The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-23
Tacoma Bureau of the post-Intelligencer.
1i23 Pacific Avenue.

Tacoma Bureau of the post-Intelligencer.
1i23 Pacific Avenue.
TACOMA, April 22.-When George w.
Boggs, ex-treasurer of the city of Ia
coma. was convicted Of q felony in re-
ceiving interest on city balances in bank,
there were many people in this city who
said he would never go to the peniten-
tiary TO pay the penalty Of his crime.
The supreme court sustained the juds-
ment of the lower court against Boggs,
and thea Gov. McGraw refused to pardon
him. Still the wise ones said that Boggs
would never go to Walla Walla, and they
have the best Of IL so far, as the ex-treas-
urer is still an inmate of the county Jail.
Today Boggs' attorneys showed that
they have not exhausted all the arts of
the law in trying TO save him from the
wearing OF stripes. They filed an Gp-
piication in the superior court for a
writ OF coram nobis. In a somewhat
lengthy statement OF facts Boggs' adj
visors allege that they have discovered
new evidence upon which they claim the
former verdict OF the court should be re-
voked and a new trial had. In brief. ii
is alleged that during the time when
Boggs is accused of receiving interest on
city funds in the Tacoma Trust & Saw
iEgs bank, the city in fact had no money
on deposit in the institution, but that It's
cfe edit of something like 100000 was made
UP OF deposits OF city warrants. which
the court has since held were valueless.
Consequently. 1t is argued. Boggs could not
have been paid interest on a deposit OF
funds in bank when in fact there was no
such deposit.
During Boggs' trial W. B. Allen, presi-
dent Of the bank. was under the
charge OF having received deposits at
the bank after he knew that 1t had become
insolyent In the evidence against Boggs
1t was shown that President Allen had d.
rected the cashier TO credit Boggs' per-
sonal account with interest on the city
balances at the rate of per cent. per an
mum. Allen was subpoenaed as witness
for the defense. but took advantage of his
constitutional rights and refused TO tes-
tify. In their application for writ Of
coram nobis, Boggs' attorneys show these
facts and then allege that Allen is now
ready to testify that he had permitted
Boggs to oyerdraw his personal account
for the furtherance OF political schemes
in which the bank was as deeply inter-
ested as Boggs.
1t is claimed that Allen will swear that
Boggs never really knew how these credits
had been made, and was unaware that the
bank had been crsditing him with inter-
est on city balances.
One singular thing in connection with
the application is that ex-Judge John C.
Stallcup has been added to Boggs' list of
attorneys. Judge Stallcup first called in
question the validity OF the warrants de-
posted as cash In the city repositories,
and from the bench rendered decision
by virtue of which the city took the po-
sition that the warrants were yalueless.
and had been redeemed from the moment
Boggs passed city coin over the counter
as he purchased them.
The latest attempt to get Boggs out OF
Jail brings up the whole history of the
"Boggs warrants" which have caused
Tacoma more grief, perhaps. than any
other one thing. The readers of the POST
Inteliigencer are familiar with the whole
wretched history Of Boggs' last term as
city treasurer. During that time nearly
$4,000 of general fund warrants were
bought by Boggs and deposited In bank
as cash. when, had he complied with the
law he would have Endorsed them as I'M
paid for want Of funds, az there was at
the time large amount Of general fund
warrants outstanding. Boggs always
claimed that he took this course TO up
hold the credit of the city during the
panic that began with 1893. The banks
with which Boggs transacted his business
held city warrants 20 a large amount and
the effect OF a decline IN value of this
paper. which would have followed the
throwing OF a large amount OF them on
the market, can be easily imagined.