The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-30
THE CONvICT'S STORY
EX-TREASUREK BENSON TELLS
HOW He CAME TO BE A
DEFAULTER.


Repaid il he was not A bic To Replace
the Amoant--StOry of his Arrest. I'm.
prisOnment. Trial and Conviction
Now Serving out 3-Year Sentence.
The cary train Monday brought from
Eliz BEETHOVEN, Baden county, Sheriff
Wooten, with three conyicts. One OF
these was ex-Oounty Treasurer John NJ
Benson, who was convicted of the embez-
element of some So 900 of the county's
funds, and has been sentenced to three
years in the penitentiary.
The story is a long one. The crime
extended over a period of nearly ten
years, and is remarkable in sew
eral resp c's. Benson was APP
pointed Treasurer by the Board of Counr'
Commits toner's in 1888 to Fl
the vacancy caused by the resigna-
ton of Treasurer Devane, and was
re &c ed success ,vely in 1884, 'S6, 'S8
and go The emb, element of which
he was cow cred began soon after he
took charge or the flee and continued
until he was forced 70 resign in 1891,
During this period he succeeded in es
Gaping detection by the peculiar system
of finances adopted by the Commission
ers of Bladen county. Under this sys
tenn the Urea urer is required to make
o report of OF the county funds to the
board of commissioners and of the ednca-
cationaI funds to the Board of Education,
Thus he was abled tojuggle with the two
separate funds, transferring the money
from one to the other at pleasure, until
fually the defalcation became 80 great
that an investigation was instituted and
then Benson found 70 be defaulter to the
amount of nearly $1,000. He was i'm
mediately compelled to resign and Dr.
W. H G.. Lucas appointed to succeed
him. This was in November, 1891. The
rest of the story is told in the words of
Benson himself, who was seen
by NEWS AND OBSERVER reporter
at the penitentisry yesterday.
II vas the victim of my friends" he
said, 'of my over-confdeuce ia them
and my own e. nerosity of heart. In
other words | am here because | lacked
the moral courage to say no.
'tSoon after my election in 1884, be
gan to loan money 10 my friends. Much
of it went in small sums Of which | took
no account, and of course was never paid
back: TINS continued until 1890, when
/ saw that my affairs were getting into
very bad shape. Times were hard and ]
could borrow no money. So | confessed
al and resigned.
''The total amount of my shortage
was nearly $1,000, but | got
In some money before | went
out of Office aud paid the amount down
to S. 200, and since that time one Of my
bondsmen, Mr. John II CLARK, of Clark
ton, has paid about 50 700 more. | don't
think the other bondsmen have paid any
thing.
1.-THE presentment before the grand
Jury" the con vict continued, "was made
at the spring term of 1892 and the bill
found at the fall term and capias issued
at once. Was attending court at the
time. I was arrested, and, not being
able to give the $12, 900 justified
bond required OF me, | was put in
Jail. / remained in prison three
weeks and three days. Meanwhile my
friends made every possible effort TO
give the bold required of me. They
failed, however, and made my escape,
some one breaking open the jail door
from the outside Tnat was on Satur
day. left the Jail just after dark and
went home, where | remained until the
following Wednesday Night week, when,
upon Being informed that reward was
about 10 be offered for me, left and
went to JessuD, Ga.
''0n my way to Jessup | was taken
extremely i'll, so / only remained in
Jessup from Friday evening till Monday
morning, when | came back home, hav
ing been absent just one week. stayed
at home as had done before got into
this trouble, with the exception of two
weeks in March, 1893, which spent with
my sister who lives in the lower end Of
Baden, about % miles from my home.
| slept in my bedroom every night as ]
had always done and my neighbors
visited me as of old.
There was at this time no reward for
my aTrtst, though one had been talkt d
of. But wnile / was at my sisters in
March the Governor offered reward Of
5000.
81 then went back home and remained
there unmolested until May, 1894, at
which tim / was arrested by two officers
from Moore county and taken to VIII
mington and put in Jail made appli
cGe.o2 through my attorneys, to Judge
Bryan, at L1mherton, and was released
on bond of 81 900
"At the fail term of 1894, the case was
continued by conset. At the spring term
of 1865 it vas continued on &C cunt of the
death of the wife of Mr. r. Fl. Lyon,
who was my leading counsel, AS You
know the else finally came up for trial
last week and the result is that ] am
here today. The trial was sensational
one, though it lasted only one day. The
sent nee was three years in the peniten.
tiary and fine of $500.
ION the trial there was no attempt to
deny the fact that there was a shortage
in my accounts, and one that could not
make good, though had offered to give
up everything in the world that pos
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