justice was neither called for
or necessary for public morals or de-
cency. Prosecutor Myers published
statements do not help his case,
though it may have helped the cul-
prits to their liberty