The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-02
THE MORNING NEWS: THURSDAY. DECEMBER 2 1897
SPALDING UNDER SENTENCE.
THE TERN TO RUN ANYWHERE
FROM ONE TO 10 YEARS.

Its Length After One Year Rests
With the Illinois Board of Prison
commissioners Banker Makes
Dramatic Denial That Either He
or His Lawyer Ever Admitted His
GuiIt-The Case an Unusually In
terestinE One.
Chicago, Dec. 1.-Charles Warren Spald-
ing. ex-president of the Globe Savings
Bank, was to-day sentenced to an indie
terminate term in the penitentiary. He
was charged with embezzing funds of the
University of Illinois, of which he was
treasurer.
The court proceedings that terminated
in his sentence were of a highly dramatic
character. Judge Horton reviewed the
case in an elaborate opinion, which he had
prepared before hand. One assertion in
that opinion seemed to unnerve Spaldng.
This was when the court said that Spald-
ing admitted his guilt
Il WISH" cried Spalding. TO deny that
l or my counsel ever admitted my guilt
Judge Horton here asked Spalding if he
had anything to say why sentence should
not be passed on him.
Yes" exclaimed the banker standing
up. His face was pale and he spoke as
if laboring under strong agitation.
In a few rapid words he made denial
of ever having admitted guilt and then
said: every dollar l received from the
university has been applied to it's benefit
l protest against this unjust verdict, which
l feel would not have been returned had
your honor permitted certain facts to be
considered by the jury. These facts had
relation to the question of intent TO COM
init embezzlement. l am proud OF my
business career. of thrty-three years
fifteen of which, have been passed in this
community. / challenge any man to
stand up before me and say I ever did
wrong. Your honor may abrldse my days
of usefulness. but you cannot take from
me the honor of the past"
At the point Spalding's voice failed him
and he began to choke with emotion.
Judge Horton then imposed sentence.
1t was announced in behalf of the eX-
banker that an appeal would be taken to
the supreme court, pending which ne
will be kept in the county Jail, in which
he has been confined since last spring.
The charge on which Spalding was con-
victed was the embezzlement of $204,0OO of
Macoupin Credit bonds, the property or
the university. Banker Spalding made a
stubborn fight in the courts in the endeaV-
or to preserve his good name. Besides
being in Justices courts and before mas
ters In chancery several times, he twice
stood trial on the charge of Illegally di-
verting funds entrusted to his care. The
first time the verdict was not guilty, but
on the second trial, which was on diff
ferent count, the jury brought in an ad-
verse decision. The indictment and subse-
quent conviction, the romantic love story
underlying the trial of his alleged offense,
and his self-possession under the most try
ing circumstances, all combined to make
his case an unusually interesting one.
Under the indeterminate sentence law in
operation in this state the convicted bank
president will be kept I'm prison from one
to fifteen years. The length of the sem
tence above one year rests with the board
of prison commissioners.