Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-24
SETS A VALUABLE PRECEDENT

SETS n VALUABLE PRECEDENT.
Emerson Times The supreme court has
affirmed the decision Of the lower court aud
Bolln, the default'ng treasurer OF Omaha.
viii get nineteen years in the penitcntisry.
Now Moore and BARLEY should be similarly
dealt with.
Hastings Republicans. The decision OF the
supreme court Is that Henry Bolln. Omaha's
defaultng treasurer must do service in the
state pen for nineteen years at hard labor.
This is another lesson that II don't pay to
steal money by the basket load
Valley Enterprise: The honest people Of
Nebraska take a long breath of relief and
have expressed a new hope in the courts OF
our state in protecting the tax payers against
public thieves since Henry Bolln, eX-city
treasurer of Omaha, has been curely
placed behind the bars in the state peniten-
tiary.
Fremont Tribune The decision Of the su-
preme court sending Henry Bolln Omaha's
defaulting treasurer, to the pententiary Tor
nineteen years shows that II is not safe to
embezzle funds by the hasketful with the
expectation OF escaping punishment. 1t is
not right to do wrong and IL requires an
occasional opinion of this kind to confirm
the rumor.
SCHUYLER Quill: Henry Boln, the defaL,ting
eX-treasurer OF Omaha who got away wlth
sos, 900 of the city's cash, gets nineteen
years in the penitentlary and is hned a
double sum. This is a proper thing and
| should cGuse ex-Treasurer BARLEY and eN-
! Auditor Moore to tremble a little. Both
should go there.
| West Point Republican: Much surprise is
manifested by nearly everybody that at last
one big Nebraska defaulter is going to get
his just deserts at the hands of our state
/ court The eUprome court Of Nebraska has
! just decided that Henry Bolln, the default
! ing treasurer of Omaha, must be imprisoned
| for nineteen years and pay fine of S225,OOO
! Such sentences will tend to make emhcz2ling
! of public funds odiOus, instead of popular
| as Seamed to have been the case of late.
Schuyler Sun Henry Bolln the default
| ing official of Douglas county, has received
| sentence of nineteen years in the peni-
! tentiary. While this may seem hard, and no
! doubt is to be deplored-not the sentence
| but the fact that the sentence was necCs-
| sary-yet 1t is no more than simple justice.
| 1t is not right that one man should reap
wealth and aftiucnce at the hands of his
! fellowGan. When placed in the position of
| public trust, that trust should be held sacred
| We know Of two more defaulting officials
! that deserve the same sentence. These two
| elected to the position on their representa-
! tion Of honesty and integrity should suffer
| for the wilful violation of the trust reposed
| in them.
Auburn Granger: Possibly there has been
| turn in the affairs of men who have been
| recreant to their trusts and have gotten away
with the peoples money and then laughed
| at the attempts OF the courts to place them
| behind prison bars. The ex-city treasurer
of Omaha has been sentenced for term
OF nineteen years The county treasurer
| of Harlan county has been sentenced for
few years, while the fellow who cclmdcl
with him and borrowed (?) the peoples
money also gets a sentence to term of
several years. Who knows but what ex-
state Treasurer BARLEY and ex-Auditor
Moore will find that their shortages have
been discovered at the wrong time of the
moon? Who knows but the tide has turned
and that these men will be Obliged to cough
up or go to prison?
PapilliOn Times: Nineteen years for Henry
Bolln. That is the judgment of the supreme
court. For many years public thieves have
been able to defy the laws stern call in
Nebraska. Millions have been stolen but
never thief has paid the penalty. save
only the paltry penalty paid by Mosher The
people have believed the escape of public
criminals was due to the sympathy of the
courts with thieves in high places, and the
psople, or many of them at least. have not
been slow to speak their opinions in public
places. Perhaps the supreme court has had
its ear pressed against the public pulsp Al
any rate, the high court yesterday affirmed
the decision of the lower court which said
Henry Bolln. the Omaha treasury thief must
disgorge 800 900 of his steaiinps and yesr
prison stripes for nineteen years. 1t is an
inspiring decision We do not gloat over
the woes of poor Bolln. We do rejoice that
cur supreme court has at last been led TO
declare that there can be no aristocracv
among criminals in Nebraska The decision
gives hope that there is punishment in
store for the Bartleys, Moores and other
public plunderers By this one decision the
Nebraska supreme court has done much to
check the fast-spreadng sentiment that our
courts are not as pure as they ought TO he
we congratulate the court, not because il
mas meted out punishment to one deprayed
ana unfortunate man. but rather because |
its decision is an earnest that hereafter pub |
nc stea!lnS is to be made odous in Ne |
braska.
Lincoln News: 1t is now announced that
the attorneys for Boln, who took S105 600 |
from the city OF Omaha while acting as its |
treasurer, and whose conviction and sentence |
OF nineteen years in the penitentiary has lust /
peen affirmed by the supreme court, pro- |
pose to take the ceEe on appeal to the Gil |
preme court of the United States cleiminp |
that there Is no warrant in law or in the |
constitution for arraigning and trying man |
lof grave oHenSc upon simply the infor-
matlcn OF the states attorney but that he
must he indicted by a grand jury This is
an attempt to escape punishment upon the
baldest sort of technicalty, and attorneys
are making the most serious mistake when
they stretch the law TO such fine points
Boiln was guilty Of embe22ement of that
there can be no doubt, and he ought to be
punished for it, The majesty of the law
and the interests Cf justice demand that
If any court should turn him loose on the
technica! point evolved by the derauter'z
attorneys the court will deserve the Cblcquy /
that will be poured upon it. AS matter
of fact the people have become very weary |
OF the repeated instances in The history Of
this state where men who have stolen public
FUNDS Of p!undered the taxpayers in some
manner or another have escaped punish
ment because with part OF the stolen money
they were able to hire shrewd lawyers who
could pick flaws in the indictment IL they
couldn't buy jurleS to acquit them There
is no desire to unjusty punish anyone nor
to deny to all accured the right of fair
and impartial trial. but matters have reached
such pass that it is very nearly danger
ouS for the courts to continue week after
week releasing guilty men on technicallties
Dangerous because it inspires contempt for
the courts and gives ground for impugning
their integrity, and when this point is
reached the foundation stone of our govern
ment IL being shaken.