Evening journal., 1918-01-09
-FOUR YEARS IN JAIL
FOR YOUNG RAFFLES
Bennett, Who Invested
Stolen Money in Women's
Apparel Gets Long Term
IS SPARED LASHES
AT WHIPPING POST

Pleading guilty TO two charges Of lar
ceny and one Of obtaining money under
false pretences. Charles Bennett, Jr..
former Court House clerk. was SON
tenced by Judge Conrad. IN Court OF
General Sessions this morning, to serve
four years in the workhouse and TO
pay Sii75O restitution money and the
costs OF the case. Sentence for the
larceny OF a sweater from J. Harry
plerson. from an Office in the county
building, was one years Imprisonment,
payment OF $3.50 restitution money and
the costs OF the case; for the larceny
OF a ralnc0at from Joseph Weaver,
deputy sheriff, one years Imprisonment
and payment OF S2O restitution money
and the costs Of the case for obtain
ing money under false pretenses TO tho
amount OF Si,022 from Lewis Webster.
Negro, two years' Imprisonment and
payment Of 800 restitution money, the
remainder Of the money not returned
TO the Negro, and the costs Of the case.
Philip l.. Garrett, in court yesterday
afternoon made a plea for lenlenoy, In
behalf Of Bennett, asking particularly
that lashes be omitted. He would
make no application for parole, he
added, as he felt that the court could
give no consideration TO such an ap-
plioation.
Attorney General Relnhardt stated
that he would not insist on lashes but
urged that a sentence Of substantial
number Of years be imposed on the
defendant as the community should be
protected from such persons as Ben
nett.
The previous good reputation Of the
defendant ,was admitted but he was
characterized by Mr. Reinhardt as
having mania for stealing and by
Mr.. Garrett as having "some obsession
that he could not control
Bennett, who was a clerk IN the Of
flce Of Register Of wills Brown up un-
til about a month ago, was discovered
TO be The perpeirator Of many petty
thefts In the country building. Among
the articles taken by him was a rain
coat valued at 500, belonging 30 Deputy
Sheriff Joseph Weaver a revolver be-
longing 10 Deputy Sheriff Joseph
Gould; a clock. belonging TO Norman
p. Crouch, register IN chancery: pen
knife and fountain pen belonging TO
George w. H. Smith, a clerk In Mr.
Crouch's Office. lie confessed these
charges following his arrest last week.
The most serious charge against him
was obtaining under false pretenses
sums Of money, aggregating Si,022
from Lewis Webster, Of No. S2S French
street Negro, who had gone TO the
register OF Wills ofiloe TO settle an
estate. Bennett it was said, engaged
Webster in conversation, during which
he persuaded him 30 sign two checks,
which he (Bennett) filled In for diff
ferent sums Of money. With this money
he purchased a complete line Of wo-
mans wearing apparel and masque-
raded about this city and Philadelphia
as woman.
That the money obtained by Bennett
was foOishly, and not viciously spent,
was impressed by Mr.. Garrett to the
court, and read list Of the articles pur-
chased by him The list included mur.
set Of furs, silk stockings, corsets, and
other articles of a wOman's need The
small articles taken from the county
Offices were recovered IN BENEFITS
home. For these articles he had no use
whatever, and Mr.. Garrett, In referring
to this said that 10 was an uncontroll-
able obsession 20 steal that caused him
20 take the articles,
With $50 OF the money he started an
account with a local bank under the
name Of Webster
Much Of the goods purchased by
Bennett were taken back by the firms
from whom the purchases were made,
a percentage Of the purchase price be-
ing allowed on them. OF the sum OBJ
talned from Webster, S99S has been
recovered and the difference Will be
made up by Benefits father, Mr. Gar
rett stated.
A diamond ring was among the arti-
cles bought by Bennett, he having
made a first deposit Of $3.50 on IT,