Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-01-26

In n regular SESSION. VI COuII hSlu
on Wednesday of this week, Judge Ell
dredge disposed of three cases that
have been before the county courts
for sometime. The first and most i'm
portant of these was the Rosetta Shop
robbery case, in which 100 sweaters
were stolen from that establishment
on the wildwood boardwalk on the
morning of August Sd, last year. The
trial of this case took place on We'd
nesday and Thursday, December 18th
and 14th, and at that time Willie
Jacobs, Sam Surman and Simon Jaffe
were found guilty by a jury that did
not deliberate an hour in reaching
their verdict. On Wednesday of this
week these three, along with Joe
Morris Miller, Freeland Arnold and
John Conley Gall of whom had adj
mitted their guilt in the robbery were
given sentences by Judge Eldredge.
Prior to the passage of this sentence
the attorneys for the various defend
ants were heard in eloquent appeals
to the court for leniency. M. j. Nc
Henry, Of Philadelphia, was the first
attorney to address the court. He
represented Freeland Arnold in the
case and asked for leniency as his
client had already served five months
in the county Jail, was young in years
and had plead guilty to the charges.
Charles A. Bonnell, representing j.
Morris Miller, now made his appeal
on behalf of his client. He brought
out the facts that Miller had not
evaded arrest, but had remained in
Wildwood until arrested, had plead
guilty to the charges, was but 10 years
of age, of a good family and~with no
previous criminal record.
Ernest w Lloyd, attorney for Willie
Jacobs, now appealed in a lengthy and
eloquent address in which he stated
that his client was the youngest r1en<
Der of the group, being but Is years
of age at the time of the commitment
of the crime. He said that Jacobs had
maintained innocence at all times be-
fore the jury and although that body
had brought back a decree of guilty,
still the innocence was maintained by
Jacobs. He said his client had been
convicted on the uncollaborated testi-
mony of Conley, a confessed criminal,
and then went on to tell and pick
flaws in Conley's testimony while on
the stand. He said that Jacobs had
known the boys both before and after
the crime was committed. To this
point Judge Eldredge said: Tell me
who your friends are and I'll tell you
who you are, MI. Lloyd" Lloyd now
appealed on behalf of the boys family,
telling of the youths reputation and
age. He said, "WiIlie did not share in,
connive in or acquiesce to the rob
berry" He then INTRODUCED letters of
recommendation from magistrates,
pastorsand other officials who were
acquainted with young Jacobs. Judge
Eldredge, when presented with these
written recommendations, said: 81 am
not greatly impressed with this, Mr..
Lloyd, for 1 find that the average per-
son would sign their own death war
rants if same were presented to them
in the form of a petition. l have been
besieged with such things since the
opening of this case. However, I will
not entirely diregard these letters
when 1 pass sentence"
Attorney Carrow, former prosecutor
for Cape May County, now said a few
words in favor of young Jacobs, say
ing that although Wildwood had been
upset by this crime, the jury had
fo,1d tho ho1yc o1iItu ctiII tho final
punishment decree is important and
comes only from the bench. He went
on to tell how all courts look with a
little different view on offenses com
mitter by Juvenile offenders, as Jacobs
was at the time of the commitment of
the crime. He then told how it was
better to reclaim a boy or girl by Civ
ing them a chance than to send them
to an institution where they grew a
hatred and so proved failures to the
community in after years. He quoted
one or two instances that had been
brought to his attention in this line.
"The newspapers every day are tell
ing us of young people getting into
trouble because they were where they
ought not to be, simply because par
ents are not strict enough, said he. He
said Jacobs parents were hard work
ers, although not greatly educated.
He told how Willie had had control of
the business and so did not have to
steal. He closed by asking the court
if possible to show some leniency to
this Juvenile offender.
Mark Sooy now spoke for his eli
ents, Surman and Jaffe, calling at
tention to the facts that each were 10
years of age, had come to Wildwood
with sufficient funds to spend a pleas
ant summer, fell into the wrong