The Sudden End of a Legal Tug-of-War
After facing trial on multiple charges, a defendant unexpectedly opts for prison time rather than risking a lengthier legal fight.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Monday the attorneys for the prosecution in the Clifford case asked that a date be set for his trial upon another charge, but the court took the matter under advisement and finally refused to set a date. At the same time, Clifford and his attorneys seemed more anxious to get him into the penitentiary now than to risk any further chances on another trial. According to instructions from the court, he was taken to Walla Walla Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff Chas. Elmer and George Young. Clifford is said to have weakened when he realized that the big gate was shut behind him and a three years' sentence lay between him and liberty.
“Clifford is said to have weakened when he realized that the big gate was shut behind him.”
This story illustrates the pre-modern, often coercive nature of 19th-century plea negotiations. It captures the psychological weight of the 'pen,' which remains a stark reality in our current judicial system.
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