The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-05-27
: OVERRIDING H1>.

s
criminal law has not been so frequently
or actively set in motion against often
ders in high places, and especially
against those who have taken criminal
advantage of their opportunities as
officers of banking intitutions to de-
fraud those whose confidence they have
enjoyed, does not justify such previous
activity as is being shown at present
in Ramsey county.
For years past fraudulent relations
of law have been treated as matters
personal between the bank and its de-
positors. Under the pressure of pub
lie opinion outraged by the extent and
frequency of there ''irregularities"
prosecuting officers and investigating
juries have been spured into an activi-
ty more aggressive than wise. They
have taken the extreme view that all
bank officers are thieves, and have
sought whomthey might indict, withthe
result OF defeating their own purpose.
They are creating sympathy by their
excessive methods. which will lead
many if not most of the people to be-
lieve that the grand jury is an instru-
ment for persecution rather than prose-
cution, and the guilty will get an I'M
deserved share of this sympathy SO
awakened.
The last case in ST. Paul is to the
point
Congressman F. c. Stevens on ex
parte bestowing, and in face of the
fact that the prosecuting attorney had
been pointedly advised of the true
STATE of affairs which he could easily
have verified, was indicted for embez-
cling So, O46 from the Minnesota Saw
ings Bank, the amount being fixed by |
adding together all apparent over
drafts for years, ignoring credits
which overbalance them. The books
of the bank show an overdraft OF $4OO
only, and Mr.. Stevens claims credits
of more than $4,000, and felt assured
that his account stood nearly that sum
to his credit when the bank assigned.
And when notified of the apparent
Oyerdraft by the receivers he forth
with made the account good awaiting
the fuller investigation by the re-
ceivers when the true condition of af-
fairs would be ascertained, and he
claims, and the claim is not disputed,
that the bank owes him about 1000.
ali ,Ofc |
secution. Mr.. Stevens declined to set
up any technical defense to the indict- :
ment. but demands immediate trial up
on the merits of the case, and the
courts was inclined to set the case for
immediate trial. but the county attor-
ney has succeeded in getting it post
poned. All who knew Mr.. Stevens to y
be the high minded man that.he is, will I
share in his indignance at the out
rageous treatment accorded him.
AS a whole, ST. Paul has reason to z
be proud Of the condition of her streets :
in the residence districts. For in /
stance, Summit Ave-, and many other F
handsome thoroughfares on the hill S
are delightfully."- if not ideally excel
lent. But one has not to go far from
the .''most beautiful avenue in the
world,'' to find conditions different. F
For instance, if one attempted to get
TO Summit by even crossing Laurel :
Ave-, to say nothing of traversing it, r
it is a question whether life would
have sufficient attraction to enable
him to appreciate the beautiful. A
few loads of boulders judiciously dis
tributed would help the ground some S
certainly could make it no worse.
There ism t tamerack swamp cordu-
row road in the state that would be
willingly exchanged for that stretch
of wood pavement.