The Press., 1888-12-27
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 Thursday Evening, Dec. 2y, Isss.
 JAMES MCLAUGHLIN $ SON, PUBLISHERS.
 s15O per year. $195 when paid strictly in advance
 CHRIsrmAs week has brought the good weather that was looked for weeks ago. And perhaps we are enjoying it as we'll now as we would have done had it come on schedule time.
 EDITOR FLA, of the Manchester Herald, reads paper before the next meeting of the the c. W. F. A. on 'The Country Editor and his Pen." But very few country editors keep pigs. Why don't Brother Fla select some topic of practical interest to editors, how to keep his scissors from getting lost, for instance.
 THE sermon of Rev. Geo. Curtiss, preached at the 15Oth anniversary of the church in Union. was delivered in two sections at morning and afternoon meetings. Therefore its length is such that at this season of holi- day advertising we have to make division and will give the concluding portion next week. The sermon is valuable contribution to Unions town history, and it is fitting that it should have been prepared by the son of one of Unions longest time and best known pastor, Rev. Samuel Ives Curtiss, well re- membered by many people throughout Tol- land county as thorough chri~tian gentle man, of most genial bearing.
 THE most intense interest has been taken by Stafford people in the murder trial just closed at Holland, in which Stafford fur nished the murderess, her victim, and large part of the witnesses. The jury on Saturday brought in 8 verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree, and the sentence of Judge Andrews was to life imprisonment. Mrs. Johnson was taken to Wethersfeld on Mon day. The verdict is pronounced rejection of the verdict of suicide, and that set aside the murder was of character that would have made the verdict one to carry with it the death penalty had there not been an aversion on the part of the jurors to consign woman to the gallows. Mrs. Johnson has been very ably defended. From the first Lawyer King has managed the case with skill that has added much to his reputation as 8 criminal lawyer. He has seemed sincere in his belief in her insanity, and has made the most of ev- cry circumstance to impart that belief to Oth- CTS. Had there been less natural indignation over the taking of of a worthy citizen to grat ify an apparent spirit of such ungOverned malice as had provoked resentment on prev ious manifestations, the desire to temper the penalty to the sex, and to soften the blow to worthy and respected relatives of the accused, would have put the public into better tenn per over the matter.
 THE trial of Royce, late treasurer of the Dime Savings Bank at Willimantic, for ir- regularities, resulted last week in disagree ment of the jury. MT. Royce, if cashier of a national bank, would have been most certain ly convicted, If guilty of the same practices that he followed as treasurer, and it would seem that the laws of Connecticut should be made to declare false entries and faFsifed ac- counts also penal offense on the part of a custodian of savings banks deposits. At least they should require system of swearing to accounts, so that the penalty of perjury should be imposed upon a man who attested to such accounts as Treasurer Royce would have been obliged to certify by oath
 During the year 1887 the Willimantic Bank had three genuine notes to the amount oi $15, ,OO0 made, one of them by Rawitser & Brothers, Stafford Springs, Conn.,, $5, ,OOO two by James P. Squire & Co.,, Boston, Mass $1O, ,OO0. Originally these notes were entered on the collection register and posted in the ledger. They were sent to the Continental Bank and collected, but this fact was not re- corded in the home books, although the New York banks books showed that the Wi1liman- tic account was balanced on settlemsnt day. Here then was gap in the Willimantic books
 Later on the entries showed that various papers were sent from New York to the Wil- limantic Bank by some of the Ingersolls This paper was paid for and sent to the Con tinental Bank for collection. Again, how ever, the books showed that only partial post ings were made of the transaction and the experts conld find no trace of the papers thomselves. In the collection register, oppo- site the three genuine notes, under the head of remarks is the inscription: ''These are all arranged. On the next page of the regis ter are entered three more notes, precisely similar to those that were genuine, save in the matter of date, amounting to $15, 900. These last three notes were not to be found and the prosecution proved that they never had any existence in fact. Men who were supposed to have made the notes swore they never did so, and alleged indorsers swore they never saw the papers.
 All this looked suspicious, and while the books could show balance as they stood, they would be thrown out of gear when all of the postings had been properly attended to-. The fictitious papers played double role they helped account for wanting entries be- longing to the Ingersoll paper and likewise to the genuine notes. There seemed to be no loophole of escape and much speculation was tndulged in to form plausible explanation. MT. Royce, on taking the stand Friday, showed degree of candor and straightfor- wardness. He set one question at rest by a word. He admitted that the three notes dup icates of three genuine ones, were fictitious land never were drawn. He had represented their existence for the purpose of 'tDeceiving and hoOdWinking the bank commissioners" Why? ;? Well, there was a tot of paper he did not wish the bank could not And. and the entries for which were only partially made. MT. Royce had the papers in his possession for sSme tme and produced them court As to the explanation, Mr. lngersol sent this pa paper to the Wilimantic bank, and without doubt if had been duly acknowledged and entered It was sent or two returned as not paid and protested Most of the paper went to the credit various persons doing business with the bank prominent among them O. IF AndreWs Of course these persons drew ont the mon- ey, and thus the bank eventually paid over $l5 0OO represented, Royce says, by the Ingersol paper No uine notes against the Continental because already the Ingerso paper there in like amount. The de- tendant said he could fix that matter in five minutes were he permitted to have the books. When the com mssoners came in March Royce says he made the fc-
 tOus notes to show offset for the 900 protested nr1f n niuht %Ho