Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-04-21
Confessed His Guilt.

Cope j. snapp, chief com MISSION
clerk for the Northern Pacific Rail.
road Company, was arrested by Sheriff
Bean at st. Paul, MIMI, few days
ago and lodged IN the county jail on
q charge of embezzlement, to which
he subsequently confessed his guilt to
Chas. 8. Fee, general passenger agent.
and H. G. Bullitt, attorney of the
road. N i've
In 1880 snapp was employed in the
office OF the tax collector in Louisville,
KY, in which city he was born. David
Ferguson was the collector and dur.
ing his administration, and while
Snapp was in his employ, Ferguson
succeeded in getting away with be.
tween $4,000 and $1,OOO,OOO.
Ferguson was convicted and sent to
the penirentiary, as was also George
Levi, one OF his deputies. Ferguson was
pardoned after serving two years. 1t
WAS believed at the time that Snapp
furnished the brains for the whole
transaction. he was also arrested,
tried aud convicted, but upon
taking an appeal to the court
OF appeals escaped on q technicality
and immediately afterwsrd disappear.
ed. About four years ago he turned
up III 81. Paul and entered the employ
OF the Northern Pacific Railway com.
pany. Undue time he established him.
self socially, and his home at 1856
NiYNa IS
pleasant in the city. He WAS finally
installed as chief commission clerk for
the Northern Pacific Company, in
which capacity he drew the checks for
the payment Of agents in various
parts OF the country. By system OF
raising these checks after they had
been signed by the company's officers,
and before they were mailed, o ,ket.
ing the difference, he was enabled to do
a big side business. He also worked
his system in other ways, and the
company experts declare that he
showed himself an aoept at robbery
in his manner OF doing business. But
at length the company discovered
that something was wrong, and it was
not long before they located the
criminal, and on the day OF the arrest
they called in the sheriff and had
snapp quietly taken to Jail. BY re.
quest OF his brother, John Snapp, q
sonin.law Of Col. harrington, ex col.
lector OF the port OF St. Paul, the
sheriff kept the fact of the arrest a
secret.
Attorney Bullitt has known snapp
from his boyhood days in Louisville,
and at the time OF the discovery of the
robbery asked HIM why he did it. To
the query snapp replied that he
couldn' t help it and added, 81 guess
it was born in me.'' Snapp said that
he seemed to be possessed OF an irresist.
able inclination to go on until he was
caught, and when that time came he
had nothing to do but to confess. ;.
His crime will not be alone upon
his own head. He has charming
wife and pretty little 7.year old
daughter. Mrs. snapp is a social
favorite and her life is blighted by her
husbands wrong doing. It is said
that the embezzlement Is the result OF
familiarity with wine and women.
snapp is a good looking man OF
short stature. light complexion, brown
mustache and about 35 years OF age.
His populations will aggregate abou,
So, 900 and cover q period of lively.
or fifteen months. It isllkely that on
account OF Bullitt's friendship, as we'll
as from sympathy for his wife, snapp
will escape with light punishment.