The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-03
CoNi'DgNDlNG r'EgON5ES.


over one hundred thousand dollars. his
flight with some seventy thousand dollars
of negotiable, available bonds, as, also, of
his previous career. He had been, previous
with, a, least, two banking institutions, in
both Of which dclnlcations or embezzlc-
mcnts occurred during his connection there
william although he managed to have
the proof point slight elsewhere, yet the
suspicious of his completely were sufficient
to cause his withdrawal, either willingly or
unwillingy. therefrom soon after. This,
ordinarily, would have been sufficient to
place business men on their guard, but it
seems to have had an opposite effect with
the politicians of Jersey. They thought
they saw in him good material for treas
urcr, and, he was accordingly, after Il brief
residence, elected to that position. The re-
suit is before the people, ard the men who
pushed him for treasurer, probably, made
no mistake. lie stole, lie fed, he can't be
found. Friday morning the New York
Nerdld in the first column Of its first page,
under the head of Personal, " contains this
suggestive paragraph "lf Mr.. Alexander
" y. Hamilton late city treasurer. will re-
turn with what bonds he has all will be
made right by his friends" We call at
tcntion 10 this personal for two reasons
OF course, everyone knows that the prop
osition therein contained cannot be carried
out without the connivance of the officials
of Jersey city. 1t is II direct. bold prop
ostion TO compound a felony. crime pun
ishablc by Imprisonment for term of
years, III the state prison, and one of the
most open and bold propositions of the
kind Of which We have any record It's
publication has caused tremendous llut-
ter The police authorities. the law off
GERS and the friends and bondsmcn of the
runaway. all deny any knowledge of its
publication OF, even, that any such prop
osition was ever made. In this denial may
be seen the force Of an awakened public
opinion. This advertisement would not.
in all human probability, have been pub
lished if there had not been an agreement
to that effect made by the friends of the
hider and the officials. The furry and de-
mails are caused, not because these men
shrink from compromising the felony, but
because the offer was made in opublic a
manner. When the offer was made, as we
are at liberty TO assume it was it was doubt
less thought that IIamilton's whereabouts
was known to his friends. Here was the
mistake, and they, fooishly for the success
OF the arrangement, in taking The best pos
siblc means to find him. at the same time
take the course best calculated to spread
their intended settlement before an inte-
rested public-some of whom, at least, de-
sire to see the laws faithfully executed, and
not one crime added to another.
Compromising of felony is becoming al
together too frequent and too common. 1t
may be true that even one act would be too
frequent but we can all conceive of cases
where youth is led into temptation by
bad associates and commits crime, but.
following the dictates of his conscience,
makes full restitution and confession. In
such case, it is far better for the young
man and society that his offensc should be
condoned, he taken by the hand, encour-
aged and helped into positions where he
would be removed from temptation, rather
than that he should be immurcd in Il prison,
npp1nollnl ia usl...f,., ,,.i4 iii I.
denel Grim malls and, in the end come out
with blackencd character and blunted con-
science - lead no one knows how de-
PRAYED a life. This may be compound
ing of felony, but ii is clring on the side of
humanity, justice and mercy. This is not
the kind wc are talking about. This is not
the KIND proposed for the fleeing or hidden
Jersey treasurer. 1t is common, every
day occurrence TO commit this crime all
over The country What was the settle
ment of the Eric railroad company with
jay Could but case Of this kind If
public sentiment would frown down every
attempt to compound felony. and de-
mand the prompt punishment of every
person connected with an attempt or
act Of the kind If the people, individually
or collectively. could be made to see and
feel that they were rs guilty Of as great
crime in so doing rs in stealing, the steal
ing of non-ncgotiabe bonds and other secu-
rites would soon cease. These cannot be
sold or negotiated without great risk and
danger, if at all and they are only stolen
with the assured belief that the owners will
compound the felony and pay a large per
centage for the recovery of the property
Who ever knew Of defaultcr or embez-
zler punished to the extent Of the law, or
even, by the short Imprisonment, if the
robber or his friends could make good the
loss Z Hardly case can be cited. Folon
les are compromised in Rutland, if we may
believe the statements of gentlemen ca who
pretend to know and, certainly have the
means of knowing, compounded, too, by
men who would be indignant if they were
termed other than upright, honest, respec-
table gentlemen. This, too, in the face of
our statutes which make it as great
crime, and with same penalty, as stealing
a hundred thousand collars, or any other
sum. 1t is time public attention was
drawn to this matter. We know that some
people say that to get back their thous-
and dollars, or SO, will do them more good
than to see the thief convicted and in pri-
son. This is, in effect, the criminals argu-
ment, when he takes the money. 1t is not
a question of one mans loss, but of the
security of the property of the community
settling for n per ccntagc, or, for the