The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-26
In JAIL.
Fred A. Cramer Placed Under Lock and
Key by Sheriff Reticker.
A Few Points on the Trial How the
Prosecution was Conducted, Etc.


Prosecution was Conducted, Etc.
As stated in these columns Saturday,
the jury in the Cramer embezzlement case
returned a sealed verdict to the circuit |
clerk about three O'Clock Saturday after
noon. Shortly afterwards Sheriff Retioke
informed Mr.. Cramer that he would have
to take him into custody This action of |
the sheriff was taken as a guarantee that
the verdict was against Cramer, for had
it been otherwise no such precantion |
woald have been necessary. 1t is also
understood that he is to 60 cover the |
road" for one year.
Frederick A. Cramer up to the first of |
June, 1888. had been superintendent of |
the city waterworks for number of |
years. He had many friends and he was
an honored member of society. In April
of the same year Hon. James z Mott was
elected mayor of the city on the democrat
ic ticket. Among other changes Mayor
Mott determined to remove Cramer. This
was no easy job. however, and his friends
declared that he should remain where he
was. But the powers that be" decided
otherwise, and after considerable trouble
he was ousted, and Joseph H. Kerr, the
present incumbent, was appointed in his
place. The very fact of Cramer's deter |
mination to hold the Office against the
consent of the mayor, looked suspicious, |
but later developments deepened the i'm
preston that all was not right, and an
investigation of his books followed. When
Cramer left the employ of the city on the
first day of June, 1888, his cash book
showed balance in favor of himself of
$3.50. On the 9th day of August, Mayer
Mott, having become fully convinced that
Cramer had swindled the city swore out
warrant for his arrest, and on the even
ing of that day he was arrested by Chief
of Police Miller and preliminary exam
ination occurred in the police court.
His bail was fixed at $4,000, but strange
to say, his friends failed him, and he
spent the night in the county jail. He
was subsequently released on $4,000 bail,
and has enjoyed freedom until last Satur-
day, when the minions of the law again
laid their strong hands on him.
WHAT TRANSFERRED
When Cramer was discharged as super
intendent of the waterworks, the water
rent books were given to City Clerk Koch
Ter, who has to make the collections. In
looking over the books Mr.. Koehler dis
discovered several glazing discrepancies,
and reported the same to Cramer, who
said that if he (Koehler) would make out
the full amount of his Indebtedness to the
city, that he would pay it, Koehler no
tilted him of the amount, and Cramer, not
paying as he agreed to, the matter was
laid before the mayor and finance com
mittee of the city council This resulted
In Cramer's arrest, as above stated. Mr..
Koehler and NJ. B. Burgh were then en-
gagged by the city to make a careful inves-
tigation of the books, and as a result of
their labors, it was shown that Cramer
was. S4.17997 short in his accounts
Cramer was furnished with an itemized
statement of the investigation and had
plenty of time to prepare for his trial
which was to come up at the approaching
term of the circuit court. He was also
allowed the privilege of hiring an expert
from Davenport, who, with Cramer's
counsel, had free access to the books, and
went over them time and again. But the
defense did not call on this expert to ties
tify in the trial, so that it is plain that his
report conceded with that of Messrs
Koehler and Burgh. Accordingly Cramel
had taken 81, 1897 of the city's money,
and there was no alternative left for his
bondsmen, but to pay it. Cramer, how
ever, presented bill against the city fol
1914, 90, some of which he claimed to
have paid out for the city's benefit
but the most of it was credited
on the books as received from water rent
ers, while in reality they had not paiC
him. He produced no evidence, however
that such was the case, and rather thai
delay the settlement any longer, the cit,
agreed to allow him that amount. TIL,
exact amount received by the city then
was So, 5O5.05.
The fact of Cramer's stealing the money
and on being found out, returning it, dit
not make him less culpable in the eyes o
the law, and his trial was commenced il
the circuit court, q week ago today
States Attorney Parmenter and Judg
Wilkinson appeared for the people, an
Messrs. Sweeney and Gest for the defense
The evidence produced was all one sided
and of the most damaging character
Cramer, The books used in keeping tn
water accounts were receipt, registe
and cash book. The receipt book shove
the amount of cash received, but thes
stubs did not correspond with the cas-
account. There were twentyseven entire
on the stubs, amounting to $176.37, whic
did not appear in the cash book at all
And in adding up the columns of hi
cash book, errors in his favor, amountin
to $103. so were discovered. The regist,
showed different credits which footed l
TO $3,076.0S, that were not on the Ca!
book. making 1877 entries {
his other hnOks which cnu