Milford chronicle., 1953-11-06
Many Cases Disposed
OF In Sussex Court

Charles w. Ingram, alias Geeus
Ingram, of Georgetown, was SEN
fenced to 20 years, in Superior
Court, Georgetown, last Friday
afternoon. Ingram, who is 6S
years old, was indicted in the Oc-
tOber Term of Court on a charge of
first degree murder for 'the shoot
ing of Willie Johnson with a 12-
gauge Western Arms shotgun" on
August 1st, this year. Arraigned
last Friday before President Judge
Charles S. Richards and Associate
Judges James B. Carey and Daniel
L. Hermann, he entered a plea of
mot guilty as indicted but guilty
of manslaughter" The change of
plea was accepted by Deputy At
tOrney General John J. McNeilly,
for the State.
Mr. McNeilly told the Court the
shooting arose from a dispute over
$500 in a crap game in the home
of Ingram, where investigation
showed that heavy drinking had
been in progress, and that medical
examination of the dead man
showed a heavy alcoholic content
in the blood. 1t was alleged that
Ingram went to a cabinet and un-
locked it after saying he would get
the money. Instead he got the gun
and shot Johnson, high up in the
leg. Johnson was dead from shock
and loss of blood when a physician
arrived.
Frederick P. Whitney, attorney
for Ingram. told the Court the de-
fendant claimed the sum involved
was only a dollar and that Ingram
was after change for the dollar
from the cabinet, but when he
turned around he claimed that
Johnson had his hand inside his
shirt, where he had the reputation
of carrying a gun and that john
son was known to have shot a wO-
man in the arm only a few weeks
previous to the time of his death.
Mr.. Whitney also told the Court,
the defendent is suffering from tu-
berculOsis and records show he has
had treatment at the Veterans Hos
pital, at Elsmere, Delaware.
Ingram has a previous record. He
served II years in Eastern Peni-
tentiary in Philadelphia, on a
charge of second degree murder of
his wife, Martha. Discharged from
the prison in Philadelphia, NOvem-
Der 6, 1897, he returned to his
home in Georgetown. On December
l, 1910, he was sentenced in the
Court of General Sessions, in
Georgetown, to serve a term of
years, on a charge of assault with
intent to kill and murder, Pauline
Burton. He was released on De.
cember 20, 1945. There are also
numerous records of arrests fol
drunk and disOrderly conduct;
conducting dice games; possession
of liquor with intent to sell.
Sentence was pronounced by
President Judge Richards, wht
told Ingram he had "been we'll ad
vised to plead guilty to manslaught
er" and went on to say "This i!
the second time you have beer
before this Court on charge O
this nature. While the Court be
lieves the crime was not commit
ted with malice afOrethOught' bu
done in anger, you, however, di,
kill a man and in order to con
vince you of the seriousness o
the crime; to prevent others from
committing similar crimes and t
protect the public in general, w
- fell that a substantial sentenc
t should be imposed" "The sentenc
, of the Court is that you pay cost
, of prosecution and serve a periO
of 20 years in prison. You are no,
> committed to the custody of tn
Trustees of Sussex County to b
2 delivered by them to the Trustee
: of the New Castle County WOr
= House and there kept until thi
, sentence is carried into effect"
. The placing of Ingram IN til
:. New Castle County Work HCus
= to carry out the sentence was don