The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-06-03
Court Proceedings

Judge Wells disposed of few erin
inal cases, Thursday Two wome
pleaded non vult on a charge of i'm
proper conduct with soldiers. Rob
ert Peacock represented them an
told the the court the women had bee
mattresses in a restaurant a
Wrightstown, but had not been actin,
wrong as a continuous affair. Bot
are married and each has a child liv
ing in New York state. He asket
that sentence be suspended and tina
the women be given a chance to leave
the state. Prosecutor Kelsey sale
this action would be perfectly salts
factory to the state.
Judge Wells said that he was salts
fled the women had fallen to tempta.
ton and that they were not al
Wrightstown for the purpose of car
rying on illegitimate business. He
would suspend sentence and place
them in charge of the probation Of
ficer. He wanted it distinctly under
stood that he did not agree with the
idea that they were to be compelled
to leave the state. That was not to
be a provision of the sentence. He
would not at any time send a prisoner
from this court to another jurisdic-
ton where the same wrong doing
might be continued. In no case would
he foist criminal from this county
upon another county or state. These
women were at liberty to go away if
they wanted to but if they remained
around here it must be understood
that they were to walk straight.
Bertha Powell, who was convicted
two weeks ago, was called up for SEN
tence. Prosecutor Kelsey told of the
woman's past character and actions.
He claimed she had been before a
justice of tie peace for keeping a dis
orderly house and that she had. since
conviction, been allowing men and wo-
men to congregate at her house.
To this Mr.. Peacock replied and
challenged the prosecutor to substan-
tiate his statements. That the wo-
man had been before a justice was
not denied but the evidence was. not
sufficient to hold her and she had
never been before court before. Mr..
Peacock recalled the yellow" action
of the man who was the means of Sc
curing the woman's conviction and
then was "railroaded" out of court
by two officers and hurried off to
Camp Dix to prevent his being ar
rested.
Mr.. Peacock said that he would like
to call attention of the court to some,
OF the tactics pursued by the camp Of
ficials. On the previous Saturday
woman, with five men went to Mrs.
Powell's home, and in her absence.
tried to get her children to agree to
go away and be placed in care of
some society, representing that the
court was going to send the mother
to the state prison. This woman was
reported to have said she was acting
under the advice of Richard P.
Hughes, of the department of justice,
but Mr.. Hughes was in court and de-
MED any connection with the transac-
ton.
Judge Wells said he had gone into
court with the determination to send
the woman to the state reformatory.
but when he considered that she has
several children who would be com
PEELED to bear the shame of having a
mother branded as "jailbird" he felt
like giving her one more chance. He
suspended sentence and told the wo-
man that her future fate was in her
own hands. It would not be 1leces-
sary for her to commit any act that
would bring her before this court but
If she did anything that would have
her arrested or even complained of
the charge would be investigated and
If found to have foundation she could
rest assured she would be given
prison sentence.
A small boy was brought in from
Moorestown for breaking his parole
He was before the court in April and
was placed on probation. Evidence
was heard as to his conduct since that
time and the court said that nothing
had been shown to convince him that
the boy had committed any specific
act to warrant his being punished fur
5her. His particular offense seemed to
be that he did not attend school and
Judge Wells suggested that the prin-
cipal of the Moorestown school be
persuaded to let the boy enter school
and that he be looked after to see that
he does not break the law.
Another lad from Riverside was
shown to be incorrigible and his
mother, who was in court, wanted him
sent somewhere to be put under con-
troll. He was sent to Jamesburg.