The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-20
Il BIG STEAL IN MASSACHUSETTS,.

Taunton, Mass, Oct. IA Geo. T. Hath
away, of Fall River, treasurer of the Bor
der City and other mills. convicted of for
gerry, was brought into the Superior Court
to- day before Judge Gardner, for sentence.
The prisoner entered the courtroom N at
IL o'clock this morning, pale as death, and
took seat within the rail. Several gen
tlemen, leading citizens of Freetown and
Fall River, testified TO the good character
of Hathaway during his residence in those
places. The senior counsel for the prison
or had a statement which he wished to
present before the sentence was read.
Mr.. Hathaway began reading the state
nert, his voice trembling and his eyes
filling with tears. He said that he felt
compelled to make it because it WAS due
to the stockholders of the Border City and
Sycamore mills, the creditors of the mills
and his noble and loyal wife ard her fam
lily, and the community. He made it with
to Fall River from Freetown in 1868, after
having for years heard Mr.. Chace held up
by his father as q model man, one with
whom 1T was great piece OF luck to be-
connected. He described his connection
with the Massasoit mills, it's heavy losses
and their concealment from DR.. Durfee at
the request Of Cbace, Chace and Mason
being the other partners. Chace at one
time had drawn from the mills Sl7O 600
and Mason $50 900 He then described in
detail the building of the Border City and
Sycamore mills, and his gradual discovery
of Chace's true character. December IL,
1872, when Hathaway was treasurer of the
Border City mills, aud Chace president,
the latter came to HIM aud eaid he wanted
to borrow $4,000 He let him have it, and
then he came again and again, always
with the assurance that he would
make everything right. 1t went on 30
that before yard of cloth had been made
Hhaca had .lre SsO0O 0O0 from
These loans by Cnace'e request, had be"n
entered in a private account and not in
the regular mill book, because it was feared
they Ill ieht be discovered. Hathaway then
described Chace's hardness of heart his
refusal to aid him in his difficulties and
neglect to pay money taken by bim from
the Border City mills. He declared that
DR.. DurIee knew all about the transaction,
and more than once urged him to let Chace
have money, with rhe assurance that
every thing would be made right. He
showed how he had been entapgled and
blackmailed until he was hopelessly lost,
and declared that DR.. Durfee and his son
knew all abGut the transactions. He de-
clared that for fifteen or twenty years
Cbace, DR.. Durfee and his son lived with
out regard to their income, and he was
especially indignant because in the worst
of the difficulty he gave large sums of
money to his church. He said that Fl, B
much money from him and from Chsce,
and that DR.. Durfee owed the Border City
mills $4,000 on irregular notes, besides
what he had paid. He declared that be
gave money to Chace and the Darfees, not
because they were doing anything for him,
but because he had confidence in Jh en-.
On the night before Chace went to pro-
test II. B. Durfee urged him and Chace to
leave the country, The prisoner receiving
the message about midnight. This was
the first his wife knew of his difficulties.
STE was broken down aud urged him not
to GO, and be decided not to go, and 80
informed Chace. He declared that c. P.
StiCkney did not owe the Border City and
Sycamore mills dollar.
The prisoner eeemed completely broken
down when he had closed at ! 30 o. M,
after having addressed the Court tor more
than two hours.
A recees was then taken by the court
and on reassembling Hathaway was sem
fenced to ten years. solitary confinement
in the State prison.