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COURT HOUSE NEWS I_— »Sentence of From One To ^Twenty Years Imposed for Death of Hugh Pritchard,WlHla.m Hastings, convicted of manslaughter in connection, with the death of Hugh J, Pritchard, Wednesday was sentenced to serve from one to 20 years in the state penitentiary as Judge W. L, Fies-inger overruled the motion for a new trial in his ease.Judge Fiesinger explained that he had deferred action at the request of Hastings’ counsel, Attorneys George C. Beis and James F Flynn, until after Justin Neill, indicted with Hastings was tried. Neil was acquitted.Th© court said he had examined a transcript of th© testimony in the Neill and Hastings case to determine action on a motion made in the Neill case by Attorney J. F. Ilert-lein that William O. Rogers and William Hosack, chief state witnesses be held to the grand jury on charges of perjury-Judge Fiesinger said he had reviewed this evidence also with a view of determining the Hastings culpability. He indicated that it was hard to find why Hosack had not seen the bottle-throwing episode in rn altercation that preceded the wounding of Pritchard as the men were gathered at 917 N. Depot-st. No indication of a material difference of fact was found in the testimony to warrant holding either • Hosack or Rogers, Judge Fiesinger declared.“I needn’t be blinded at. all by these seeming discrepancies in the testimony,” Judge Fiesinger said, “I could eliminate the testimony of both Rogers and Hosack and still find the defendant Hastings guilty.”The court said that Hastings admitted. having am altercation with someone but in his testimony said that he didn’t hit anyone but inferred that the man might have fallen upon something. Judge Fiesinger said that Dr. A. R. Grierson testified it took three separate blows to give Pritchard the injuries from which he died.Judge Fiesinger indicated that he had been very solicitous to examine the record in the light of a statement made that some day he would learn the real truth. He said he could not subscribe to this suggestion.If ever there was a case where, one’s duty is clear it is in this case,’’ Judge Fiesinger remarked. The jury was warranted in its verdict If, I had the right to vote my vote would have been cast with those given in the jury room.”Hasting’s sentence was prefaced by an explanation of the court who said that Hastings had no mtent to kill anyone but inadvertent though it was, the killing was not justifiable; that Hastings was either in a rage or intoxicated for he believed that such an unusually cruel treatment would not have been given by Hastings If he had been fully accountable.”1 believe, then, he is entitled to some consideration,” Judge Fiesinger said, “the law punishes the guilty heart .... While I must sentence the defendant to the penitentiary I will not inflict a severe penalty because of the element of the accidental I find in this cose.”Hastings had nothing to say as he was sentenced. The court said he would leave it to prison authorities and should prison authorities see fit to release Hastings after a year he would place no obstacle in the way.The court Indicated that another consideration for not fixing the minimum higher was that Hasting had been in jail since last November.After sentence Hastings seemed deeply moved and burled his face in his hands.Whether appeal will be made to the court of appeals had not yet been determined by defense counsel late Wednesday. Hastings will probably be taken to the penitentiary within the next two clays.
Newspaper Details
Sandusky Star Journal
Sandusky, Ohio, US
Wed, Mar 28, 1928
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Sandusky P.
OH, USA 11 Sep 2023
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