Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-10-03
The Butler County EmBezzIement
Case. -s++@a7 80 4
BOTH SIDES
Mr.. soHN S DEFENSE.

Frsm the Butler County Democrat
1.It is charged against Mr. Sofn,
the Democratic and Liberal Repubi
can candidate for Congress in the Sd
District, that he was indicted in But
ler county for embezzling the funds
belonging to the County Treasurer :
office - IA 50 EAk$& =
g In Butler county, where Mr., Sohn
resides and is well known, and where
tue facts in relation to the alleged EN-
bezzlement are we'll understood, no ex
planation or statement in relation to
the matter is necessary. His reputas
tion in this county for integrity is un
questioned. But in order that the peO
pie in other parts of the Congression
al District may fully understand Mr.
Sohn's connection With~the alleged EN-
bezzlement we make the following
piain statement of facts. &
8. Mr. Lindley was elected Treasur
er of Butler county four years ago
1t had been q uniform habit with his
predecessors in office, for many years
to deposit to their individual credit a
portion of the public moneys in some
of the banks of the city of HamIltou
When Lindley took the office he fol
lowed the example of his predecess ors,
and deposited to his individual credit
the public moneys with his own pri
vate funds in the First National Bank
of Hamilton, of which Mr. Sohn was
Director No moneys were so de
posted by Mr.. Lindley in his official
character as a Treasurer. All the
money deposited by Lindley was
checked out by him in his individual
capacity.
4. In March, 1870, it was ascertained
that Lindley was a defaulter as County
Treasurer; before that he had with
drawn from the bank every dollar OF
money he had on deposit He has
never since had any money on deposit
with the bank.
5. Lindley was indicted for embez
element. Indictments for embezzle
ment were also found, by the grand
jury, against John B. Cornell, Cash
ier; Micajah Hughes, President, anc
Peter Murphy, Phillip Hughes, Jane,
Beatty and John W. SOhn, Directors
of the First National Bank of Hamil
ton. The charge in the indictment Is
substantially that the officers of the
bank aided and melted Lindley to EN-
bezzle the public moneys by permitting
him to deposit the same in the bank a
above stated.
g. 1t was not, and is not, pretended
but that the bank paid out upon Lind
leys check, before his defaleation, ev
cry dollar deposited by him. 1t is no
pretended by any one that Mr. Sohn
as an individual, ever received or han
died any of the public money. Hi
entire connection with the transaction
t was simply that he was Director o
the Bank in which Lindley made hi
deposits.
Z. No attempt was ever made t.
bring Mr.. Sohn to trial upon his in
dictment; but on the contrary, Samue
Z. Gard, ESQ.,, the Prosecuting Attor
torney for the county at the Octobe
term, 1870, voluntarily, and withou
Mr.. Sohn 5 suggestion or request, en-
- tered a noLte proSequi thereon.
8. deem it our duty further t
state that we are informed by MI
Sohn and by the other bank officers
and we believe the statement to b
true, that Mr.. Sohn did not know un
til January 1870, that Lindley kel
any money in the bank, he not bein
in the habit OF examining the ,depos
, accounts; and that when he ascertain
n ed the fact, he Immediately objecte
1 thereto and insisted, at "a meeting {
the officers of the bank. that Lindle
should be required to withdraw frol
. the bank his dep osits { a part of whic
it was supposed belonged to the couI
ty Treasury and that he should n'
$ be permitted to deposit again with tt
bank Lindley was accordingly not
fed to close his accounts and short
afterward checked out every dollar
ot had on deposit, and never afterwar6
deposited with the bank.
8. 1t is proper, also, to observe tn;
the law under which the indictmeI
was found was passed in the year IS!
I q Swan and Critchfield, st. p. 160(
and has remained almost dead lettt
upon the statute book, and we are il
formed and believe that county Trea
n urers in almost every county in Il
State have been n;the habit of deposi
ing portions of the public moneys
. the banks, and but for the defalcatiC
of the Treasurer in this instance, I
indictment would have beer. four
against the bank officers,
- The bank officers indicted are
both political parties, and are amoI
the most prominent and reputak
9 business men of Butler county.
> ALEX. F. HUME.
ne T. r DE IA COTTRT
AZ j. G. HOLBROOK,
mr. D. YEAKLE,
N. R. N. ANDREWS,
Democratic Central Com. of But
til county.
rn rm RANSFORD SMITH,
1r CHARLES M MILLER,
as j. E MOREY.
). E. ca MPBELL,
- P. G. BERRY,
= DIR. c. FOSTER,
Liberal Republican Com. of But
county, August goth, 1879
REPLY BIZ THE HAMILTON TELEGRAPH
IL In the above statement which
joint committees have seen proper
publish in defense of Mr. Sohn, tn
is so much that is disingenuous, if
untrue, that we shall ask the ind