Evening star., 1922-03-25
HOLD-UP MAN GIVEN
4-YEAR SENTENCE
w. R. Branham Is Sent to
Penitentiary-AIIeged
Slayer Arraigned.

Walter r. Branham, twenty-six
years old. who held up John 1.
Starnes. manager of the Arcade
branch of the Piggly Wiggly stores,
at 7th street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. February IS. was sentenced to-
day by Chief Justice Mccoy, in Crimi-
nal Division /, to serve four years in
the penitentiary. Strong congress
sional influence was exerted to have
the young man placed on probation.
but the chief justice declared he owed
it to society and to the young man
himself that he should pay a penalty
for his crime. to which he had plead
ed guilty.
Judge c. H. Brand. representative in
Congress from Georgia. made a plea
for probation on behalf of the parents
of the accused. Branham's father. he
said. is a Methodist minister in Geor-
gia and is ,seventy years old. For
more than forty years. he declared.
the elder Branham and his wife have
devoted their time to the education
it is one Of the tragedies of life that
sorrow and disgrace should come to
| them from one of their own sons. He
claimed than Branham had been
drinking prohibition concoctions"
and was not responsible for his act
because of the effect Of the drink.
Barry Pleads Not Guilty.
Paul D. Barry twenty-six years
cid, indicted for murderstn first de-
gree in connection with the killing
of Tyler b. I.awler, a conductor of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. at North Capitol street and
Michigan avenue. February 20. was
arraigned today. He entered a plea
of not guilty and his counsel, John
secured leave of the court to with
! draw the plea and demur to the in
dictment within ten days. The in
dictment charges that Barry, who
was on probation in a joy-riding case
killed the conductor while engaged in
robbery in which he secured only
| a change carrier and its contents of
S225.
George p. Long. charged with US
! ing the mails for fraudulent purposes
i by sending threatening letters to
! prominent society women. was ar
raigned before the chief justice. Long
entered a plea OF not guilty. He is
OShea- The indictment charges
| that he demanded that Nine. Chris
! tian .Hauge. widow of a former Nor
I wcgfan minister, and Mrs. Mary Scott
Townsend place sums of 5000 each
| in specified places on penalty of
| personal injury and damage to their
! properties.
! One Year for Robbery,
Charles F. Haner and RAYMOND w
Maxwell, young white men. were
given one year at Occoquan each fol
lowing their plea of guilty to a charge
of robbery. 1t is alleged they held ur
william Becker January 20. and OBJ.
tainel SIT from him
| Edward Graham, colored, was sen.
fenced to three years In the peniten.
tiary. Graham had assaulted Bcrths
Williams with knife September 3
1920. Q
Cleveland Smith, colored. drew 9
term OF four years in the penitentiary
He was charged with two cases OF
/ robbery, and the court fixed the
/ penalty at two years in each case.
Six colored boys. whose ages range
from fourteen to twenty-one wears
and who were charged with alterins
| dollar bills into tens and twenties by
| pasting corners from mutilated notes
! over the bills. were sentenced toda,
by Chief Justice Mccoy to serve one
year each at Occoquan. Because Of the
T, youth of the accused the court gave
| them another chance and placed then
on probation. A former employe of the
redemption division Of the Treasury
given the portions Of mutiiated ST.
and $50 bills to the boys. The names
| and ages OF the boys are Jesse y
| Cunningham, twenty-onc: Robert L
| Cunningha seventeen: Jerome
j Clark. sixteen; French Burke. sixteen
| Lawrence Webster, sixteen, ant
Henry Shepherd, fourteen.