The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-02-20

whick seek TO abandon the three dis
trict agricultural schools. None Oh
these senate bills has been reported
out bs committee as yet.
The senate held night session again
Thursday night. after having spent
much Of the afternoon debating over
the bill by Senators Leedy and Lana
which provides for system OF phy-
steal education In the pubic schools
This bill finally was advanced To ,n-
grosslnent and third reading.
What should be the penalty for Kid
mapping child and holding il for ran
som? The senate argued this ques-
tion Tor more than an hour al the
night session in the consideration OF
Senator Davidson's bill making 4 Kid
naper liable To The death sentence or.
life Imprisonment. Senator BRIGGS ol
Woodward. fought the bill tooth. ana
nail; he said he was opposed 10 the
deqD penalty on principle, and IN
this case he could not see why KID
naping was considered rs heinous
crime as murder. Davidson replied
that persons who stole an innocent
child should be classcd with murder
crs. Briggs insisted the courts should
have more leeway TO make the pun.
ishment III the crime--therc should
be a minimum sentence OF less Sc
verify. w. H. Woods also argued
that o kidnaper might Kill child II
ne knew the penalty was the same
for kidnapping as for murder; he also
said many jurors would free Il per-
son accused of kidnapping, rather than
sentence him to life imprisonment or
death.
Senator Frye of Sallsaw. who sell
dom participates in debates. very
earnestly endorsed the Davidson bill
He said he was not opposed TO q
death penalty generally speaking
and in this case strongly recommends
ed il. "A person who would kid
nap your little child would do any
thing" he declared, land ought TO
| be- hanged" Senator Lillard also en-
/ dorsed the bill. Senator Leedy oil
/ Arnctt. offered an amendment 10
make the minimum sentence 10 years
while the maximum could be lie mn
prisonmcnt or death. On motion ol
/ Senator Frye this amendment was
tabled. Davidson amended his bill tc
make it apply only 10 cases where
a child was kidnapped for ransom. W
II. Woods then amended by making II
apply to children less than IL years Of
age: the original bin referred t(
children less than 10. Davidson ac'
ceptcd the amendment, and the bill
| IL. 70
third reading.
Another attempt to change th'
criminal laws of the state was th'
occasion for further debate In th'
senate. A bill by j.. p. Hill woul(
raise the age Of consent as applied t'
statutory rape from l6 10 IL years
and would make the previous chast'
and virtuous character" clause ap
ply 10 females between u and Is
, instead of l6 and Il years of age.
This bill was attacked from sev
eral quarters. and the lineup o
senators seemed TO indicate figh
between two classes OF lawers rep
resented in the upper hous,~-deiens
and prosecuting attorneys. Tom Ahglil
and Ross Lillard tried 10 amend b.
reducing the age of consent. Llllar
said there were many street-walker
less than II years OF age. but wh
looked older. And Anglin added tina
| nowadays one couldn't tell the ag
Of a girl by the length OF her dresse
or the bloom on her cheeks; TN
present bill, he declared, would Civ
, q bad girl o chance to put Who'll
| community OF boys, and men in TN
r penitentary. Another proposed emenc
ment would add the proviso that IN
, female be Of previous chaste chal
l acter Briggs said that boys ougl
: not TO be sent TO the penitentiary o
the uncorroborated testimony of
: proven prostitute Mrs Lama
( Eooney moved the amendment
= tabled, but the motion lost, At III
: stage of the proceedings motto
= was made TO indefinitely postpone COZ
o sderation Of the bill, and this motto
: carried.