Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-02-05
waite Interrienrd.

Mr.. Waite Was interviewed At the Rutland
jail last Saturday, while be aud the reporter
aud Jail officers supposed be had been par.
doutd, aud below is the main part of what
he is alleged to have said. II be really SAID
this it shows a little breaking down under
the excitement, and it is the first acknowl-
ment of wrong doing which be has made.
well, yes, am Of course pleased, but
must take the good news humbly. Tue pa
pers have had great deal to say about high.
spirited and proud Mr.. Waite but tell you
l know when IN beaten. l will never trou.
BILE Brattleboro people again. | have no In
terest in the place now, and few friends, aud
l don't believe they want anything OF me.
And yet never stole their money. | am not
a felon aud not an embezzler. was dishon
est, and won't deny 1t. played dangerous
game aud lost. But If bad won the world
would never have known that was a dishon-
est nlan, and would never have come to this.
They can call me high-spirited, but they don't
know what such a fall means Why | have
seen the time when could borrow $50 600
in Boston on my personal note as easily as
you can step into store and buy cigar; and
look at me now-homeless, penniless, with
nothing to look forward to or back on with
pleasure. It's all right, though, and l have
no fault to find. They have treated me we'll
here, aud some friends have not forgotten
me-"
Do you want my story? And Waite
talked on with feverish earnestpess. Il WAS
GO years old last October. | have brother
two years younger, Alfred F. Waite, a staid
old farmer, living in Brsttleboro. A daugh-
ter is teaching in Morristown, N. j., and an
other graduates at Smith college at Northamp-
ton next June. My only son is a rsnchman
in Nebraska. l began banking business at
Bratlleboro in 1857, and in 1864 reorganized
the old state bank and started the First Ma
tional bank. The assets OF the old bank
were rated at $3.50, 600, the most of which
was in western loans aud soon proved worth.
less There was $3.50, 600 more stock sub
scrbed for, making $500, 900 in all, and the
new stockholders were paid 81 dividends in
l5i years, averaging per cent. on $500, 600,
or Is per cent. on what they actually paid in.
1t was flush times with us then, and when
| found that half the assets of the bank we're
worthless / thought that il could tide it
| over for few years / could make it good
myself and buy out the other stockholders.
| l owned a profitable gas concern and had
| Just got judgment for Sl6l, 600 against the
| Estey company for an infringement of tbs
| patent reed board of the Burdette organ COM
pany of Chicago, which ! owned half Of
Well, | kept the bank on its legs 10 years.
lied in doing so, but hoped TO make things
all right One thing after another prevent
| ed, however, until in June, 1880, the bank
had to collapse and the whole thing came
out. The organ case had been appealed to
the United States supreme court and the judg-
meDt Of the lower court in my favor was re-
versed. l went west and WAS arrested in
Omaha September 10, 1880, You know the
rest OF the story. The stockholders OF the
bank had to be assessed S20000 to pay the
depositors but they had received in dividends
more than the amount Of their stock, and it
has been shown that had my salary been al
lowed they would have been owing me when
the failure came. But do not want to make
myself out innocent. l am guilty of fraud
aud deception, but never made any money
| nv il > -