Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-01-13
INTERVIEW VITA ARLINGTON
Late Treasurer Of Douglas Co.,
Oregon.
NOW IN THE STATE PENITENTIARY.
His Explanation OF His Defalca-
tiOn First Made Public.


Of Douglas, aud a hitherto re-
spected resident Of the ambitious
little city of Roseburg. Mr. AIRING
ton is about AZ years of age, cripple,
we'll read, agreeable, an interesting
conversatioDalist;a and has been politi-
cal power in the Democratic ranks In
Douglas county. His conviction, on
the charge of misuse of public money,
was a surprise to him and to hundreds
OF his friends. for at the very onset Of
his trouble be surrendered every dollar
Of his own, and every foot of property
standing In bis own and his wife's
name; and lent himself energetically,
TO the task Of unrayelling the tangle,
into which his books, accounts and af-
fairs had fallen. His claim that he had
not profited a penny by the deficit Of
over $4,000 which appeared in the
county funds, however, avalled him
nothing, for nothing could be discov-
cred as to the cause of the loss or the
destination of the funds, and his trial
resulted 10 q sentence of three years
imprisonment.
His keen. black eyes shone out be-
meath the overhanging eyebrows under
his high, white forehead and his lips
wore smile Of conscious integrity rs
he said to the reporter:
"Yes, am In the state prison and /
spent a dreary Christmas, for, you
know, l came in on December 24th;
an I, though 1 am adapting myself ~
the situation, everything was 30 new
q I'd so repuIsive, on the day supposed
to be the happiest in the year, that l
was terribly downcast."
"Then prison life has taken a modi-
q I'D aspect by this time?"
"Quite. The surroundings can never
be congenisl, but the prisoners are bet
ter fed and allowed more comfort aud
than imagined"
"Can you say anything about the de-
fciency In the funds in your hands?"
at is all a mystery. The money
ought to have been there and thought
II was. But when the Investigation,
instituted aud insisted on by Judge
Riddle, was begun 1t was not long be.
fore l found out something was wrong
Cancelled county warrants that ought
to have been In the pile, representing
over $4,000 Ia my safe, were missing.
We discovered that money that had
been receipted for could not be account
ed for in the expenditures, and so the
d -hct grew. At fret had the idea
that the property / and my wife had,
every dollars worth, mind you, accum-
ulated out of my earnings, and by my
wlfe's and my own economy and labor,
would serve to cover the loss, but that
hope was soon dispelled. The first
thing / did was to go to my bondsmen,
Aaron Rose aud Mr.. Wollenberg, the
banker, aud turn over every cent had
In the world to protect them. They
both declared themselves satisfied, and
I certainly thought that would protect
me but II didn't"
III heard about the time the deficien.
cy was discovered, that Wollenbe berg
had prohted by your turning over the
county funds to him for use, 10 return
for becoming your bondsman."
"There Is nothing in that, as no such
stipulation was made; nor did Mr..
Wollenberg ask It. More than that,
dep the funds in both banks In.
discriminatory, and checked In both
choice In the payment OF legal
demands on the county treasury, /
want that known, for l am innocent OF
myself and don't wan I
any one, more especially those who
have been kind to me, to be injured by
any such impression being abroad"
"Your property was insufficient TO
cover the loss"
"Y-s-and Mr.. RISE and Mr.. VOL
enberg both went to the county CON-
N ssioners aud declared their willing
lsss to make everything right at once. |
rney were satisfied that not dollar of |
'ounty money vent dishonesty into
ny packet, L had saved for years, aud |
u some profitable trading with INV
'wn funds; my wife kept boarders, and
We sold milS aud eggs aud slowly ac-
every hit OF property we
had. That was "a tlstactoIlly shown la
he trial.
What onuld have become OF the
Missing money!"
"I don't know" was the reply IN a
al aud hesltating tone Of voice; aud
or moment u gloom spread over Mr..
Arriugton's face. "I don't know; nor
10 | evea suspect reasonably. l have
lad several deputies aud clerks. at va
ious tunes, whom I allowed TO handle
he money juat As | did. They took In
ands, gave out receipts aud made pay.
nents, and trusted them entirely.
Who took the money l cannot guess,
ud l do not dispAir Of its heing found
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