The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-07-22
DANVILLE MEN
SENTENCED TO
STATE PRISON

At Friday afternoons session
of Caledonia county court the
quartet Of Dlnville men who had
been found guilty of, or pleaded
guilty to helping to debauch the
young Danville girl, Sylvia Wood
ard, were brought into court to
receive their sentence.
In the case of Henry Lalue, his
attorney, S. f. Richardson, made
a strong plea in his behalf for
lcniency on the ground that he
was the principal help of his mo-
ther on the farm in Danville and
that he was u soldier with an
honorable discharge.
Judge Moulton, in announcing
the sentence denounced the res
pondent's action in unstinted terms
He reminded him that all the evil
dence in the case pointed to the
fact that he was the first to de-
bauch the person of this young
girl, who was bis own neice, of his
own flesh and blood. He had spoil
ed the girls life and handicapped
her in q way he could never re-
pay. He said that the respondent
had evidently forgotten what he,
as a soldier, went across the seas
to fight for. While he had fought
to free the world from such dis
grace and debauch, he had come
home and degraded himself and all
connected with him by doing the
same thing, only much worse, and
not against an enemy, but against
young girl, mere child, of his
own flesh and blood.
Judge Moulton recalled the in
stance in Holy Writ where, it was
announced, that whoever injured
one of these little ones, it were
better for him that milestone
were placed around his neck and
he be buried IN the depths of the
sea. This would have been a
righteous sentence in the present
case, Judge Moulton said. He
he saw no mitigating circumstance
said no mitigating circumstances
in the respondents favor in this
case. He was, accordingly scnten-
ccd to the states prision at Wind
sor for a term of not more than
seven years nor less than five
years.
Richard Hatfeld's case was the
suggested that he was an indus
trious man and had no criminal
record and that the fact that he
was undoubtedly under the influ-
cnce of liquor at the time of the
offence, in addition to the probable
fact that the girl was solicitous,
ought to mitigate his sentence.
Judge Moulton had little sympa-
thy for this view of the matter.
He called the respondents atten-
ton to the fact that evidence in
the case showed that only three
months before the date of the al
legged crime the respondent had
been married TO an honorable, self
respecting woman, who was entitl-
ed to his protection and help and
that he had forgotten this and the
disgrace the transaction was bring
ING to her and his children. The
fact that he might have been un-
der the influence Of liquor at the
time, did not tighten the offense,
but rather added to it. Hatfield
was sentenced to Windsor for not
more than five years nor less than
three years.
Attorney A. L. Graves argued
for lighter sentence in the case
of Charles Gray. Gray was the
first of the four men tried. Mr.
Graves asked consideration for his
client on three grounds: The deg
rec and nature of the respondent
guilt; the interests of the state
and the interests of the client. He
was sure the best interests of all
concerned would be sufficiently
protected if the sentence in this
Continued on page 81