The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-09-10
Undeserved Leniency

OudCcCIfCQ LCliCiCY
There was case before our cour
Tuesday, in which the sentence in
posed was certainly miscarriage {
juctice. Let it be understood RICH
here that this article is not in any wa
a reflection on or criticism of the pre-
siding judge. In common terms b
had one pulled over on him." 4
woman was before the bar charges
with adultery. She pleaded non vult
which was practically an acknowledg
ment of her guilt. When the tint
came for sentence to be pronounced
the prosecuting attorney suddenly be
came counsel for the defence, and or
his suggestion sentence was suspended
and the woman was put in charge O
the probation officer.
Prosecutor Kelsey has attempted tt
explain his action is several ways. He
says the woman has two children and
that clemency should have been shown
her on that account, yet from all &C
counts she has never shown any es.
pecial consideration for the children,
and has carried on her acts in the
house where the children were, or they
were allowed to roam the streets at all
hours Then the prosecutor says there
was only one man named in connection
with the affair and he could not be OBJ
tanned as witness. He was not need
ed, the woman pleaded guilty. An
other explanation is that one Of the
county detectives suggested suspension
of sentence, and that leads to the in
quiry of who is conducting the prose-
cutor's Office.
This is not the first time this woman
has been arrested. She was taken into
custody not long since on a similar
charge, but escaped under the disorder
ly act, through the leniency of the
committing magistrate. Some time
ago there was a warning from the off,
cials of Camp Dix that unless some
cA"h6C Wno ulhuC An COuuAttOuS III
Mount Holly soldiers would be kept
away from the town. AS a result of
this special officers were detailed from
the camp to look after affairs, and the
woman in question was arrested. She
has made soldiers her special object of
and men in uniform have
been seen in numbers at her home.
With reference to the dear children
who need the mothers care, one OF
them. bright. intelligent boy. was
her constant companion on the streets
when she was interviewing soldiers. On
1ne occasion the two Of them stood in
public place talking to six soldiers.
Possibly this was not any crime. but
when all the rumors and the acknow-
edged guilt are taken into consider
ltion, an opinion may easily be. formed.
This case has given the township
officials more concern than any other
hat has presented itself. The chief of
'olice is on the alert to suppress crime
md to detect offenders. working with
ut salary, and it is not very encourage
ng to detect such an open and fragrant
ase and have all the work done thrown
o the wiRds. There have been many
ccasions when the action Of the prose-
utor in presenting cases to the court |
ave been quietly criticised. but in |
his instance the feeling is that it is
roper to publicly speak. He went out |
I his way to defend this woman. and
here is nothing that can be said to |
lstify his action. The woman COM
nitted state prison offense; acknow-
edged she had done so. She did not |
o anything that interfered with the
own people or those in civil life, but
er actions tended to lower the morals
the men in uniform, and on the |
of the prosecutor of the
leas she has been set practically free.
What is the use of trying to keep the
own clean2