Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-24

TIE sCEXr 4. ,1vGg THg PRISONER STATE
vTNT.

!
THE scExr 4, ,Ivar rHr rEIsoy-E STATE
VTNr
Wai,c's app :r,a.t in court is said to have
been that Of q ,lcargpit old man. He was
very feeble and coached violently at times.
The Indictment a. vh!,h he was called ID
plead was in ten counts and charged Silas NJ.
Waite, as prcs.,!aa. Of the First National
Bank of Bra.iIel,ar,. With making false re-
turns with intcat To- deceive, 10 the Comp
trollcr Of the Currency and National Bank
examiner lIendyc. OF the financial condition
and resources of the fist National Bank on
these respective dates. April A, June llth,
October 81, December -. 1879, and Feb.
2lst, April 81 and May 18Th. The first
count charges Waite us president of the
First National Bank Of Brattlcboro, unlaw-
fully, knowingly and lraudulently, and with
intent to deceive John Jay Knox, the Comp
, troler of the Currency of the United States,
making report to said Comptroller on the
sd day of April, 1850, in which by means of
certain false entries that among the resources
OF the bank the amount due from approved re-
s.rve agents was the sum Of SCI ,2l2. IS, and
also as being due from the Fourth National
l;ink of New You, the sum of so, Is. To-
The fourth count charges Waite with report
ing falsely n among the liabilities Of said
bank on The 9ist day of February, 1880, that
the amount of Surplus fund was of the value
of So, 900.
Waite, in making answer thereto, arose,
and in husky Voice scarcely above a
whisper, made the following statement: 81
have prepared Il statement, and given it to my
counsel, of the history of the First National
bank from its start in 1861 up TO 1850, that
will show what has become of that institu-
ton. think his statement will show that |
tried in every way in my power 10 keep the
credit of the bank coed and To save my
friends from any loss. 1t has been said the
bank was started in fraud. can speak
truly for myself and he corroboratcd fully
by those who had anything to do with start
ing it, that We had no idea of making any
money. ! do not believe il is possible 10
show that any officer Of the bank ever made
dollar directly or indirectly out of that bank
outside of Legitimate profits. My private
papers have always been open in the bank
TO inspection Ivy the officers of the bank.
When the Directors took possession, after
left the bank those papers were left open 10
them. The bank has had no life for several
years except what | have given it. If have
committed any act in violation of the law it
has been done to shield my friends and save
them from loss. | have now nothing 10 leave
for anybody. In Tie eyes Of the law have
no defence to lnaNc. but claim that 20 one
has been detraudcd by these reports which
made. These returns were made to show
what the assets were worth 10 me. They
were unavalablc To- me- thcn. 10 he sure, but
if could have carried them over | would
have realized what expected from them.
In the respect That these securities were not
intrlnslcally what canned was III error,
and am technically %uiIty under the law rs
charged; am anAionS' II can bring II
about, that The Court ana public may under
stand The facts m lir ca AMI how Tins ihins
Tic Di S Vim, ,' III ..Tro rcsrond.
cnt has hccn f-r,ishcd with COMES Of thc in
d;c,n,cn,s ami ,,..;,cs iI,,. ,;,,L, T., horn ,brn
rcaJ " CLrri- Sn,o,,.v Lion .s,.cJ ITO
what do van nlrai 'rilrv Mr. Wait -
Hon F / phalns r,Yi5s,I 5nr Waltz here
stated that Waite wonIJ nlo,L rniltv os 10
the frs, and fourth coi,nis in tho firS, ind;ct-
mcnt which Mica va, aac,n,eI nv nis,r;c,
Attorney II..Lins ami , mo-, 1r,, was
moved and entered rs +, The remaining
counts and ;,d;,,m,,.fs Th, n,isoncr vas
then sentenced Inv Ind Wheeler IA six
vcors' imnrison,,r,,. u, Tin Uonsn of Corre,.
lion
Waite vos = Diras,ar +, t,co railroads
and had been a member Of the LEGISLATURE
and of tbc Gnvcrpor's .t,ir Asa director