Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-10-19
From the Cincinnati Sur. !.
rhe Great Forgery case.

.SRcOND TRIAL OF WILLIAM K1ssANE. .--Com
mon Pleas, Court of Warren county, September
Term. held at Lebanon, Judge William A. Rog
ers presiding.
The indictment contains three counts, which
sets forth as follows.
Il That the defendant, William Kissane on
the 14th day of December, 1868, did falsely and
frauduleptly make and forge check for S7,36l >
20, upon s. Davis, jr., & Company, with intent
to odefraud the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust
Company Bank.
II. That he uttered and published the said
check, with intent to defraud, etc.
III That he caused the said check to be ut
tered and published, with intent to defraud, etc.
Counsel for the State, "A. J. Pruden, Prosecut-
ing Attorney for Hamilton county, and Kelly o.
Neal, Prosecuting Attorney of Warren county.
For the defence, Timothy Walker, Oliver Brown,
andJ. d. Ward.
The verdict of the jury on the second trial of
William Kissane, was looked for with much in
terest, and when received, generally caused much
aurprse. Through the whole community, for
several months, there has been firm belief that
this unfortunate young man was guilty of char
ges brought against him; but many thought the
evidence was not sufficient to convict him accord
ing to law ~ '.e 2..s So
"A Jury ofhis peers-of twelve intelligent, hon
cradle and conscientious men however thought
differently, and rendered their verdict accordingly.
Throughout the whole trial, the defense declared
the result Of it might be, it had been conducted
fairly and impartally for all parties.
The motion for new trial will be heard in
November next, but even the friends of the de-
fendant have little no hope that it will be gran
ted.F The fate of the unhappy man is sealed
He may commit suicde--he has frequently
threatened, and once attempted it-but if he does
not, a few weeks will see him within the walls of
the Penitentiary- companion of criminals of
every grade. ~ -.
Unhappy Kissane! One year ago, there was
not young man in the city whose prospects were
fuirer, whose hopes were brighter, whose busi-
ness or social position was higher and more en-
viable.l That such man should wantonly and
needlessly cast away his noble heritage, has just
~ been characterized as tpassing strange."-
That he cannot have been fully hardened in
crime, his history and bearing have shown. His
uniform and kind attention to his widowed mother
and orphan brothers, ncontestibly prove how
barren thewaste of his heart, it is not entirely
void of spots that are fresh AID green.
But, whatever sympathy and pity his mournful
history may inspire, the highest principles of pub
lie policy and justice required that no sympathy
should be shown towards himself, and his coun-
sells we'll remarked, all his prospects and asso-
ciations--the hopes that centered in, and the ,af
1ections that clustered around him, were unable
to restrain him from the commission of crime, he
deserves no merey--he made his own bed and
let him lie in it.
May other young men learn from Kissane's
fate, the inevitable result ofdeviating from the
straight path ofrectitude and honor--repress with
in themselves the promptings of -ayarice--the
greed for growing suddenly rich--the desire to
jump all at once on the tor of the ladder-aIld ev-
er keep. in mind that "honesty is the best policy"
On Saturday morning, Kissane was brought
out of jail, and his Counsel 81r. Ward, and Mr..
Williams (who volunteered for the occasion,)
made motion for new trial and arrest of judy
ment. They desired, however, to have tlle hear
ing postponed few days, as they would find it
necessary to bring. witnesses from Canada and
Kentucky, to show where he received the gold
which he paid to Day. Owing to the other en-
gagements of Judge Rogers, he compelled to
postpone the hearing until the November term,
in the meantime Kissane is in Jail, and bail for
him cannot be taken. fl4...s5
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