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Show PATMEIIC SCENES HI . ; COURT WHEN TWO BOYS ARE SENT TO PRISON There was a pathetic scene In Judge Morse's court this morning whenJohn Shimming and Fred Folllnger were sentenced sen-tenced to serve three months in the county Jail for petit larceny. The youths are aged 17 and 20 years and were accompanied ac-companied by their mothers," both of whom cried constantly from the time court started until their sad "good-bye" to their boys as they were being taken to the county JalL ' The boys were accused of having entered en-tered a Main street store operated by S. j S. Pond snd H. B. Cornforth and taking tak-ing therefrom $45. They were bound over to the District court by the Police I court and were arraigned this morning. Both pleaded guilty,- and when asked if they had any cause to show why Judg- I ment should not be pronounced upon them, young Shimming said: "No, sir. But if your Honor please, 1 would ask you to be as lenient with me as possible. I have never been In trouble trou-ble before. I am the only support my mother has and when I get out of this I trouble I will pay back every cent to the men I helped rob." 1 Follinger made a similar statement, 1 whereupon Judge Morse sentenced each to three months In the county JalL ' A number of the boys' companions were present in the courtroom. The families of the convicted boys are in a well-nigh destitute condition. Mrs. Shimming Is a widow, her husband having hav-ing been dead several years, since which time her son has supported her almost . entirely. Not long ago she met with the misfortune of having her shoulder broken and her little horde f Bavlngs was used up in doctor bills. Young Shimming's former employer was in court to vouch for his honesty, saying that he had been entrusted with money, as much as $300 or $400, but had never taken a cent. 4 Mrs. Follinger is perhaps in the most destitute condition. Her. husband is blind and has a cancer. This takes a good deal of money for medicine, besides be-sides food and clothing. She cannot go out and work because the invalid must have someone to wait on him. Her son was on the local messenger force before he got into trouble, and It Is thought that bad company is responsible, primarily, pri-marily, for the acts of. both boys. After the sentence had been passed upon them, they were permitted to stay with their mothers some time before being be-ing taken to the county jail: Judge Morse-said. this morning: "That the case is a pitiable one is not to be denied, and I have done the best I could. The laws must be upheld, but It Is sometimes a difficult Question to de-I de-I cide Just what sentence to give a boy If he is given a long term it blights the rest of his life. In a measure, and if he I is given an easy term he Is liable to entertain en-tertain a contempt for the law, 'and think he can always escape." District Attorney Elchnor said: "The boys could have been tried for burglary, but In view of the facts of the case. I think three months Is sufficient punishment. Both' mothers shook hands with me this mornings and thanked me for what I had done. I don't think the boys are criminally Inclined." |