Evening star., 1922-01-11
boy PLEADS GUILTY
TO OMURDER CHARGE
Admits Killing Bafber-!Com-
panions Confess to Rob-
berry intent.

John Nifin, eighteen years old. a
British subject. today faces a term Of
Imprisonment Of not less than twenty
years in the penitentiary as the result
OF his plea of guilty to murder in the
second degree, when called for trial
before Justice siddons in Criminal
Division on an Indictment charg-
ing murder in the, first degre. in con-
nection with the killing of Frederick
Schnurr, a barber, near his home.
1907 lst street northwest. The
tragedy occurred January 20. 1921, as
Nifdn and four other young men at
tempted to hold up and rob the bar
per. and was caused, it was explained,
by Schnurr striking the hand of the
youthful bandit with an umbrella.
Milton Metcalf, twenty years old,
VINO planned the robbery which re-
suited in the death of Schnurr, but
who remained in the automobile when
| lne shooting occurred. entered a plea
OF guilty OF manslaughter. The max
| imum penalty for this offense is fif-
teen years imprisonment
AL Plead Guilty.
Milton Solomon, sixteen years old.
! VINO drove the automobile that car
ried the conspirators to the scene and
AIDED in their escape after the homi-
clde. pleaded guilty to an assault with
intent TO rob. The maximum on this
charge is also fifteen years
Leslie Shilby. eighteen. and Corbin
shieids' sixteen, were permitted TO
plead guilty to mere attempt to rob.
Inc maximum penalty for such attempt
is a term Of three years in the peni-
tentiary.
A. the request of Attorney James A.
Shea for Niffin, sentence on all the
defendants was deferred by Justice Sid
dons until January 27. Mr.. O'Shea
stated that Niffin is a British subject
and the lawyer wished to secure certain
information from Canada to present
to the court before sentence The re-
quest was Joined in by Attorneys
Hawken & Havell. H. NJ Welch, w. q.
Leahy and H. 7. Whelan for the other
| boys.
Defense Attorneys Aid.
Assistant United States Attorney
James J. O'Leary explained to the
court that he had made a careful in
vestigation of the circumstanc of the
homicide. and had been assisted by
counsel for the defense in an effort TO
deal Justly with all the participants in
me anair. He expressed the conviction
mat there was no intention to kill
Schnurf, and pointed out that the boys
| had set out to rob Dr. p p Withers,
| druggist. who walked part of the way
| home with Schnurr.
When the two pedestrians parted
the machine followed Dr. Withers,
but he reached his home too soon
for his would-be despoilers The in
tention was then formed of overtak-
ing Schnurr. and when the machine
got near enough Niffin. Shilby and
Shields left the car and Niffin di-
rected Schnurr to hold up his hands.
Shilby and Shields had a change Of
heart, the prosecutor said, and re-
mained fifty or seventy-five feet away
from Niffin and his victim. Shields
may have entirely abandoned the
| enterprise, he admitted. because he
ran and did not re-enter the ma
chine. which took the other four from
| the scene.
The blow from the umbrella on
| the pistol hand of Niffin caused the
| tragedy. the prosecutor stated. Niffin.
he had learned. had passed the re-
| mainder of that night at the home of
a friend. crying and declaring that
he never intended to shoot None of
| the other boys was armed, Mr..
! O'Leary stated, in answer to an in
| quiry by Justice Siddons.