New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-18
Boy and Girl, Downcast,
Plead Not Guilty TO Four
Bungalow BurglarieS.
BOTH RELEASED
IN $500 BAIL
Loot All Recovered and Village
Sentiment FaVOrS LeniCnCy
for Youthful Offenders.
From a stan Correspondent u, The Tribune

MS. huLn Taylor tOUlln dnt NtI au-
mirIng accomplice, Donald Ciapham,
learned to-day that such foolish dew
iltry' as breaking into and ransack-
ing four summer cottages at Sea Cliff
is serious offence in the eyes of
Nassau County. Chastened b. the no
toriety attending their confession and
looking like two scared children, they
stood before County Judge James P.
Niemann, while indictments were read
charging them with burglary in the
third degree and petit larceny.
Through their lawyers, both entered
technical pleas Of not GUILTY and were
released under bonds Of S2,5Oo
in view Of young Ciapham's COM
plete confession to the grand jury on
Tuesday, it is understood by officials
in he office of District Attorney Lewis
.. Smith that the plea of rot guilty
was entered merely 70 gain time. II
the Nassau County authorities chose
to prosecute all four indictments TO
the limit the young couple would face
twenty years IN prison, as the maxi
mum penalty for burglary in the third
degree is FIVE years.
Sentiment in court and in Sea Cliff,
however, Is for punishment rcarer the
m inimum, which may be as light as
the presiding judge rules. District At
torney Smith admitted last night that
the most severe sentence that the
youthful burglars would probably re-
ccive would be to send then. 70 some
reformatory. Friends of the ClaPhams
hope that Donald and Mrs. CCu!in Will
be let off with a fine.
Some Suggest Spanking.
They ought to be spanked" COM
mented one of the court officials al
ter the arraignment. And over in Sea
Cliff one of the older residents VINO
has been in touch with iowa affairs
for twenty years went so t1r as to
suggest that "they should be horse
whipped both Of EN-"
As for Donald and Ruth. they can't
see why the court should purisn them
at all in view of the fact that all the
property they stole has been redeemed
and is ready for distribution TO the
rightful owners. They have told their
story. admitted they were foolish, and
one look at them shows they are
sorry.
They would have pleaded guilty this
morning. their friends say 4 Judge
Niemann had permitted them 20 pro-
coed without counsel He knew that
with such a plea before him he would
nave to send them to Jail 70 await
sentence.
Donald Chaplain was the first Of the
defendants to arrive at the court
house. Accompanied by his father.
Alfred II. Chaplain, Tax Collector OF
Sea Cliff, and his uncle, Thomas D.
Clapham, he arrived here at 10 a. m.
and hoped out Of an automobile al
most before the machine stopped
Young Chaplain had started up the
sidewalk to the courthouse ahead OF
his father before he was informed
that the county court Convened on
the top floor of the Denton Building
across the street. To avoid photog-
raphers who were waiting b.! the
automobile, the boy and his father
iumped over a hedge and cut across
the lawn to reach the Denton BulIc-
ing. .,ol
Just then another automobile rolled
UP in front of the courthouse with
heavily yelled girl on the h"GK seat;
There she is" cried the small crowd
on the sidewalk. Mrs. COnlin's APP
roararce came as a surprise even TO
The court officials, because they had
been informed last night that she was
i'll in bed at her home.
Bodyguard with Girl.
But the girl had insisted this morn
90 IN,
court Smarting under criticism that
she was leaving Donald to face the
music alone and annoyed BY reports
that he had eudeavored to plEe most
of the responsibility for their joint
lootinps on her shoulders, Mrs Conlln
decided to plead to the indictments
against her
When she came to leave her home
on Elm Place, in Sea Cliff, however,
she felt so weak that the family ply
stefan, Dr.. Albert NJ. Bell, was called
TO accompany her. Her grandfather,
John d. Campbell, also came with her,
as we'll as a boarder named Fernie,
who lives with the Campbells. Mr..
Fernie (he refused to tell his initIals)
acted as the girls bodyguard during
her appearance in the crowded court
room.
As she alighted from the automobile
Mrs. Conlin threw a pink scarf over
her head 20 shield her from photog-
raphcrs. Mr.. Fernie, who is said to be
employed in a Manhattan undertaker's
establis hment, started TO lead her
toward the county court house. IN
knowingly he was also leading Mrs.
Conlin toward her accomplice, who,
with his father, had just emerged
from the shrubbery around the court
house lawn. Donald pulled his light
oyercoat up over his head and pointed
toward the Denton Building. His
father rasped his arm and the two
mutflcd figures were rushed into the
building and up 70 small waiting
room outside the courtroom on the
top floor.
with the scarf over her face Mrs
Conlin had no opportunity to recog-
nize Donald until they arrived in the
waiting room. She said she felt faint
and was placed in a chair near the
open window. Young C.apham stood
behind her, with his arm on the back
of the chair, but they did not appear
to be talking. Although he had char
acterized the girl as a vampire" type
yesterday afternoon the senior Clap
ham showed no signs OF anImoslty
toward her or her grandfather From
the corridor it looked like a family
group.
Paleness Dims Beauty.
Although pale and haggard, the girl
who is without a peer in Sea Cliff as a
tango and skating artist justified re-
marks Of the townspeople about her
Che hoe aft Lrht brntgn hair