Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-01

The Rutland Glo5e moralizes As follows
on the case Of the late F. 5. Mills. President
of the Brooklyn Trust Company:
Ashamed to work. too proud TO bee. for
getting that ' life Is more than meat and
the body Is more than raiment. wet willing
TO betray sacred trusts and use the hard
earnings Of others. If SO be be might emu
late the style and mode of living Of those
FAR above him in the possession OF wealth.
and only ashamed of the discovery and
conseq uent disgrace. Such Is the history
% the crime and death of the President of
the Brooklyn Trust Company. Compare
lively young IN years, surrounded bv
wealthy and influential relatives and
friends, who were more than ready and
willing 10 assist HIM. he had years Of life
and prosperity before him, if he could
nave lived within his means, but be must.
rather, ape the manner of others. and this
j, the end IL Is strange, II Is passing
strange that with the constant enforce
ment Of the fact that the wages of in
are death, young men. and Others in Do
sitlons OF trust and responsibility, will not
heed the lesson.
This would be more impressive for Us.
if We had not been informed by persons
who probably knew Mr.. Mills better than
the editor Of the GloJe Though he saws
he " knew him well"), that it shoots wide
OF the facts Of the case, in several particu-
lars. Mr.. Mills, We are told. was not
young. He lacked but two years of sixty.
lie was not a fast man, or an ostenta-
tious man in his style of living. We
are assured that so far from apine
the style Of far more wealthy men.
ms personal tastes were simple. and
that 50 far as outward appearances indicated |
he lived within his salary as President of the /
Trust Company He was surrounded By |
wealthy friends, but they do not seem to
have assisted him in his pinch, arising from /
his speculations IN real estate. The pre7a-
ent belief now seems TO be that he did not
commit suicide, and that if he had lived he
would have Strengthened out his affairs and
lad competence left. Of course. all
hls Is no palliation for his crime. His use
IF the funds Of the company was gross
.bu-e Of trust, and its discovery has done
more than anything that has happened of
ate Years to create general distrust of men
n similar positions ofpower and response
lility.
The Springfield Republican s comments on
he case, seem to Us more to the point than
hose quoted above. 1t says:
Isat Is the lesson of this moral tragedy.
5 Of so many previous ones of the same |
orr 10 BUSINESS an q bltsineSS-hke aUaV,
our president Is pillar in the church,
it1en OF an exemplary public spirit. man
an Irankness and honor stamped on every
me OF his face. Your cashier. or book
eeper, or confidential clerk. As the case
iay De, : model young fellow, free from
Il the vices, faithful to his duties. active IN
lnday school and prayer meeting. a light
the /. NJ [. A. Then rejoice in the pos
ssslon Of such treasure. but remember
nat II Is In an earthen vessel. and that this
lnd oil human pottery Is terribly fragile.
70 matter now good man Is. he is not so l
ood mat he can safely be left. unmatched I
M unchecked, to his own devices and the
'inptatlons OF Satan. As YOU value his I
'uI ana your own pocket, keep as sharp an Q
'e on MN as though he were one of the IN !
oaly make II as difficult as Won possibly
an Tor him to fall from his gracious estate I
Ito the abyss Of peculatlon. Had the c
onest stockholders of this Brooklyn com
any Kept properly posted in their own
nalrs' had they made sure that the officers
ere attending to their duties; lad the i
seretary-who confesses that he knew ali | 7
long how the president was overdrawinr
i aeseount-thought it ''any of his busi-
ess as he says he did rot) to mention .
la1 circumstance to the direction, il i Q