The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-04-12
THURSDAY, April f2. 1885.
Will THE BANK NEECK-
EElS GO FREE

1t appears at this writing as if d
sickly sentimcnta!ity, aided by weak
kneed Justice ~, will allow the bank
wrcckcrs and thieves Cross and White,
to go free after the "forms' CT law
have been gone through with, and few
flaws and technicalities picked out of the
laws under which they are to be tried.
We thought as much when we read
the following paragraph in tie Ne11s-
ObSrr9rr of Sunday:
The result of the investigation will
no doubt prove highly salts
factory to all who are inter
ested. Ten days ago depositors
thought that everything would be lost.
The affairs of the bank. however, have
proven to be much more satisfactory
than was drearaed of Immediately after
the announcement Of the crash. The
fact is, very little mischief was done by
the simple fact of Cross and White
running away, as they carried com
paratively little with them, and it has
since been found that the bank has
been weak for some time and the final
crash was inevitable and only a question
OF time.
So Cross and White committed no
crime when they wrecked 4 National
Bank, got $4,000 on the strength of
it, pockctcd the amount and fed to
Canada. Public confidence is shaken,
but they did not steal a mighty big
pile after all and SO every little mis-
chief was done" Away with such
stuff as this. If Cross and White have
not done mischief, then who has?
The criminals (bcg pardon, gentle
men, We mean the Canada tourists),
are back IN Raleigh-in the hands of
the law, and it is now virtually given
out that they are not to be punished, or
very lightly if all. That is what is the
matter with the country now. If such
crimes were punished in proportion to
petty offences OF larceny and little
misdemeanerS, there would be fewer
breaches of our laws and wanton
abuses of public confidence. The
GOLD DEAF does not wish 10 see Cross
and White bsrssfutsI, indeed they
have its sympathy in the unfortunate
and embarrassing position in which
they are in, but they placed themselves
there, and it does want to see them
prosecuted, and not only that, but
paRiShed, as their CRIME deserves to be.
The Ns'5gs O5st,vsy OF Tuesday says:
4 new phase seems to have devel-
oped now in connection with the
charges OF forgery against the prisoners
which seems to make their conviction
for these offences somewhat doubtful.
1t will be remembered that the charges
for which the eXtradilion papers were
issued were the three forgery indict-
ments brought in by the grand jury
on the day on which cur officers left
the city for Toronto, and which are
named in disagreement Of trial below.
1t IS stated that McsSrs. White and
Cross now claim that these forgeries
are not bona Gde forgeries, that the
forged notes were simply placed among
the assets OF the bank 10 make the
condition OF the bank appear sound
and that no money was obtained on
them. They seem confident of being
acquitted on these grounds. While
there are other forgeries on which they
did obtain money, they are not IN
cluded among the charges for which
they are to be tried IL fact the mat
ter seems 10 be IN shape which seems
10 afford the boodlers 4 very fair
chance Of escaping any penalty ct all
If the forgery charges are not estab-
lished they will Ike released and allowed
TO return to Canada if they choose as
they cannot be tried for embezzele-
ment."
So much the worse for their having
been brought back to North Carolina.
1t seems to us that it would have been
better for Mr.. Busbec not to have made
any bargain with Cross and White to