The Indianapolis journal., 1898-07-12
ON A CRIMINAL CHARGE
TRIAL OF UNITED STATES SENATOR
KENNEY, OF DELAWARE.
Accused of Aiding and Abetting a
Paying Teller in Robbing "a Ma
tiOnaI Bank of 100000.

WILMINGTON, Del, July 11.-A trial
probably unprecedented in the annals of this
cCuntry-that of a member of the United
States Senate on a criminal charge-began
in the United States Circuit Court in this
city this afternoon before Judge Edward
G. Bradford. The defendant is Richard
Rollin Kenney, of Dover, junior United
States senator from Delaware indicted
upon a charge of aiding and abetting Will
liam N. Boggs, who has confessed to rob-
bng the First National Bank of Dover of
which institution he was paying teller, of
the sum of $107 ,000 The counts in the in
dctment, to which Senator Kenney has
pleaded not guilty, charge him with aiding
and abetting Boggs to the extent of about
$500. Two men, Ezekiel T. Cooper, of Mil
ford, and Thomas s. Clark, of Dover, have
already been convicted of similar charges
and are now serving terms OF eighteen
months and five years, respectively, in the
New Jersey penitentiary.
Boggs was the principal witness for the
prosecution in each case. His story was to
the effect that the greater part of his steal
ings were expended in stock speculations
and gambling, and that in the stock specu-
lations the defendants were associated with
him by participating in his deals and that
they gave him their checks when they had
no funds in the bank, Boggs taking care
Of them from the banks funds.
The high position of the defendant drew
to the courtroom q crowd that jammed its
capacity and overfiowed into the corridors
The session began at 2:30 O'Clock when Sen
ator Kenney entered the court, accompanied
by his counsel. United States Senator
George T,pXr Sir6 Of oft
The government was represented by Dis
trict Attorney Lewis c. Nandegrift.
AS soon the defense had renewed the
formal plea of not guilty. which had been
withdrawn pending argument on demurrers
to the Indictment, as a result OF which four
teen counts in the indictment charging con-
spiracy with boggs had been ruled out,
leaving eleven counts, charging aiding and
abetting, the work of drawing the jury was
commenced 1t occupied nearly an hour,
both sides closely scrutiniZing each juror
called and exercising their full powers of
challenge.
The first witness was Harry A. Richard
son, president of the bank. He testified to
the defalcation by Boggs and said that
Boggs admitted to him his crime. This was
all the government brought out from Presi-
dent Richardson. but the defense put him
upon the fact that he never had any sus-
picion of Boggs's dishonesty until after his
flight when the defalcation was discovered.
He admitted that he once heard that Boggs
was addicted to playing poker but that on
being brought before the directors and
charged with this derelection Boggs con-
fessed and promised to play no more
T. Edward Ross, of Philadelphia, an eX-
pert accountant, who went over the bank s
books. testified the defalcation amounted to
$lO7. COO. He also said that he found that
various checks drawn By Mr.. Kenney had
come to the bank and been cashed when he
had not n sufficient balance to his credit to
meet them.
f. d. Page, of Philadelphia, who was
manager for +. Cuthbert &, Co., the firm of
brokers with which Boggs conducted his
stock speculations. testified that checks
signed by Kenney were used in the stock
transactions. All were produced and offered
i'm evidence save one for $3.50. and the de-
fense objected to the admission of testimony
with respect to this one. Pending decision
upon this objection the court adjourned until
tomorrow morning.