The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-11-27
BERT HUMPHREYS
GETS SIX MONTHS
FOR HIS ESCAPA ABE
Prosecuting Attorney
Agreed to Reduce the
Charge Against Him.
COT LIMIT FROM COURT.
Judge Declares the Dignity
of the Law Must be
Upheld.
GOT -L|MIT FROM COURT

Dignity Of the law must he upheld
said Judge Raymond this morning in
passing sentence upon Bert Hum
phrey's on a charge OF unlawful as.
/, saulting Deputy Sheriff Robin A Hood
with pistol. He told HUMPHREYS that
as he had been an officer himself at
one time he was thoroughly acquaint.
ed with the law on this point. In the
course of his remarks Judge Raymond
said that the public loses confidence
In the law when those employed to
enforce it are violators. Continuing
he said in this state upon the sheriff
is placed the responsibility for up
holding the law. He outlined the du.
ties Of the court, which he said could
not do police duty and search houses,
but that it always stood ready to up
hold the officers Of the law.
After a conference Attorneys NJ. NJ.
Nicely and L. c. Musgrave who repre-.
scented Humphreys, managed to secure
the consent of Prosecuting Attorney
Walter r. Haggerty in entering a
plea OF guilty to a misdemeanor in.
stead OF to the felony charge.
judge Raymond sentenced Hum
phreys to the county Jail for six month
but imposed the maximum fine OF
$500 upon him. In this sentence Judge
Raymond believed that the dignity Of
the State would be preserved. Hum
phreys gets the benefit of the time
that he has served in Jail. That means
! he will have something over four
months to serve. BY Humphreys plea
of guilty the other charges of similar
character of assault on other deputy
sheriffs and officers were dropped.
Humphreys was formerly constable
and truant officer Of Paw Paw district
and as matter of fact has not resign
ed as constable up to this time. He
came here from Bluefeld. where he
was a mine guard and had been in
many scuffle according to his own
statements. His appearance here was
due to Prohibition Officer Blue. But
he fell from grace and wound up in
the traffic of rum running.
One morning early he came to Fair
mont from Point Marion with car
go of whiskey and on the same train
there was a foreign woman who was
arrested on a charge Of bootlegging.
When she was taken to the Jail she
asked Sheriff Glover why Humphreys
who was doing the same thing was
permitted to go unpublished.
Sheriff Glover was much impressed
with the straightforward way in which
the woman told her story and he sent
several officers after Humphreys who
later escaped from them. They secur.
ed the whiskey and returned to the
city and later in the day with reinforce
ments went as posse to get the bad
man." This time he escaped from his
boarding house at Grant Town and
gave battle in the adjoining woods.
The officers supply Of ammunition
was exhausted and they again return.
ed to Fairmont- Being convinced that
Humphreys was still in the neighbor.
hood another party went to Blacksmith
and there they saw Humphreys pass
in an automobile. The Marion county
officers followed and finally Humph.
reys surrendered. Humphreys was
jerked out of Pennsylvania into West
Virginia before the question OF requi.
sition papers were discussed.
The story was told at the time
that Humphreys held a young man up
and compelled him at revolver's
point to hurry him to Waynesburg,
Pa. Unknown TO Humphreys a troop
OF Pennsylvania State police awaited
his arrival.
Originally Humphreys was charged
with attempting to kill Robin A. Hood,
Leslie j. Michaels and W. E. Harris,
officers Of this county