Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-03-10
The Sentence Of Collector Crane of Bur.
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A'ti ii'-Noi nv h'iS Nt'S Vi tiN
United Sites V A.. J. Crane. for defalcatior
and embczzlement, has Just been hearG
and dccided,-Crane being sentenced to Is
months imprisonment in the Windsor
County Jail, and ordered to pay Il fine o
$1,000. The case has excited SO much in.
tcreSt, from some singular features con
nccted with it and the prominent position
which Crane has hitherto maintained. tina
we surrender considerable space to the pro
ceedings of the trial.
The two indictments which were origin
ally found against the respondent-the on,
charging him with dedication as collector
of internal revenue and making false ant
fraudulent entries on the records of til,
office. the other fors enlightenment in hi:
account As u di>bursinT agent-had brcl
consolidated. To this consolidated mdict
ment the respondent ut the last term la,
pleaded not guilty. This plea. the counSe
for the respondent asked leave to withdraw
and the respondent pleaded guilty to tn,
second count in the first Indictment and tt
the second Indictment in full. The United
States district attorney then entered Il no
IfpN ~ " tIIC VI lIN iisN ~
ment.
In presenting the statement in behalf o
the government. District Attorney T.. +
Fititld remarked that the respondent
Crane, was Il Collector of Internal Reve.
having been appointed in 1867. Immcdi-
atelv upon entering on the duties of hi
office he appointed Mr.. F.. \. Jewrtt, the
deputy of his predecessor in the office, as
his deputy, and put him in charge of the
office and of the books. At the same time
he (Cranr) was daily in the office. having
ut the time no Other business. and appar-
emily had the personal supervision of every
thing pertaining to the duties Of the office.
In accordance with the regulations of the
department the assessment rolls must b.
closed and balanced every six months, and
any balance against the office became due
from the Collector, personally. 1t APP
peared that none was taken, from time
10 time, from the collector account, by
emitting to credit, at the time. all of the
sums received for taxes. The deficiency
thus created WIS covered and carried along
rs money clInc in. the sums received from
new pavment> of taxes being credited to
the deficient accounts. by means OF itl~t
entries or omissions to enter Il portion of
the SUM received. This process went on
down to 1871. when Mr.. Crane dismissed
his deputy, Mr.. Jcwctt. The deficiency
had then reached The sum Of Sl1 900.
Who had appropriated this sum, whether
the respondent or his deputy. the pro>ecu-
ton WAS unable to say. 1t only knew that
the deficiency existed. The books We're
all kept by the deputy. and all the entries
We're in his han3writlng; but whether the
false entries We're made by the deputy,
with the knowledge and consent of the
respondent. or where the money went, i
not shown by any conclusive evidence.
In addition To his duties II, Collector OF
Internal Revenue. the respondent WAS also
the di>bur>ing agent of the government foI
the internal revenue district of which lie
was collector. In this capacity he received
and di>bur>cl funds for tn" payment of hi>
W salary and commissions. and the >lli-
| rieS of h. >u' ordjMatc>. In this account
also Il deficiency VS. found to cNi>t
amounting TO about 5000. To thc indict-
mcnt charging the ,mbrIZ,rmcnt of Thu
UNI. the respondent leads guilty, Nj.
.Jrwttt was succeeded hv Mr.. Gror,,.
Johnson II dclutv, and il appears that be
received special Instructions from the rt-
|>poni,nt To continue the same system OF
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imprisonment for Il term not tNctc,ijng
three years or les than six months. and a
linr OF from one To five thousand dollars.
BY the laws uf Vermont the state prison
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nr,.ihl. 30 cnntiur III. rr.r.nI.,r in tho
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sentenced 10 hard labor. U.,3n h"wo,n~
h. cnnti, c1 in IN or in u nI,r.i,r.
,lh,nv In CLOSING. fine pil.,ri't ,,,n,n,T
Ill H.. IA ,,, .s ,h,. ill.,, 5000.
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