The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-12
Convicted Of Falsifying Colum.
bia National Books.
TAKEN TO THE COUNTY JAIL
He Was Charged With Directing Tn
true Entries 70 Be Made.
sneephersier Murdered by Unknown
Persons 1t waila waIIa-An Aged
Hancher Murdered by Neighbor
ss s<qaim Bay--A jefferson County
Homicide Acquitted.

Tacoma. Asr. -speciar-wuisam q.
Peters, cashier OF the Columbia National
Dsnk, vas tSaay found guilty 81 the crime
q fa3sizYiag the books of the hank wIta
tA@ tatent OF 6see.v1ny ne comptroller Of
fae currency as - thu condition os tne IT,
st1Eatson- The ver8set was returned by
jury n the Fe1erai coarf tnIs sf.srnooa
a ocsock. AF. Peters sas fn-s1lasssy
placed n the cstssO4y of Cnste1 States
Alarsnai James c. Drake. He wAs later
s9aAned tn the county sail, pending ser
teSee ~ Judge Gilbert TIE cenVleteA
eAsaier scarcely palea when the verdict
o. TIE jury xas read He received Il wtsh
slo3eAl insiffsrsnes. The punishment as
provided By the Federal statutes ls not
less tsan I've years IA the peastenf!ary or
mote than fifteen.
TIE Peters case Is remarkable sn one
sense. Although fhre@ banks IN the city
Aaye fA.sed since tie panic af i93 tn
which there were lnsslcatsons OF criminal
sts or TIE part of the Officers. the convie-
s4oa OF Peters Is the first on record
ne arguments OF the attorneys In the
ease We're begun this naornfEz Judge
fsrinAer opened for shs government. mak-
ihg strong argument and going fully
inso the case against the defendant. He
saia thaF IN view Of the evidence of Book
keeper foasg and Teller Anarms the Jury
eeua DO but one thias-0rlng IN . YER
DICT o. guilty. lie dweit on the meager-
ness % evidence introduced By the 1s-
lense, and declared thai the material
eAaFses IN the indictment aaa Eeea proved
oeS9Ha doubt AttorneTs Boyle a
Hammond replied 20 the regiments Of the
government prosecutor. They claimed
fhSt the government had not made out
case against the defendant ans that IL aai
not deem proven that he had committed
ment
Judge Gllbert's charge to the Jury fol-
lnrte- The charge was G uchsa IN plain
aagnage. and was against the aefandan.
e. Y any OF the issues I. he case. The
judge Instructed the jur. that where ID
Was proven that false entrlez were made
under the direction OF Mir. Peters Il nuss
md the defendant guilty. The question
O fraud vas gone into thoroughly BY tbe
court. and the jury sas instructed that II
II we're proven that the defendant had pur-
poseiy deceived the comptroller OF the eur
rerey the ve-3iet should be guilty.
The jury occupied three hours in their
deliberations. Al 5 o'clock the Jury fled
into the rours room and the verdict was
read. The customary notice Of a motion
for new trial was offered BY the de-
fendant's counsel
A. o'clock Mr.. Peters. who had been
placed In the custody OF the marshal. wss
taken TO the county jail. where he wifi
remain unit! sentenced. Bail was fixed 1t
sis.@o.
The Columbia National bank was or
ganszsa In 1891 BY Peters and y. Il. DolSon.
Its capital stock was seua 90. II did a
fair business until the hard times set in.
Treasurer Baggs vas a stoekhoIder In the
hank. ard the cItys depcS5t ran over stal.-
60 when he went out Of Office Ia is9s
Treasurer Hedges who was az one tine t.
rector IN the bank. made heavy deposits OF
county money IN the baak Until a short
time before Il was placed Ia the charge
of Bank Examiner Charles Ciary. At the
time OF IS failure. IN October OF last year.
the bank owed the city sle7,9o.
in local banking circles II was always a
mystery how the Col 1runla bank Was en-
abied 70 keep iss doors open after the agi-
tattcn N the council vas begun last Sep
tsneer ever the city funds In the charge
% Treasurer McCauiey. \ few days be-
fore the Columbia bank failed. the Ger
rlan-Anserican Savings bank. which vas
aIl!ea 20 the foruaes Institution. was placed
IN ths hands of a receiver BY the superior
court This led 70 the failure OF she ua-
tlanal hank. ana when Examiner CARY
t.onk charge evidence of criminal sets On
she part OF tAe president ard cashier
as ve,i as Treasurer McCaulsy. was dis
covered and placed IN The possession OF the
state and government.