The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-02-16


six years.
Nathan Gordon was sentenced also
to serve six months SUCCESSFULLY on
each count in case he does not pay his
| fine, making a total of forty-two
months. Added to the regular fifteen
months of imprisonment at the house
of correction, this would make a total
of ffty-seven months or four years
and nine months, in case he fails
to pay the fine.
The small bomb sprung by Judge
Belden was the result of the combina-
ton of liquor men at the house of cor
rection, none of whom have paid the
fines imposed upon them and who have
evinced an inclination to "earn the
money" by staying at the house Of cor
rection. In each of the other cases the
defendants were given only six months
Imprisonment as an alternative to their
paying the fine.
Judge Belden frankly indicated by
these sentences of Saturday that this
element of bravado among the liquor
men and effort to worry the state by
non-payment of fines, had disguised
him.
Up until noon today neither of the
Gordons had paid their fines.
All the motions in behalf of the
various defendants, the two Gordons
and Grotsky and Ruppa, were denied
by Judge Belden including motions for
stay of sentence and new trial.
Tells of Conditions.
In sentencing Nathan Gordon on last
Saturday afternoon, Judge E. B. Belden
spoke not only to Gordon but to the
people of Kenosha county and he had
considerable to say of conditions in
Kenosha county and the people. who
were responsible for such conditions.
In sentencing Gordon he said in part:
"A jury has found you guilty of I'M
lawful traffic in intoxicating liquors.
The evidence clearly supports the ver-
dict and probably indicates but slightly
the extent of such dealings. You were
not ignorant of the law and of course
you knew that if officers of the law
charged with law enforcement did their
duty what the end would be. The evil
dence shows that you violated the law
repeatedly and with small if any pre-
tense of secrecy; in common with
many others you had no respect for
the law, but violated it brazenly and
defantly.
Lax Officials Much to Blame.
"That officers charged with enforce
ment of the laws failed to discharge
their duty you and many others would
any mitigation of your offenses.
"This unlawful traffic and the flag
rant violations of the law could have
been stopped long ago had the officers
charged with law enforcement done
their sworn duty, and had they done
their duties is no excuse for you or
not have been brought before the
courts for punishment. With all sense
of citizenship, obligations and personal
integrity and honor polluted by and
subordinated to greed for money, no
matter how obtained, this unlawful
traffic went on until this community
| became notorious and you and many
others are brought to the bar of justice
to receive the sentence of the law.
"Good" Citizens Helping.
"From the standpoint of the state
the only sound view is that of law
enforcement. Whatever differences of
opinion exist concerning the policy of
laws If of no concern to the govern
mental agencies for law enforcement.
/ To refuse or to neglect enforcement
of laws upon the statute books, or to
enforce them half-heartedly, or to wink
at violations, as many otherwise good
citizens have been doing, is without
justification on any sound theory of
government. Those who ask it. or ex-
pect it, not only contribute to lawlcss-
ness but destroy the basis upon which
their own security rests.
'The court is not now particularly
concerned, as a proposition either of
law or morals, with the quantity of in
toxicating liquors sold by you upon the
different occasions specified in the in
dictment and evidence and does not
discriminate in pronouncing sentence
upon the several counts so far as fines
lare concerned. The important and
controlling consideration is the offense
against and the brazen defiance of the
law. The offenses are all of the same
character the only difference being
in the quantity sold and that when
you sold in quantity you certainly
anticipated further unlawful traffic
/ by others.
Harry Gordon a Deputy.
what have said applies to both
Nathan Gordon and Harry Gordon. In
addition thereto 1 remind Harry Cor
don that the evidence shows that YOU
openly sold intoxicating liquors over
your bar to police officers of this city
and that, to your still greater shame.
during the period covered by the ma
fjority of the counts of the Indictment.
you were deputy sheriff of Kenosha
county sworn to uphold and enforce
the laws and that instead of so doing
you were VIGOROUSLY violating them"
London, Eng.-Postponement of the
I n