The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-02-14
An EXPLANATION.

Decn Afralgncu DC.Ofc the WOilu ChuIGcu
withehbezzlement of funds from the city
Of Erie, and 1toem It my duty to myself
and my relatives and friends, to explain.
when left the city of Eric last March,
my father and had been City Solicitors
for three years, and all accounts between
us and the city were adjusted so far as I |
was concerned, and SO far as know about |
them, and my father continued to be So |
licitor.
But last summer Leander Dobbins, who |
had been City Treasurer for several years,
WIS found to be a deiaulter in large
amount, and, amongst other things, had
no record on the Treasurer's bookssof an
item Of SG6l.19, which 1 claimed to have
spaid to him, but which no denies ever
ghaving received.
On May 9, 1874, / received SGGl.10in city
Warrants, from Frank Gunnison, Esq, of
Erie, in satisfaction of municipal lien
| against Mrs. Y. NJ. Thompson. Ireceived
one of two statements of the warrants
their numbers and amounts-from Mr..
| Gunnison at the time, and, after compar
ing it with the warrants and the duplicate
s. atement which he retained, l receipted
for them, and he went away. In the after
noon Of the same day. l wont into the City
| Treasurcrs office, whiiO on my way to
another place on other business, and was
accompanied by younger brother. l
| found the Treasurer in consultation with
! Hon. NJ. B. Lowry. l said to tho Treas
urer that had some warrants for him.
There was quite bundle of them, and he
! yo;1 1,,, inc hat .
would take some time to compare the war
rants with my statement, and asked meto
call again. The warrants had a paper
around them labeled with the figures
$G61 10. I had perfect confidence in the
Treasurer, and laid the warrants on his
desk, saying that 1 would leave them, and
call again when he had leisure, and could
compare and receipt. But took the pre-
caution then and there to make in pencil
on my statement the following memoran-
DUN!
"May 0, lS74.-Paid these warrants in
presence of Fred. (my brother) to L. Dob
bins, City Treas, w. E. LATHY."
And find that also made memoran-
dunn on my diary at that date Of the same
fact. AS many another person has done to
his sorrow, neglected to call again for the
receipt, feeling safe, because 1 had'!aith il
the Treasurer, and because had two wit
nesses TO the payment.
Now tho Treasurer denies the payment
Mr.. Lowry is in an insane asylum, and
my brother says he remem ber5 of going
into the Troasuror's Office with me more
than once, but cannot remember this par.
ticular circumstance,
1t has suited the city officials to prose-
cute me criminally for the elnbezzleneut
of this money, instead of seeking to recov-
or from the Trcssurers $ bail on the strength
of my testimony and the corroborating
proof, and, if 1 should stand trial, it would
avail me nothing, as my mouth would be
sealed, and my memorandums would be
uneNpleined-without my testimony. Sc
that by my neglect, and my misfortune
caused by the lack of memory of one, and
the mental condition of the other of my
witnesses, am compelled to repay this
money; and not only that, but, because
am poor, must pay it in settlement of 8
criminal prosecution, with its attendant
t crushing humiliation and disgrace.
cannot discover in the Erie City Treas
urer's ONCE when these particular war
rants were received and cancelled by the
Treasurer, there being no record there o.
g the dates, bat find that they were all re-
S ceived and cancelled in the same year
which is-a significant circumstance in my
favor from the fact that they were endors
ed, bearing interest, and that in that year
4 and prior and subsequent thereto, monieC
r men in Erie were buying such warrants
at discounts of ten and fifteen per cent
and laying them away by hundreds anC
u thousands of dollars worth, until they
d would increase in value, and because il
4 that year 1674) the City had to borrow
a money to pay current expenses and tn
interest of her bonded indebtedness, ant
was only receiving her warrants in salts
faction of debt due the city.
L was also charged, in the warran
!, against me, with the embezzlement O
:, Sls4.s5 of moneys alleged to have been col
" lectod on a municipal lien against Mrs. a
IS W. Vantassel, but, upon investigation
?. when l went TO Erie, it was found by tn
/, City Comptroller that the emJeastement il
that transaction was the sum Of S43. instea
7, of$lS4.s5, and that had paid costs for tn
II City in a case against Mrs. Mary 4. j. Nc
Spanon, amounting TO S42s5, for which
had not received credit, which left fifteo
cents due the city from me, independent {
the Thompson affair.
= To show how tho present City Solici or
h now look upon this transaction, 1 quot
from tho Erie Gazette Of February Sd,
. part of an article which thoy inserted, q
W follows:
20 "The present Solicitors inform us thG
they consider that Mr.. Lathy's error wa