The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-06-14

y fear OF discovery OF the state oil my
ccounts and the anguish consequent then
was completely disconnected. What next
ollowed was the old story OF error,
ecover his losses at cards, and
gain fatal i'll luck resulted In
Increasing his shortage to $500. His
ituation was 80 desperate his brain reeed
md his heart sickened when he unused on
lis situation and he was on the verge OF
despair, a situation difficult to discern by
anyone who has not been similarly circum.
tanced. His soul was sckened at and
oathed the whole succession of actswhich
,ad 80 rapidly followed, one upon another
All s)rls of expedients suggested them
selves to him, but at no time did 1t ever
occur to him to really possess himself OF
single sou belonging to the government.
He would have resorted to any other ex
pedient to hide his offense and 80 gain
time to correct, and death would have
been infinitely preferable.
He says he now approaches the saddest
part of the painful recital, wherein ne
the madscheme he adopted to final
~ extricate himself. This was to start on his
showing everything apparently correct and
$29, 900 on hand as the balance OF
this sum, he actually had $23 500; shortage,
SIS 500.
It was his custom to keep his own cash
accounts and check books and even his
clerk was ignorant OF the shortage, and he
thought he could keep him ignorant by
ruse. He did dupe both the clerk and mes
8 niger and by which he succeeded in deposit .
ing $1S, 500 in his office in Galveston. He p,
the larger and bulkier package, which con.
tanned the small sum, in the clerks vallse.
He then caused it to be believed that his
valise had been stolen and robbed OF It's
contents and apparently made strenuous
efforts to recover the money and capture
the supposed robbers, taking just the same
measures and precautions as he would nat
urally have taken had he really been
robbed. After establishing the impression
that the robbery was genuine, he had IN
tended going north, ostensibly to confer
with his bondsmen, who would naturally
be uneasy on account of the affair. he
thought if he was successful in establishing
the robbery theory, of which he had nc
doubt, that he could easily persuade them
and others to raise the SIS 500, giving them
to understand that with their act to that
extent, and the exhibitions OF confidence
he could raise through friends elsewhere
the balance necessary to tins sa amo s1s
500, which, with the amount
in the possession of his clerk and turned
over by him at the time of the affair, ano
thus discharge the entire indebtedness tt
the government, thus making his of1cia
account at least really good, and to appear
that that end had been accomplished by
his having taken upon himself the respon
sibility OF recovering the money. he wat
creating belief in a fictitious shortage 10
his official funds, which he could
one which he could not without
exposing all of his Irregularities, which he
knew would be imputed as crimes. he
thus sought to put himself in position
when he would no more be driven to prac
,tice any deceitful devices, horribly repug
nant to him from the first and now intoler
able. The loss would fall on himself alone
and it would only take the greater
portion of his salary for two years tG
his shortage. When he discovered how fal
lacious this robbery thing was, he con-
cluded he must have been made over to
have conceived it, and realized that when
the shortage came to light, as it must In
evitably, it would place him under the sus'
picion of intending to appropriate $lo,OU,
which never for single moment was his
intention, and he called COO 10
witness that he neither intended to deprive
the government OF this or any other
sum larger than at the first moment he
would be able to restore. He tried to get
the chief paymaster to come to the scene
of the supposed robbery, when he would
turn over the funds in the clerks valise.
He said: 81 would then get him to go back
with me to Galveston, where would
turn over the $ls.50o. but he did
not come and had to wait Until 1
came H., to San m.do Antonio to free "h ans
frank statement as l have to the court"
IL Ill thinR IN imnnqqhla for
any one living without undergoing 1t 10
conceive of the torture all this caused me:
Although had done grievous wrong, and
thereby become villain, looked upon
every act with the eyes of an honest man
Imagine the horrors oft who can, for l
cannot describe it. So terrible
was it that j had resolved
to live only long enough to make restitu'
ton SO far as was able and then end my
miserable life. saw nothing before me
and felt that dared not face the disgrace
to my name and the wreck Of my fair
hopes, but God in His mercy sent better
thoughts to me and saved me from this
wrong act of sin and despair, and now /
/ shall live and make OF
my future what l can" lie
makes no excuse for his guilt
but passes on TO an analysis Of the charges
and specifications, which recite the embez-
OF 24,0OO, when he only actually
used So. 500, and this sum was virtually all
he had actually in.mind. The distinction be-
tween constructive, technical and statuary
and ENDORSEMENT at com.
mon law, which implies an intent
70 defraud the government and APP
piopriate the money 10 ones own use,
alone would have prevented him from ever
even thinking OF such a course. He then
called attention 70 the fact that previous 70
his assignment be had rendered and the
chief paymaster had accepted MS check
paid, SO that to-day he does not owe the
a single penny and his &C;
counts are as straight as those OF
any officer In the army. He then modestiy
alluded 70 his record, which has been de-
tailed in / be trial in the testimony OF wit.
nesses. He spoke Of the high character o.
his witnesses, who were the highest officers
In the army, and other gentlemen, likewise
and distinguished. In regard
10 the penalty, be said II vas a principle OF
law as well as justice that II sbonld be only
Of such extent as will indicate the dignity
Of the law and punish the offender
for an offense which We
never for single m1ment his
He then said each specific sum
with which b. was charged was only trans
tered from one depository 10 the other, and
ficit until IL could be restored. Il had
been intimsted by some Of the press
that he intended to decamp with
$4,000. He wished to show the farce Of
Of such a theory. Why would be have
taken that sum and not the 5000 that he
had put in the clerks valise7 Nothing
would have been easier than Tor him 10 have
escaped With the whole amount but taking
n In business light, that amount would be
milf the mouetary value Of his commission,
not 10 speak Of the loss Of honor, the dis
grace, breaking MP Of family ties and the
Of becoming an exile and wan
derer on The face Of the earth. So selfish
vas sufficient 20 prevent the
recurrence Of the crime.
de closed with the following language:
Il nov nsk you. gentlemen. 20 CONSIDER ell
the circumstances surrounding my acts, 70
deterniue each for himself the degree Of