Rabbit-killing Boy Released from Jail.
Oscar Phillipson, of Plainfield, N. J., the nineteen-year-old boy who was recently sentenced to the county jail for 120 days for shooting a rabbit, is at liberty on bail pending an appeal. Former Mayor N. B. Smalley put up the $250 bail.
Ernest Napier, president of the State game commission, and William Hoblitzel, game warden for Union County, conferred with Mr. Angleman, the boy’s lawyer, and an appeal was decided upon. Justice of the Peace Thomas Snape, who sentenced Phillipson, accepted Mr. Smalley’s bond and Mr. Napier paid the $9 costs himself. They then went to Somerville and brought Phillipson home in an automobile.
Young Phillipson has declined a number of offers from men who want to pay his fine. He has declined because he doesn’t want half of the fine to go to the man who informed against him.[Pg 62]
Mr. Napier upheld Justice Snape as well as Game Warden Hoblitzel in the action taken over the violation of the game laws. At the same time he said he was willing to do all in his power to relieve the present situation, which has aroused so much public sentiment.
There is a feeling that the case will not be argued on appeal. Governor Fielder himself suggested an appeal as a means of getting the boy out of jail in the event that the court of pardons, consisting of the governor, the chancellor, and six members of the court of errors and appeals, should not look favorably upon a pardon.
The governor has directed his secretary, L. Edward Herrmann, to make an investigation of the whole case in preparation for the meeting of the court of pardons. Governor Fielder said it seemed to him that some plan might be devised whereby the exaction of the maximum penalty might be avoided where the circumstances seemed to warrant.