Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-09-22
CRAHAM'S PRISON
TERM nine YEARS
Pleads Guilty to Charge of Steal
ing Taylor's Car
stearns Sentence Is Suspended-pleas
Tor Leniency Made for Steains by At.
tOrneys Maurice and Gibsop

."'.' hiht years nor more tbn N
~ years at hard labor in the STATE
prison at Windsor, from which NAV be
deducted time off for good heboy;os !; :;
me penalty which John Graham If
providence, K. l., must pay for stealing
i MAJ Linn ID. Taylor's Cadillac coupe
; mSo week Monday night Sentence was
imposed by Judge Harrie Il. Chase "t
TNMewfane on Tuesday afternoon. Judge
ohase gave suspended prison sentence
OF three to five years to Grahom's nov.
companion, Frank ii. Stearns of John.
son, IL years old, who was n victim of
uranams influence, but placed him on
PROBATION and directed him to nav IN
Major Taylor the expense of recovsrino
ms automobile. 1t was brought ont thai
the Two respondents were concerned in
Two other automobile stealing esconodes
within a short time
shortly after the county court re-
suIleu lts session after dinner Judge
Redheld-Townsend case to hermit the i'm.
positlon OF sentence in the case of the
state against Stearns and to allow a ra.
traction of the plea in the case of fine
state against Graham ~
TN Monday Graham pleaded not guilty
put shortly after he had been remanded
10 jan he apparently thought things
oyer and decided to change his plea.
IN Tuesday he pleaded guilty quite read
lily, although he maintained tbe same
sullen attitude that he has exhibited
since his incarceration.
The court then asked for statement
by the state and States Attorney Harold
r.. Whitney gave brief history of the
case. 1T was explained that the two
men met In burlington Sept 4 and in the
conversation that ensued Stearns ex-
pressed the desire to go to Springfield
Mass. Graham said there were other
methods of going than by train. so the
1OllOWlnQ an ctn1a
Doth men went to Springfield, where they
sold the car to junk dealer for $40. A
day or two later the two went to River
SIDE Park, an amusement center outside
of Springfield, and there Graham stole a
lodge which later was abandoned in
Chicopee, Mass, when the car ran out
of gas. They then went to Springfield
again. and Stearns said he was going to
Brattleboro to see about his bank ac-
count. Graham allowed that he would
go along, too. The story of what hap
pened since their arrival in Brattleboro
Is ALREADY familiar TO- Reformer readers
who have followed this case
In explaining the part that Stearns
had played in the affair, States Attorney
Whitney said that last year Stearns had
been student at Mt. Hermon, Mass.
The past summer he worked as a chef at
Port Kent, and in going by boat from
that place to Burlington he first saw
Graham. Later the two met as told
above. The states attorney also stated
that Stearns had never been in court be-
fore for any Offense, and that the young
man was only II last month.
The court then asked Graham if he
had anything to say and he replied: Il
don't think So
Attorney Melville p. Maurice then ad.
dressed the court in behalf of the young
respondent. He explained that he knew
the Stearns family for many years, that
they~were highly respected family
one of the daughters having graduated
at Middlebury last year and now being
teacher. This was the first time that
y .bfow OF this nature had befallen the
- .lmily. The young man had been in
fiuenced by the bad company of Gra-
ham. Of course the offense was not to
be minimized, he said. The severity of
upon the young respondent, at the same
time care and consideration should be
exercised, because severe sentence
would only tend toward making Grim
inal out of Il boy. Attorney Maurice rec
commended suspension of sentence and
at the same time the imposition of a pro-
vlso that the young man reimburse
Maj. Linn ID. Taylor for the amount the
case cost him, this amount to be paid
by money earned by Stearns himself
Col. Ernest w. Gibson also spoke
few words in behalf of Stearns, saying
tnat ne hau Known tne SteafnS FAMILY
over 20 years. There were eight children
in the family. all upright citizens, and
this was the first time that any of them
had gone astray. Col. Gibson likewise
asked that clemency be exercised in this
case.
Sentence was then imposed upon Ora
ham, the court ordering the respondent
states prison at Windsor for not more
than 10 years and not less than nine
years. Graham was then delivered into
the hands of Sheriff Frank l.. Wellman
for recommitta to Newfane Jail. On the
way back to his cell, Graham said this
hurt me any. I'll be only 43 years old
when / get out and I'll have long time
to live"
The court then addressed Stearns.
The stealing of automobiles is getting
altogether too common to allow cases of
this kind to go by without the imposi
ton OF severe sentence, he declared.
The court hoped the respondent realized
the severity of the matter by the SEN
tence that had just been imposed upon
Graham. 1.-THE court can do nothing, the
respondents father can do nothing,
neither can the respondents relatives do
anything but it is up to the respondent
himself to determine if he is to be law
abiding citizen" The court then stated
that it was not his desire to spoil the
young mans life; therefore one more
chance would be given him. The court
then imposed sentence of not more
than five years and not less than three
years at hard labor in the Windsor state
prison, but suspended the sentence and
placed the respondent on probation as-
cording to the usual terms under the law
with the added provision that the re-
spondent pay to Major Taylor sum not
exceeding $500 for expenses incident to
the return of his car to him, this sum
to be paid at the rate of not less than
So a month, the first payment to be made
Dec. /.
Young Stearns seemed to be quite re-
lieyed after he was released and he said
he was going to do what was right and
never again would he be summoned into
court for anything. He added that he
couldn't just explain how it all hap
pened, but it simply did. When asked il
he didn't feel somewhat relieved, all he
said was Gee whiz."
After Graham had been sentenced ant
had been taken to an adjoining room t.
await his return to the Newfane jail, {
man who later proved to be an Office
from a Rhode Island reformatory asked
to Geo Graham and recognized him as