The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-07-12
ARCHER PLEADS GUILTY
Secret Arrangement of Counsel to
Avoid Publicity.
SENTENCED TO SERVE FIVE YEARS

Avoid Publicity.
SENTENCED TO SERVE FIVE YEARS
| Court by Mr.. Bernard Carter-Ap-
| pearance of the ex-Treasurer-He
| Is Now in the PenItentiary in
Prison Garb.
Ex State Treasurer Stevenson Archer
pleaded guilty in the Criminal Court on
| Monday to the indictment for emDeZzie-
ment and was sentenced by Judge Stew
art to five years in the penitentlary
| This action was prearranged by the
| counsel in the case and was known TO
the Judge, but to all others it was com
plete surprise. The trial of the case had
been set for Tuesday. The State witnes
SEES and one hundred statesmen had been
summoned.
ARCHER APPEARS IN COURT.
The session of the Criminal Court be
| gan at 10 o'clock with comparatively
small attendance. The witnesses did not
occupy all the seats reserved for them.
aud there was less than the usual mum
Der in the rallied off space allotted to the
general public. Mr.. Edgar ii. Cans, OF
counsel for the defense, was early on
hand, as was also States Attorney Kerr.
Attorney. General Whyte was absent be-
cause of the death of his sister, Mrs. Us
mond Tiffany. At twelve minutes after
ten tall, gaunt form, with bowed head
and detected mien, entered the court
room in company with four other men.
All of the party except one seated them
selves I'D the front of witness chairs,
facing the Judge, and buzz of excite
ment Immediately became audible when
it was seen that Mr.. Archer and his
friends were in court. Those with
Archer were Col. Edwin II. Webster, his
friend Benjamin Silver, his son-in-
law; Stevenson A. Williams, his ne
phew, and Bernard Carter, his counsel
Mr.. Archer was dressed in q dark suit,
with a light SLOUGH hat, and carried a
slender cane. His relatives ranged them
selves beside him, and Mr.. Carter ad-
vanced to his colleague, Mr. Cans, who
Immediately notified Clerk Wilson Nj.
Cary that Mr.. Archer would plead guilty.
The case on trial was suspended when
! Mr.. Carter informed the Court he had
| a communication to make. There was a
| GREATNESS silence in the room as MIR.
Carter, taking position near the witness
stand, read in distinct tone as follows
from a manuscript which he took from
| his pocket:
READING THE CONFESSION.
| Honorable VIVA. A. Stewart, Judge
of the Criminal Court of Baltimore City
81 hereby plead guilty to the indict-
ment which has just been read. In do
ing so | respectfully ask leave to say
| that when the indictment was found |
was advised by my counsel that they had
examined the statute upon which the
indictment was based, and that they
were clearly of opinion that the s1tute
was never intended to embrace within
| it's provisions the treasurer of the State,
and that therefore my offense, grievous
as it is, was not punishable under that
| statute.
But now that the highest court in the
State has decided that if l am guilty of
the offenses charged l am punishable
under the statute, desire here, in the
presence of this court, fully to acknow
| ledge that | am guilty of the offenses
| charged against me in the Indictment
and also to confess that | have been
| guilty of a great sin against Almighty
| God; that | have proved false to the great
trust committed to me by my native
State; that | have deeply and cruelty
wronged not only those friends who be-
cause of their great and undoubtiIg con-
fidence in my integrity became Ae sure
ties on my Official bonds, but offers also
who have suffered pecuniary lqk because
of that same confidence.
Al. r
excuse or palliation. Now that | have,
so to speak, come to myself, | realize its
enormity and am deeply sorry for, and
| sincerely trust truly penitent of all |
have done.
THE sorrow and misery which have
been caused by my conduct are shared
by many, but no blame for any part of it
attaches to any one but myself. 1t is all
mine and mine alone.
mo part of the States money or secu.
rites was ever used by me ill gambling,
stock speculation or for political purpo.
ses, nor have at this time one dollar of
it left. /, therefore, submit myself to
the judgment and mercy of the court.
This is signed by Stevenson Archer"
concluded Mr.. Carter, land we wish it
placed on the files of the COURT
HOW THE SENTENCE WAS RECEIVED.
Every WE'LL" replied Judge Stewart,
81 will direct the clerk TO place it on the
court files, and will impose sentence of
five years in the penitentiary.
During the reading of the confession
an opportunity was afforded to observe
Archer's appearance. His seat was in
full view, though not conspicuously so
as would have been the case had he oc.
cupied the usual place of accused persons,
and he was gazed at by all. His general
physical condition seemed improved, and
this improvement was noted by all.
Throughout the ordeal he sat with his
hat on his knees, his head bent and his
hands crossed on the head of his cane. A
nervous twitching of the hands and an
cratic but incessant tapping of the cane
on the floor betrayed the mental excite
ment he was under. These were the
only signs of perturbation he evinced.
He did not once raise his eyes from the
floor nor exchange word with those
around. The heightened color of his
countenance, where not concealed by his
heavy heard, showed the strain be was
under. 1t was the general impression
that he had neIved himself for the occa-
sion and restrained his feelings with diff
Guilty.
LEAVING THE COURTROOM.
Judge Stewart made no remarks other
than what have been quoted, and as soon
as he had spoken Archer arose from his
seat preparatory to leaving the court
room. His physical weakness then be-
came apparent. His step was feeble, |
aad he leaned heavily upon his cane and
the arms of his relatives. The party |
slowly left, and as had been previously |
arranged, Deputy Sheriff George w. |
Roseman took charge of Archer. From |
the corridor of the courtroom a flight of |
steps leads to the sheritf's office below, |
and this was the route the party took. |
The commitment, had already been pre- |
pared and everything arranged to avoid |
delay and prevent crowd gathering. In |
the sheriff S office Archer parted from |
Colonel Webster, his brother-in. law, and |
Mr.. Williams, his nephew. The con-
Victed man seemed to be rapidly losing |
his fOrtitude. A carriage was called from
the stand at Monument Square. John
Reddingtou was the driver. Archer, Mr..
Carter, Mr.. Silver and Deputy Sheriff
Roseman got inside. The carriage was
driven to the penitentiary, where it ar
rived about twenty-five minutes OF
eleven. On the way Archer said he felt
fairly well, but there was no discussion
OF the case. AS far as possible it was
endeavored to divert his mind from
dwelling upon his condition, and the con-
versatIou was confined to general topics.
INSIDE THE PENITENTIARY
When the party entered the peniten.
tiary they went at once to the warden's
office. where Deputy Sheriff Roseman