The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1921-04-22
IN DEFENCE OF THE CHICKEN
THIEVES


April 20, 1921
/ Gordon Cooper, Esq. Editor,
Lambertville Record,
Lambertville, N. J.
Dear SIR
I acted as counsel for George Ag-
in and Harold Bilby when they plead
ed guilty before Judge Large to the
stealing of certain chickens from the
premises of one Bohn at Lambert
vile.
! 4 desire to call your attention to
the totally unwarranted attack which
you made upon Judge Large and to
the sluring remarks that you have
made about these young men.
You made the following statement
on the first page of your paper:
$500 per head is the price
that must be paid for
"stolen chickens according to the
decision of County Judge Large
gin connection with the arrest Of
"George Agin and Harold Bilby
"on the charge of taking A prize
chickens from the hennery of
Edward Bohn."
and from the second page of your
paper:
"and yet Judge Large allowed
these criminals to go free
with fine and six
months probation and dismiss
"these men upon the community
without setting theiving DULLES
"free after they have captured and
Confess their crimes. Judge Large
may think he is doing this thing
behind the fence but the taxpay
"ers, he has addressed will not for
"get these things
These charges you make against
the Court are totally unwarranted
by the facts and take it you must |
have been misinformed for l consider
you too much of a gentleman to de-
liberately speak of the Court as you
have in this manner. 1t is so totally |
untrue that l call it to you attention
for such action as you may wish to
take
Your remarks about these men are
totally unjustified or else they fall
sified in their statements to me.
Both of these men are ex-service
men with good regulations and it
seems to me you should have to
apologize to them very fully for the
free manner in which you have class
ed them as criminals.
The country faces serious prob
lem in restoring discharged service
men to the status which they held
before the war. These men need the
aid and assistance of every citizen
and WIN they go wrong everything
should be done to make men out of
them instead of hardened criminals.
Judge Large is to be highly COM
mended for the human viewpoint he
feels toward ex-ssrvice men, instead
of being libeled as you have done.
l trust this letter will call your at
tention to the seriousness of your
words and that you will make that
full retraction which one gentleman
makes to another when he finds he
has wrongly spoken of him.
These men were brought before
the Court in the cloak room of the
Court Room because Judge Cutler
was holding Circuit Court in the
Court Room proper. They were ques-
toned very fully by the Court and
in the presence of the Prosecutor.
The Court suspended sentence with
the understanding that restitution
be made to Mr.. Bohn at $500 per
chicken, that being the amount he
agreed the chickens were worth when
questioned directly after the taking.
This means that they can be brought
before the Court at any time for
sentence if their conduct be other
than good.
cannot understand how you can
overlook the fact that these men have
been for long period of time taken
from their usual environment and
placed in military organizations,
where the atmosphere is not always
of the highest moral tone. Of course
it is difficult for many of them to
find their society. To me it is my
duty to help these men in every way
instead of seeking opportunity to de-
grade them.
These men had been out of work
for some time and the act of stealing
the chickens was more a result of
their idleness than of any criminal
intent on their part.
Yours very truly,
Ryman Herr.
P. S. / can understand how you
might carelessly attack these men
but cannot understand how you
could possibly attack J Judge Large
unless your motives are malicious.
Let me hear from you. R. H,
REPLYING TO MIR. HERR
April %, 1921