New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-17
RTSKED HIS LIFE TO KEEP HIS WORD.
AN OREGON EMBEzZLER WHO SWAN TORRENTS
TO SURRENDER TO JUSTICE.

AN OREGON EMBEzzIER WHO SWAN TORRENTS
TO SURRENDER TO JUSTICE.
Portland (Ore) correspondence Of The San Fran
cisco Examiner.
You need not send an officer for me. will come
Vincent Sutton Postmaster at Oretown. Tila-
nook County. was wanted for embezzlement ny ,nS
United States authorities. plain tale. truly ana
enc which smacks OF the vulgar commonplace pnt
mark the difference.
This Sutton is man Of simple mind ana 10 nm
it seemed no harm would be done If he eked out me
pittance Of his Office of postmaster by adding 'he
matter OF some 1855 when all counted. He
he thought it no wrong. But the United States
does not do business that way, and In due time
there came an Indictment found by the oregon
Grand Jury Sutton heard. He realized that he
had done wrong. He was ready TO meet ms pun
ishment Nay he ready to 20 10 meet IL at the
peril of his life Nothing prevented If he chose TO
leave the State. None could find him in this bitter
his own trackless mountains. but 1t came home TO
him. what he had not realized when he took the
m nSar yhe h Snr ne 'o done WRONG anu ''0e must
Now. this was not a matter Of walking downtown
TO give Yourself up to the police the marshal. It
was not even matter of boarding a comiortabie
farodu coarn co r hurled deem in the oregon
wilds. round forty miles and more from a railroad
snd no road which horse may travel in this
fleming winter season. when the whole country
With treacherous. unfathomed seas OF holding mud
Foriy-threc miles on foot. swimming the swrling
clinging mud unable TO lie down and sleep in his
clothes lest he perish OF the cOld deprived
of fire and light. because the matches he carried
were soaked snatching a hungry bte ny the way
al the little store Of food he had In his pockets all
sodden and smearcd with mud-this was the task
that Vincent Sutton set himself because Justice
must be done and he must bear his part. though
his life be forfeit in the doing.
So it came that the simple minded man of print
tive mould sat down and wrote letter 10
Marshal Grady. in Portland, that he would come
himself to the nearest station on the railroad
Sheridan. and there surrender to an officer or the
law-no need TO send Il man to bring him In from
his distant home. Let the officer come 10 Sheri-
NV in InX le
KEEP, his word. albeit more than once II nearly cost
him his life
woman had put up for him with loving care
enough to last him TWO days. II might be. on the
way 10 sheridan The Three Rivers, triple thunderer
I'm sooth was booming with suen. hungry roar
turbid with SWirling mud. carving on lis angry
breast sweeping logs and jagged roots, torn from
their sockets by the searching flood Five times ii
had TO be crossed by Sutton on his way. swimming
or wading CHANGING his life on a treacherou>
log Once he nearly smOthered IN a bottom
less pit Of mud dangerous as the quiet. rcmorsc-
dead 1t was bitter cold and he must keep afoot
or perish. But there Is iron in this mans blood
lie had pledged his word and he got there.
Now when this simple tale was told to Judge
Bellinger sitting In Portland as the representative
Of Federal law. he. being man. was troubled in
mind for here was one who had set his life at the
value Of a pin fee that the law might have its way
and yet justice must be done and punishment
meted as L. set down In the books. Nevertheless
there are degrees. and Judge Bellingcr resolved
that this was a case where it would not strain the
quality OF justice were IL scftened with mercy
Therefore ne imposed the lowest penalty. which is
imprisonment for six months and a fine equal TO
the sum which Sutton appropriated