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;SDAY. JULY 29. IQI3PRISONERS SENTENCED.Andrew Bunch Givcn Fifteen Years. W. C. La lining Seven Years—A Crowd in Court—Judge Land’s Remarks.•sA,Monday was sentence clay, as had been announced, and there was a crowd in the court 1-00111 anticipating the sentencing of Andrew Bun el 1, who murdered his wile, and W. C. laming for embezzlement.The first prisoner called to the bar of* justice was Henry Clay, a negro, shooting with intent to kill, was assigned Lo three years servitude in the pen. Clay's intended victim is Nick Yaeearo.. ail Italian, who barely escaped with his life.Clem Lpvely. a while- man, for stealing a motor boat valued at $500, one year hi the pen for larceny and 30 days on the Parish Farm after having served his term in the pen. Lovely is from Michigan.Henry Thomas, negro, two counts for burglary and larceny, two for larceny; aggregated penalties eight years in the pen, and at the end of the penitentiary term, if alive, he. will have to go to tin* Parish Farm for thirty days.Shim Bullon, negro, ten years in the pen for lying in wait and shooting at a white man; intent was robbery. Was recommended to the mercy of the court by the trial .jury. The court announced that it could not understand why the jury had suggested mercy. It, was a mystery which the judge could not solve.Andrew Bunch, convicted of manslaughter, had been indicted ror murder. In addressing the prisoner Judge Land remarked: “You have been con viol ed by a jury of the crime of manslaughter; in ihe opinion of the court, you are guilty of murder, ft is also the opinion of I ho court; that when you married the woman for whoso death you were tried, you knew all about, hor character. The newspapers have been commenting upon the failure of juries to do their duty in such cases— human life is enlireiy too cheap in Caddo Parish. Only the eloquence of your a Horn 03^*11 ved you from a verdict of guilty of murder as charged—lie swept them off their Sentence was then passed, Bunch being fined St and ordered to be imprisoned at hard labor in the State penitentiary tor ihe full term of fifteen years, to date from incarceration therein.The last prisoner upon whom sentence was passed was W. C, Lan-ing. As he stood facing the judge the spectators were all attention. When asked if he had anything to say his reply was a moving of his head meaning no. Then Judge Land addressing the prisoner said: “Mr, Laning, you have been convicted of the crime of embezzlement; there was absolutely no question as to your guilt. You were the head of the Pelican Fire Insurance Company, and had associated with you some of the best people in this section. Tn the case in which the jury found you guilty you got 8500 from a woman, a widow with two little children to support- practically all the money she had. Yon deposited that money in bank to your own personal credit and drew if out for your own use. The testimony shows that not a dollar of that money was ever received by the lire insurance company, to which it belonged. The testimony also shows, in this case, that you not only defrauded the insurance company, but that you also defrauded the widow from whom the money was received and that you cheated your partner, Shugart, in the fiscal agency of the concern you were promoting. It is considered by the court that you serve the full term of seven years in the State penitentiary at Baton Rouge, to date from the day of your incarceration therein.”Apparently Laning was unmoved Ho resumed his scat beside bis wife who had been at his side throughout his I rial. Mrs. Laning was visibly affected to tears which she repressed. as she spoke encouragingly to her busbami.it has been intimated that a number of citizens, among whom were Several ladies sympathizing with Mrs. Laning, had requested Judge Land to leniency and a number of parties had’ also approached Judge Land for clemency in behalf of •Bunch, but Judge Land was hot deterred in his duty. It is unnecessary (0 review how Bunch murdered his wife. He is fortunate in having escaped the death penally and imprisonment lor life. There is one plea which may be urged in extenuation of his crime. He was boozed. Had he been sober, he would not have committed this murder.THE workmen are now busil our new modem store, * for any present inconvenient put you, and at the same time a finished ours will be the most mod goods store in North Louisiana.Closing Out ofcMll Odd Lot Will Continue While Thi is in Progress. » BargaHeame Dry GCompany¥sponsive Lo the crime. He should consider himself fortunate in having been convicted on only one count instead of three. Possibly lie would have escaped if the evidence of his embezzling $500 from Mrs. Whitman had been less direct and! positive. There was wasted on Laning some maudlin sentiment which is unseeming, but there are always those who misdirect their efforts and their expression.Why should sympathy be wasted on Laning? The penalty of seven years must have some effect on individuals inclined to embezzle— striving to get rich quick. It must operate as a deterrent and a check on the criminally inclined. WhenPAY LLouisii Com 1 in li“Theiin Bos the Sk tuiniipand J, Land i ShreviThisnoted lies a.Shrewproxira term of seven years in the pen rivqrconfronts a would-be embezzler or a swindler he must hesitate. A milder penalty would be an incen-ive to crime. A rnau plots deliberately in a swindling scheme through which he expects to reap ten, twenty or more thousands of dollars. He assumes that if apprehended He will escape through the tender sympathies of the jury, but should he be accidentally convicted lie will he penalized to one, two, or at the extreme, three years in the pen, with the possibility of a pardon. In the meantime his swindling.* are safe, and when he is liberated he can become a gentleman wearing good clothes and feasting with the best 0 he had with money.We should hear in mind that the criminal or the criminally inclined is persuaded only through the terrors of the law.It is very true. that Judge Laud ias meted out penalties which may seem to be extreme, but it were a waste of time and a discredit of law and a mockery of justice to temporize with criminals, who have been deliberate and unsentimental in .heir crimes.For his firmness and for his fear-ess stand in favor of law and justice, Judge John R. Land deserves the commendation of every law-abiding citizen in Shreveport, Caddo Parish and the State of Louisiana.■y,r»-1-22 nd in on er nd th ?c. nd t ay-it-heitendlermlic-,’asRiver Stage.Denison 1.9, a fall of 0.5; Arthur Li tv 7.4, rise of 0.8; White Cliffs 2.1, rise of Oil; Fulton 4.6, fall of 0.6; Ringo Crossing 3.8, fall of 2.8; Finley 5.0, fall of 1.0; Spring Bank 3.2, rise of 0.4; Jefferson 1.4, fall of 0.1; Shreveport — \2.impro This eompa con tig under;1 cut. tl farms rrn nr Thistrollec East I with with I South them to bri this s Wh .Tones,party,ble in ers w tion, was it impro that neces.‘ ad van could tracts The mend holde see a that ’a nec mean deedHeivie.telt;Land at thA House Entirel by Itself. We I OtKers Would LiConvince yourself of this fact STEAM, GAS and GASOLIN HILL nod OIL WELL MAC! PLIES OF EVERY RESCRIPT in large quantities. Our far equipped and we can give you Our reference: Any Bank in I and* of customers everywherThe W. K. Henderson IronCaddo Street, from Spring to Comuldjesjidledqfe?n Lantng’s case the penalty is re-Henderson’iLargest Distriof AutomobileComplete Stock of AccessoriesHere to Stay—We Want Ylt;
Newspaper Details
The Caucasian
Alexandria, Louisiana, US
Tue, Jul 29, 1913
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Elyria P.
OH, USA 24 Jul 2022
Other Publications Near Alexandria, Louisiana
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