The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-07
DELhMATER CONVICTED.
The Ex-senator Adjudged Guilty
Of Embezzlement
LIABLE TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON

inc Defense WIFI MAKE AppllcatiOn
for a New Trial-George B. aud T.
A. Delamntcr Acquitted-A Review
of the Case.
MEADvnLE, Pa, Oct. THE jury in
the embezzlement cases against the Del
amaters returned verdict of guilty as
TO Hon. George Wallace Delamater and
not guilty as to the other defendants.
The jury stood ten for conviction and
two for acquittal upon the first ballot.
Mr.. Delamater received the verdict with
out flinching. The defense will apply
for new trial, and will also question
the legality Of the act of 1889.
The defeD was IA state senator for
many years, aid the Republican candi-
date for governor in 1890, when he was
defeated by Robert E. Pattison, the
present incumbent.
A Celebrated Case.
The banking house of Delamater g.
Co., at Meadville. was finally forced
to make an assignment on Dec. 8, 1890,
about month after the election, at
which Mr., G.: w. Delamater, one of its
members, had been defeated for the gov
was less than $400 in cash in the bank,
with neighboring bankers telegraphing
and interviewing about protested New
York drafts, while Mr.. Delamater him
self was in Philadelphia endeavoring to
raise more money to tide over the diff
culties of the firm The failure was one
of the most disastrous ever known in the
history of banking in the interior of this
state, and attracted all the more atten-
TnsN s.cA -.
nence of Mr.. Delamater.
The members of the firm were arrested
on the charge of embezzlement ON Jan.
8, 1891. They were ex-senator George
b. Delametar and his two sons, George
Wallace Delamater and T. A. Delamater.
Another son, Victor, had actual charge
of the bank as cashier, although not
member of the firm, and was originally
incluSed in the criminal proceedings
that followed the failure. The Della
matters gave bail in $40, 900 bail each,
but on the Both of the same month they
were again arrested on complaint of
some of their depositors, and were re-
quired to give additional bail in 81 900
each
Attempts at Compromise.
Attempts at compromise with the
creditors of the concern We're under way,
but these ultimately came to naught.
The firm made an offer to pay fifty cents
on the dollar-10 per cent on May /,
1891, and the balance within two years
and this offer was finally acespted by
all the creditors, whose claims amounted
to about $s00,000, except about $20, 900.
Some of the holders of these latter claims
were abroad and could not be reached,
whereupon the committee of creditors
having the matter in charge agreed to
close the matter up and assume the re-
6ponsibility for this amount, and ten
dered their bond therefor. This was on
May |, 1891. The bankrupt firm, how
ever, found itself unable to fulfill its
side of the proposed compromise, and
withdrew its offer, thereby bringing the
proposed settlement to an end.
Meanwhile, on Feb. II, the grand Jury
OF Crawford county found true bills
against the four Delamaters under the
act of May 8, 1889. The accused made
application for change of venue, which
was refused by the court. An appeal
was cslten TO the supreme court, which
In November sustained the action of tho
Crawford county court, and the case was
finally called for trial at Meadville on
reb. 10 last. The case went to the jury
on Feb. pa, and that body, after delib-
Grating over thirty-one hours, notified
Judge Henderson that it was impossible
thereupon discharged.
George w. May be Imprisoned.
The case was to have been called for
trial again in May of last year, but the
serious illness of George w. Delamater
rendered a postponement until the Sep
tember term necessary The case was
finally called up on the Goth of last
month, and has been in progress ever
since.
The case was given to the Jury on
Tuesday, after the trial had been in
progress just two weeks. BY the verdict
rendered yesterday George b. Delamater
and L. A. Delamater are acquitted, and
George w Delamater is convicted of
having received money from depositors,
with the knowledge at the time of so do
ing that his bank was insolvent, and is
made liable to a fine Of double the
amount so received, and an imprison-
ment of from one to three years in the
penitentiary
About year ago George W. Della
mater removed from Meadyille to Ia
coma, Wash, where he opened law
Office and made beginning in the effort
to retrieve his lost fortunes. Last spring
he appeared at the national capital as
the attorney of parties interested in the
opening up of the Puyallup Indian reser-
vation on the borders of Tacoma, and
joined In tine efforts of the Washington
delegation in congress to secure legisla-
tion in that direction, to enable the city
of Tacoma to spread.