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Levf Peg *rs and twice as“Lee Rogers”He Is not a bad appearing fellow, and( seems to be afflicted with a petty lar-°f“ jeeny mania produced by a desire for drink.forune ee.ws.ikead-ifdledJudge Withrow overruled the '• in motion of Rogers' attorney, IT. M.Mercer, and sentenced the prisoner to W three years in the penitentiary under the habitual criminal law Mr. MercerjPn’ bad contended that the section of the law under which Rogers was indicted had teen practically repealed by a subsequent enactment and Rogers could not be held under the habitual criminal or common thief law, But the court held that the later statute applied to a different class of cases and the original law Is still In effect. This particular paragraph of the code reads as follows: “If any person having before been twice convicted within the state, of larceny, is guilty of another crime of larceny, he shall he deemed a common thief, and imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than seven years, or lined not exceeding one thousand dol lars, and imprisoned in tlie county jail not more than one year.” red ] Considerable sympathy has been aroused for Rogers among those familiar with the facts in his case.to lay wn.i at [drink to lead him into petty thievery is the general opinion. It has developed that In 1901 he was adjudged aaf.ab~rOUfhtofler.That he Is a good hearted, harmless fellow who has allowed his desire forMs-17.-act enj common thief and sentenced to the ‘penitentiary for five years. His record as a prisoner was good, and he was released about two years ago.Since his release he has been married and has ono child. The proceedsof his last crime, which has coat him I three years’ imprisonment were but ver #4:50. Tie was first sent to the peni-tentiary for larceny in Henry county Lve about fifteen yearsago, and this is his third incarceration at Fort Madkon Jnndu-JP, ut18951 he was indicted on two charges of larceny In this county, and was given a jail sentence on one. the other being dismissed This gave him aIfM* I A‘ , record of two convictions for larceny 0 In Iowa, and his arrest In 1901 made e j him emenable to the common thief , law. Judge Withrow at that time sen ivejtenced him to five years in the penitentiary. Rogers therefore enters up on his third term in the penitentiary, and his second conviction asa commonthief It is a record seldom equaled,idat•8-eritand yet inthis case the crim'nal is more deserving of sympathy thaneen sure. In view of the fact that he was formerly sentenced for five years, his present term of three years is not con sidered excessive ua j Some believe that Rogers is not ofsound mind, and his relatives share this view. A sister was in the courtroom yesterday morning, arid asked to ® talk with the judge after sentence hadbeen imposed. A brother wasf msej-n elepresent. TTer»**rt Mercer made a brie.f plea for his client, asking the court to b* as lenient as possibleIn pronouncing sentence, Judge W throw Ro, ersth it h* knew himpretty well, and sincerely regretted he was obliged rose fence him to prison again. Hu* i,e bad a duty to perform of and felt ihat it was necessary to pun-9 ish him according to the law Another it consider it ion whi that the society It must be protwr ed against men of -is Rogers' disposit ion to appropriate the f property of others. He urged the i- prisoner when fie had finished his n prison ierm to be a man,and not think y a.lthere wisiu life was to steal some-Itiling.
Newspaper Details
Mount Pleasant Daily News
Mount Pleasant, Iowa, US
Thu, Apr 25, 1907
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 15 Sep 2020
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