The Portland daily press., 1871-09-30
TUE PEJEPSCuT BANK
DEFALCATION.
Confession of John Rogers, the
Defaulting cashier.
Sentence, Six Years i'm State Prison.

In the U. s. Circuit Court, Judge Sheple.
Presiding, yesterday mornibg, John Rogers
| late cashier of the Peiepscot Nationai bank
| Of Brunswick was arraigned on an lhdletmen'
| CHI ,rgipg him with embs zziement and making
| "a sc and fictitious entries in the books OF the
| bank, There was quite an audience present
| drawn TO the court room by the report that the
| nrisoner was to be arraigned and sentenced al
| this time Seated in the dock with Mr. Rog.
| ers. was one of his sons, who came to DE with
his father during the sad scene. The prisoner
bore marx $ of continued mental suffering, but
during the reading of the indictment gave lit.
| tie outward signs of emotion.
The indictment contains four counts the first
| of which charges him with having on the 18th
| of August, 1871 as cashier, embezzl unlaw-
fully and felon:ous!y distracted aud misapplied
funds and credits of the bank to the value OF
$36, 900. The second count charges him on the
10th day OF August, with unawfully and fe-
loniousy embezzling, abstracting and misap-
plying United States $50 bonds to the amount
of $1,000, the property of the bank. The third
count alleges that on the 9th day OF March,
1869, he made on the cash book of the bank a
false entry as follows:-"* 2O1
L. " NieTINudu 1OJt III on the DEBTOR side OF
the cash book, when in truth and ia fact, said
entry should have been for the amount of
$4394 a." The fourth count recites that on
the 18th day OF August, 1871, he made false
entry on the exhibit book, whereby the amount
due to depositors from said bank was shown
and made to appear the sum of $10,745 o.
when in truth and in fact the amount due to
deposlt0rs from said bank was $25 264 g.
The prisoner, in a subdued voice, pleaded
guilty.
Mr.. j. w. Symonds, one of the counsel for
the prisoner, read to the court the following
statement, prepared by Mr.. Rogers:-
Mr.. ROGERS CONFESSION.
In the latter part of 1850 was elected cash
Ter OF the Brunswick bank, having then a Gao.
ital OF $50 000 Previous to this time for sew.
eral years l had been in trade, but being with
out capital Was not very successful and loft the
business, being then in debt about $500. Jan
uary LIST, 1851, commenced acting cashier at
before stated, with a salary oil $500 per aOnum
My position cashier ssemeu to call for liv
ing IKE other people, ADD having family O,
TOUR children found notwlthsi anding all my
plans and forts at the year end my expenses
amounted to more than my salary. In 1853 VI
1854 was offered a situation as cashier in the
Stale of Massachusetts,, and making 1t known
10 the di ectors vi the bank they .Led meet
Jog and oilele1 me AIRY Ut $500 per annnm
and l concluded to remain. Tue position |
occupied seemed to make IL impossible for me
to lessen my yearly expenses; on the othel
hand the Increase of my family, together With
The old indebtedness called urgently Tor more
money. Under such state OF things, aud
paving no special check upon me it can easily
be seen how l commenced by placing memo
randum in the drawer and taking out for the
lime being such sum as my immediate wants
required, meaning in good faith to replace il
AT some more convenient season. / was also
urgently entreated by two OF the directors for
temporary loans from time to lime, to whom /
gave mJre or less assistance expecting The
same to be replaced ia good time. But those
oaus were never repaid and resulted in Ioss
60 me OF $4,000, which is included in the presen,
total deficiency. Thus l kept along until the
charter OF the bank expired in Oct. 1857.
In the meanwhile charter had beeu grant
ed for the Peiepscot bank, the officers chosen
and the bank organized, giving me the offer OF
Cashier at a salary OF $500 l continued t.
oficiate as Cashier of the Brunswick bank,
collected all dues ~ the bank and distributed
them to the stockholders and made a statement
of all the affairs Of the bank. During this time
my deficiency had increased to 'abOut 30, 900
and was easily carried forward into the new
oank, as no settlement had ever been made OF
my accounts. From 1857 to 1865 and particu-
iarly during the period vt war prices, the Olu
sad look OF things stared me IN the face; de-
fciency OF income and an il ability to meet the
OTuludFy cApcuscSO lNluS3 anu So TGSOTf6u
TO various plans to cover up my faults. One
thing should be mentioned: Que of the direct
ors IT quested me TO IS nd for U. 8 7-30 treas
ury mole OF 81 600. l ordered it from Boston,
and it was charged to the account OF the bank,
but was lever received. The sum Was about
81, OH. Though this was known to the Presi
dent and Directors at the time no action was
ever taken in regard to 1t, and that sum tends
to make up part of the deficit. In 1865 it was
concluded to ask for a National org aDizatOn
md aa Qf.aI N uff
l bad myself opposed this new organization,
fearing my defalcatIon would be discovered.
My plans were, however, overruled, and l set
about making the best appearance possible.
At this time my defalcation was much larger,
though 1 think about this time my salary was
raised to 81 900; but as no sp-ca examination
was made, the whole thing was easily carried
forward with the doings of the institution, sup
the decease OF the late Joseph McKeen, Dec
I'd, 1865, became Treasurer OF Bowdoin Col
iege, with a salary of 500. II order to carry
forward successfully the duties of both posi-
lions l was obliged TO have an assistant in the
office of Treasurer. This expense, together
with the almost unavoidable additional out
lays made the Office of very little if any pecun-
larry advantage. Thus matters continued un.
ul August, 1871. During all this time l have
never been engaged or interested in any specu-
lations whatever, eitoer in stocks or in any
other way; nor have l at any time paid OUT
lal ge sums not belonging to myself, nor have
entrusted tc others nor reserved to myself any
of the funds of the haLk, to secure sDy bene-
tiG TO myself or others, except as have stated.
| IL will be seen that the whole time covers
| nearly q years, starting with debt of about
| $500. During the last month l met with
! loss of $1,000 in the wreck OF the brig Jose
phipe, v hich sailed from Portland to ST. John,
this interest in the brig being taken in part
payment OF some real estate sold and during
The last twenty years L have suffered other
losses, amounting in all to the like sum OF
$1,000. l have recently by deeds and bill OF
sale made over 10 the bank all properly OF
every description which l have in the world
aud my wife has released dover therein.
CONSIDER this property worth about $4,000
Such in substance Is the sad story. The prop
erty which l have conveyed to the bank and
what have used in meeting my family ex-
penses represe MT all that have received from
| any source whatever; the amount which l
have received, except from the bank being
much less than generally supposed. During
all this time no person had tie remotest idea Of
the real facts Ill the case or hat matters in the
bank were wrongly managed till l felt COM
| PEELED to make known to my family and then
| to the officers OF the bank that was default
| err. Thus l have attempted to stale 10 the
court the material facts III my case; but do
not pr tend to offer this statement to the
| court as legal or moral defence tor my con-
duct. The mental suffering which during tb g
| last twenty years the knowledge of my uniis-
| covered guilt has caused me, has been heav-
l
pose. / have never attempted, and do not
desire to escape the consequences Oh my crime
| L leave myself in the hands OF the court.
| When Mr.. Symonds had concluded, Mr.
Putnam, associated with Mr. 8. in the defence
addressed the Court; remarking that the gray.
ity of the circumstances did not permit any
parade of words, but his duty member Of
the bar demanded that he should speak in be
half of the prisoner; and he was moreover i'm.
PEELED to this by regard for the wishes of the
family and friends of the prisoner, whose sym.
pathes are as warm for him in his disgrace al
in the time of his apparent prosperity. The
prisoner has not attempted to excuse or apollo
gize for his crime. While the confidence thai
was .eposed in him, and the circumstances o
his offence was such as to afford him ampl,
opportunity TO put himself beyond the iuris
diction of this Court, he has chosen to submit
to the penalty Of the laws which he ha
violated. can say that believe, and believe
| my brother who is associated with me will
| agree with me that the conduct of the prisone
while in custody has been that of a man VIII
has committed an objectionable crime, ant
has determined to expate his offence by sub
hitting without complaint to ali just penalties
All rumors of a different character are In m
Judgment unfounded. Mr.. Rogers has neve
, told how far he regarded his past life as tn
natural consequence of pecuniary Lecessitie
insufficient compensation and confding mat
tention by those whose duty it was to waite
over him. He must have carried with Kim fl
NH ipAi cd N