Evening journal., 1898-09-16
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE
PLEA FOR TnE INNOCENT.


To the Editor of the Evening Journal
Sir: l only hope and pray that the
God of Heaven will appear before the
United States Court, which was to com
mence at Wilmington on the 18th of |
this present month, for the benefit Of
those persons who are charged with
aiding and abetting William n. Boggs
in misapplylng the funds Of the First
National Bank of Dover, Delaware, to
the sum OF 100000 The first, the
charge, and the confession of william
N. Boggs to the misapplying Of the
funds Of the First National Bank of
Dover up to May 80, 1897. and now,
William n. Boggs having made confess
sion before the United States Court for
which he Is held a prisoner under the
law thereof, 1 am under the opinion
that no one with such guilt as hangs
upon the prisoner should be admitted
as a legal witness to punish anyone for
anOther's crime.
In the first place, he had the sole
control Of the bank funds to use as he
pleased, at his own mercy, and at his
own pleasure, while no other could. He
therefore became untrue to his duty, to
the cashier and to the officers of the
bank. He made them believe that
white was black, and that black was
white. But he for the last few years
gained a reputation for gambling, and
almost every other thing where money
was at stake, which was so clearly
proved to the cashier and directors Of
the bank that the bank officers held a
meeting to settle the difficulty between
William n Boggs and the officers of
that bank 1t has been proved before
the United States Court that at that
meeting Boggs wept and the bank OIL
GERS wept about Boggs' imprudent
gambling whilst he was clerk in the
bank
l contend, according to the banking
system, that the officers of the bank
were accountable for their own ne
glect in retaining William n. Boggs in
the bank as a clerk and trusting him
with the whole business Of the bank
from that time until May 80, 1897, and
when he took $1,000 more than all itf
capital stock. But he takes a sudden
j, flight from his family, his town and
state to seek a shelter from the offlcen
of the bank, and from the detectives
who might follow him to make the ar
rest and be brought back to suffer tn,
penalty of the law alone.
He is now a prisoner Of the law, ant
by his own words he has confessed t,
the charge Of which he stands to-da,
guilty before God and the court. It wa
he who did the pilfering and the mis-
applying of the funds Of the First Ma
tional Bank at Dover, of S107 0O0 an,
he should suffer the penalty as the Law
directs. AS for those who are charge,
unjustly, may they escape the punish
ment in penitentiary and the disgrac
| it brings upon innocent families. Yor
are here satisfied from his own state
ment that he took and mieapplied fror
the First National Bank Of Dover t
the sum OF SLOT 900. Yet with hi
guilty conscience he is allowed to tee
g tify in his own favor. and agains
others who are innocent in the eyes
+ God.
The question was asked BOggs by th
defendants attorney, what he had don
with the money, and no reply wa
vouchsafed by the witness But III
sum of S107, 600 was taken from tn
bank while the cashier and the dire
tors were innocent 1t was done In tn
daylight when the books could be see
+ at their pleasure. But Boggs had mad
the bank officers believe that he was
10 second Christ if only for a short tim,
/ contend that it is the duty of twelv
u good and honest jurors to decide upo
j such evidence as may appear in eac
case, and not from the evidence Of WI
? liam n. Boggs, who is the defaulter {
the First National Bank of Dover.
=. now appeal to the God of Heaven fC
q Justice and honor TO those who are il
ID nOcent, and further that the jury wi
acquit in each case where the defen,
r ant can prove his innocence outside
Y. the evidence Of the prisoner, Villa
v. n. BOggs, who is awaiting his senten'
E. for the Denitentiary. May the Lon
sc smile upon the court, and The cou
also look up upon the Lord viii
Ell faith to whom they shall punish
l. CHARLES CULBRETH.
D. Dover, Sept. 16, 1898.