Evening journal., 1892-06-09
VII NoT eFIaHr wIND.s
Tho Mayor and Police Commissioners
Presume That blackburn Is Innocent
Until Proven Guilty.


Presumo That blackburn Is Innocent
Until Proven Guilty.
The signature of "Wm. J Blackburn.
police officer. Wilmington Del and
Emily D.. which appears on the records
of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society
after the lrst deposit recorded on the
mysterious bank book found on Gambler
+. T. Stroud, is still the subject of much
gossip about the police station
The reporters gathered In force al the
mayors Office last evening. expecting
that some decided action would he taken
by the Police Commission Prior TO the
calling of the meeting the EvENIS0
JOURNAL reporter had a talk with Chief
of Police Blackburn He said that the
signature was not his. but very much
like IL, however, but that he could have
told that II was a forgery He seemed to
think that in "a banking institution
where there are hundreds Of thousands Of
/ depositors, anybody could 60 there and
open an account i'm 0nothor persons
nane and none Of the bank officials be-
any the wiser Ho does not know any
other way in which it could lave been
done.
"Are You going to get Stroud to appear
/ before the commission in your behalff'
mo, ] do not propose TO do anything Of
I the kind.
After the routine business Of the board
was finished, Commissioner Lawson, the
! Democratic member, said
There seems TO be a great deal Of
newspaper talk concerning armatter In
which the chief Is connected I am salts
fed that the chief Is anxious to have the
matter CLEARED up and himself vindicated.
ff...H t.. u ..H
bank deposit book on a person arrested
by the state detectives AS I understand
it the chief Gays IL is not true and that
hc knows nothing about &C. In my opin-
ion the only thing we can Go is for some
body TO see the paying teller Of the Phil
adelphia Saving Fund and see If he
thinks he can identify the person who
made the first deposit OF - in April.
In reply TO this Mayor Wiley said 1T
is a hard matter TO investigate. as we
have nothing TO investigate The only
thing 90 do is TO wait for something TO
work upon. The burden of proof should
rest upon the accusers Those who make
charges should sustain them. IL is d
question OF voracity as the matter now
stands. Stroud refuses 20 say anything.
and consequently we cannot get any.
thing from that source. Just as soon as
we can look into this matter and with
anything tangible iE view, ! am anxious,
not only for our own account, but also
for the chiefs. TO do so., When that time
comes the matter will be thoroughly in
vcstigated. If anybody has any charges
to make he should submit them to this
board and we viii proceed 20 act. w,
are not going TO go out and fight wind
II they win only prefer charges no one
is more anxious to investigate them thar
am hope that anybody having suci
evidence viii submit il to MS In legitimat,
form SO that we can act on a..
When the detectives went to philadol
phia yesterday they took with them foi
the purpose of comparison. four warrants
issued by the Work of the Municipa
/ Court for various offenders. and bearing
Chief of Police Blackburn signature
Three OF them were written wv. j
. Blackburn and one "Wm J. Blackburn.
s The signatures were compared with
that on the book. Tho detective fell
I convinced that all had been written by
! the same hand They are the sam'
signatures, the cashier is reported q
have said positively, unless tlere ha
been a very deceptive piece of forgerl
executed, and, in that case the forgel
e must have had a great amount of prac
tice in initiating the name TO make him
so proficient. He had better make
clean breast Of it.