Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-26
The caledOnian and the "Crane DefAlcaiIon.

The ST JOhnSbury CGiedOndn, m an
article ON the recent delalcation, note> "A
few very remarkable points in the case
which have not been enlarged upon by Mr.
Crane or his friends" A. quotations from
the FREE Pass IN the article seem to indi-
cate that il Is in part at least meant for Us,
We ana, say that We are not much IN the
HABIT Of 'enlarging On matters OF tins sort
pending Judicial Investigation. Such a
ra-. l. better tried in court, commonly, than
.n the newspaper, We have, however
,,,.n the main facts. 80 far A. We have been
permitted t. state them. We have given
f,irh the statements Of both the parties
.iisi, concerned. We have undertaken to
pronounce no man guilty or innocent. II
the facts given bear more hardly ON one
than sn another. il Is not our fault. We
have not desired to cover anything, certain
81 not to per~ecute or oppress anybody
The point, not hitherto sufficiently en-
.arFrd upon. a. stated by the CaledoHidH,
are A. lsiluw>
First-rhe accounts Of this deialeation'
published the first two weeks alter II was
discovered, were virtually Collector crane
account of the matter and while we IN
unte nothing unworthy to Mr.. Crane-of
whom We know nothing impartial judges
will hardly condemn man when the eyl-
denee Of only one side is in, and that too
from the party most interested.
cscond-N hen time enough elapsed to
hear from Mr. Jewett, he made an emphatic
denial 10 these charges of Mr.. Crane-ii IN
nocent. what could he do more-and wrote
Il shall leave for Vermont at the earliest
moment possible. and shall insist 1pon a
tall and thorough Investigation OF the
charges made against me. The parties
who were bound to reverse the usual order
Of things, and hold a man guilty until he
was proved innocent, expressed great sur
prise that Mr. Jewett was mot already on
The spot to press the investigation. W alE-
ing the fact that if innocent he had right
L. take his own time to come, Mr.. Jcwett
explained that the superintendent OF the
Pullman Car Company had gone south on
business. leaving him in charge, ana he
could not leave ut once without detriment
To the company and to himself.
We are not of those who 'hold man
guilty until he is proved innocent But
how can any one, looking at the actions OF
person under charge of crime, avoid
comparing them with his idea Of what the
action of an innocent person would be, in a
similar case? We will not say what
We think Mr.. Jewett should have
done, but we have a very clear idea
of what our good friend Of the Gale
DOMAIN would have done, falsely charged,
from distance, with a heinous crime.
1t would be pretty important business, we
think, that could keep him a day from the
spot where his innocence could be establish
ed. The Caledonian now knows holc Mr..
.Jewett has insisted on "a full and thorough
investigation.
Third-Much stress has been laid by Nh.
Crane, as stated in the FREE Pass, upon
1.-The fact, that since the oyerhauling Of his
books. and disclosure of his deficiency, Mr..
Crane has been made collector of the en-
larged district, formed by the division of
the first district, and consolidation Of half
of it with the second district. Had Mr..
Crane been regarded asa thief at the depart
ment, this reappointment, for such it
virtually j., would have been a simple i'm
possibility" This is not the least strange
thing in this singular affair. Here Is a gov
eminent officer, an acknowledged deiaul-
ter TO a large amount, and vet reappOint-
ed. and to an enlarged district, If this
j. not an indication that the evil
service needs reforming, we do not know
where to look for one. In the early history
of shis deialeation, Mr. Cranes papers ac-
knowledged that he alone. with his bonds
men, were responsible to the Government
that although he charged the embezZlement
upon his clerk, he expected to share the
blame, and make the defalcation good. Yet,
on er parfe evidence, the real deiaulter is
appointed 10 a better position. and the
Government is indu ed to take up the cause
against his clerk. and United States
Marshal is posted of thousand miles to
arrest him, when they have assurances that
he Is coming on of his own free will and
indeed on reaching Chicago, the Marshal
hnds him with his business arranged Just
ready to take the tram for Burlington to
lace his accusers.
The explanation of the fact which seems
~ mysterious to our friend, i that it il not
considered by the Internal Revenue Depart
lupnt crime to he robbed The agents of
the Department know more about this case.
We suppose. than any ons but the parties
aud. right OF wrong, they are satisfied that
the collector Wa not 10 blame that j.. that
ms only fault wa o1er-confdence in sub
ordinate and e2ces- OF leniouey after dis
covering his crime We are not undertake
Ing 10 state. " bog the CaidORida to note,
what the ease really j., OF what we believe
il j. bat what the Department at Washing
ION believe 1t IL. a. stated by its agents
Mr. Crane hl~ never intimated, or any
une Tor han. -a tar a. We are aware, that he
expected 10 ~hale the blame" His bonds
linen will make the delalcation good because
They must. II boy the real defaulter" the
Calsdohia,, means the man that took the
1uoney, II goes u good deal further than We
tan, in deciding this ease. Its phrase, the
Government i induced 10 take up the
cause" sounds strangely Is not this
q case which the Government was bound to
take up? Representing officers Of the Gov
trnment, Ne must say, are not open to the
Charge OF acting hastily, OF without pria,d
5a0e evidence in the matter
Under Point 1. the Cai,donian quotes
Hon. Joseph POland's assertion that the
Department of Internal Revenue must have
known of the deialcation within six months. |
and must share some Of the odium of the |
transaction" We have nothing to say, as
t. that, except that the Department did not
know Of the defalcation till last July. How
8 nd why it was in ignorance can be easily |
explained, perhaps has already been. to Mr.. |
Poland.
The CGledOnian' s article closes as follows
On reaching Burlington. Mr.. Jewett |
found that although the Government had |
taken mp tins case against hiIn, and that I
there were legal gentlemen in the employ |
OF the Government whose special duty 1t Is /
l. attend 10 such matters, yet Mr.. Crane |
] ad retained lawyers Phelps, Hard, etc. in |
l. or the Government interest. Mr.. /
Gewett, however, succeeded in obtaining as |
counsel ex-Lieut Gov Underwood and Caro- /
luS Noyes, and Hon l.. f. Chittenden of |
New York
The CdiedoniaH is miSinformed District
Attorney Fiheld has not needed or en- |
lluyed any legal assistants. Mr.. Crane. of |
sour>e, mas his own counsel.
Mr.. Jewet; has declared over his own sig
allure IN our columns, that the books of the |
Once were correct when he left Mr.. |
crane employ, or, as stated by him in a
letter prev iously published, they were per
tectly straight How. if this WAS the |
simple truth, he could choose to decline the
examination flor which the Government
was ready, with the alternative that he |
must remain for weeks and months under |
heavy bail and heavier charges, with a
criminal trial looming beyond, has been a |
mystery to many in our community. Can
it be. they ask. that an innocent man could
not 60 safely before the judge, with or
without eopnsel, and defy any man to show