Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-04

A majority Of eur readers viii remenn-
bsr W. n. Roberts, who was arrested
here two months ago and taken East on
. change Of forgery. His trial, at Pusb-
10, Colerado, IL tins reported in the
Chsffais, of June I'D:
W. II. Roberts vAs Among thoss Ar
raiRned, havinQ offered Q plea Of guilty
70 one count Of the information
a9ainst him, changing him with forgery.
1hs 60 hes bssn fully dstailsd in the
columns Of this papsr, and the public b
familiar With the sto9y Of Roberto va
riom fofRsriss by which be secured pos
session from the banks Of Las Vegas,
Pusblo and Colorado Springs the sum
Of about ssven thousand dollars Il viii
also b fonombered that be threw him
salt upon TIE mercy of the court and
made Q full writtea confession in order
TO show that he wa9 not Intentionally q
criminal, and that in starting into the
iutrico3e affair which led to the series
of fofReriss be did 20 with no wrong
intention; and that the circumstances
in vhioh he had involved himself were
of sue6 a nature - 10 tempt him into
tbs comminion of the crime. Judge
Player. addreasinQ the prisoner, admit
ted that this was true, and that Bobefts
did not calculate beforehand the COM
mission OF the crime; but in tracing up
the history Of the affair the court laid
open the heinoumeas of the fraud in its
pIainsst light, showing that Roberts
Snsw thu crime he was committing when
be did Is, knew its unlawful nature,
knew that be was doing what b had ne
shadow Of night n do, and knev its
penalty. The court then gave judgment
that tbs prisoner, William NJ. Roberts,
should be taken 70 the Colorado State
Penitentiary at Canon City and kept in
oonfnament at hard labor for ten years.
The prisoner seemed surprised and
oyervhelmed at the severity of his sen
tenoe. He sat down and had nothing
TO say, bat IL vas plain that he had re-
oeived q longer sentence than he expect
cd. The general verdict, in view OF the
magnitude and elaboration Of the
crime, ID that the decree of the court is
nons too harsh. This country has been
cursed by class OF men who have been
far too free with pen and ink, and what
ever may be said of this individual
case it should prove q lesson to those
who think lightly Of forging the name
of any man. It will also be lesson to
sucn parties not to fool with the First
National Bank Of Pueblo.
EditorisIly referring to the matter,
the same paper said:
Yesterday w. II. Roberts, who was
arrested in Seattle, Washington Terri
terry, few weeks ago, ct the instance OF
the First N NATIONAL bank of Pueblo, for
uttering forged paper ON that institu-
ton, was sentenced BY Judge T. Il.
Player, Of the criminal court, to ten
years In the State penitentiary. Rob
erts received no more than his deserts,
and the sentence il universally APP
proved. Roberts had no defense to
make, bat confessed his guilt aud threw
himself upon the mercy of the court.
Forgery 10 certainly q very grave Of
fenss, and the promptness and peril
nacity with which the officers OF the
First National bank followed mp the
case proves oonclusively that the insti-
tuition does not propose 70 quietly sub
mit to loss in that manner without max
ing An effort 70 punish the criminal.
Roberts knew What 10 expect when he
committed the forgery, aud il deserving
Of no pity. Ten years labor in the PEN
itsntiary stone quarries will teach him
the value Of honorable, upright dealing
with his fellow men, although no doubt
he has long since reached the oonclu-
sion that hon. sly Is the best policy.