The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-07
BOCGS ON THE STAND.
The Ez-Teller Gives Damaging Evi-
denoe Against Senator Kenney.
THE SENATOR ADVISED FLIGHT.


wilmington, Del, Dec. 7.-When the
court opened for the trial of Senator
Kenney yesterday MIR. Kenney's coun-
sci informed the judge that they de-
sired to take exception to the request
made by the government Monday to re-
quire Senator Kenney and the officials
of the First National bank Of Dover to
produce all checks, drafts and notes
drawn to the order of Senator Ken
ney on the Dover bank between April,
1896, and January 1897
Judge Bradford said that it seemed
to him that it would be an act of gross
impropriety to permit the Introduction
of all checks drawn to the order of Sen
ator Kenney between April, 1896, and
January, 1897
IF you have information" said Judge
Bradford, addressing the United States
district attorney, "of any specific check
or checks that will aid you in the prose-
cution, and if you name them, they will
be admitted as evidence"
William N. Boggs, former teller of
the First National bank, who is await
ing sentence for embezzling the funds
of the bank, was called to the stand.
He gave his testimony in a firm, de-
liberate manner. He said he first began
to use the funds of the bank in 1898,
when he began to issue checks to Sena-
tor Kenney when the senator had no
funds in the bank. One of these checks,
for 5000 was drawn by Senator Ken
| ney to Thomas Clark. He called the
| senator's attention to impending
| trouble, but the latter said that he
could not help it, as he had no money.
I This state of affairs continued until the
exposure came. Senator Kenney always
| promised to make good his shortage by
| a cash deposit, but he never kept his
4 promise.
Boggs described a number of in
| stances in which he had "doctored" the
accounts in order to hide the manner of
cashing Kenneys checks. This he did
by changing the depositors slips, TAX
| ing from some accounts enough to
make up an account for Mr., Kenney.
Witness related his Introduction to
a gang of gamblers and race track fol-
| lowers by some of Clark's friends, and
| the subsequent embezzlement of more
| money from the bank. The shortage
| was constantly growing, and he was
| becoming afraid. Witness then describ-
| ed how he had been summoned before
| the board of directors, had confessed tc
! gambling and had been forgiven. Sub
sequently Senator Kenney told him
| (Boggs) that he was in financial diff
| ficulties by reason of his heavy specu.
lation in gas stocks. Senator Kenney
knew all the time that Boggs was
carrying E. r. Cooper Clark and Others
in the same illegal manner.
Boggs stated that on one occasion In
| July, 1896, he had withheld a $1,000
check of Kenneys from Saturday to
| Monday when Cashier Bateman saw 1t
| lying on the witnesses desk and spoke
[ to him about the matter. The witness
T told the cashier he thought Kenney
| would be all right. Boggs said he told
| Kenney of the danger of discovery and
| urged him to deposit sufficient to pro-
tect this overdraft. To aid him in this
| Boggs said he borrowed from Clerk of
| the Peace Dickson a check drawn to
| Kenney's order and gave him some
| money also. The incident passed by
without creating any alarm or desire
for investigation in the cashiers mind.
Another instance of Boggs' method
! was his manner of settling Kenney's s
pass books. He said he would show the
defendant exactly how he stood on the
banks books, and at the same time
| give him another confidential state
| ment showing him what checks the wit
| ness was carrying, thus indicating the
| defendants actual financial condition
District Attorney Vandegrift here
told the court he had notified the de,
| fense to produce all the stubs of Ken
ney's check book for 1896. He said the!
| had done so except for the period be-
| tween March and October, which rep
| resented the operations covered by the
| checks named in the indictment. Coun-
sci for the accused stated in reply that
the defense had been unable to find
them, although a diligent search had
| been made.
| Continuing, Boggs said that all the
money Senator Kenney got from the
bank was subsequently made good by
| the defendant, and the only loss in
funds to the bank was for the time in
which Kenney had the use of the bank
money.
Coming down to February, 1897, the
witness said he found he could nC
longer continue his manipulation o
the funds without discovery. Under g
new system instituted he could nc
longer withhold deposit slips. He COW
| cred his shortage thereafter by altering
| figures in the ledger totals. Discovery
| was bound to come with the first at
| tempt at investigation. This was about
the time that Mr.. Kenney was chosen
| Senator. The witness said that the
senator's accounts were by this time all
| in good shape and his financial condi-
ton was better than it had been in a
long time As Mr.. Kenney had promised
to aid him, and he had just reached a
| position of influence, the witness went
to him, and Mr.. Kenney expressed his
regret. Boggs told him he would have
to take flight He put it off until May,
and in an interview with Senator Ken
| ney he said the latter advised him as to
the best place to go, suggesting Cuba.
| He told Boggs there would soon be
| peace there and new treaties would
have to be made which would render
his chance for arrest slight. Before
leaving he secured from Clark and
others bonds, representing the aggre-
gate value of the checks he had with
e held for them and which they had moi
made good. These bonds he assigned t
Senator Kenney. Upon his return from
exile these bonds came back to him and
were assigned TO the bank.
| Upon cross-eXamination the witness
said Kenney was his counsel during all
the periods named, with one exception.
He also admitted having dealt in Bay
State Gas prior to May, 1896. Counsel
was trying to learn from him his exact
losses in all his stock speculations,
when court adjourned until today.