The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-04
NEARING
THE END.
The COtter Case Closes and
Counsel Make Their
Argument to the
Jury.

announced that with the examination OF
Cotter the defense rested. District Attor-
ney Vandegrift addressed the court in
reference to the application mado by Mr.
Higgins that letter written by Ander-
son to BogGs DO expunged from the iec-
ords. The court said that after due de-
liberation tho defendant was entitled 10
tho benefit of the doubt in the mind OF the
court and ruled the lotter out.
Boggs was called to tho stand and stated
that Cottcr was informed at his house on
May s, 1897 that witness would leave the
town on The following Monday morning.
On the following Monday morning Ezek-
lei 4. Cooper went up the road and met the
bank examiner Mt State Road He sent
witness Il telegram addressed to w. john
son an alias used by Boggs 1t stated That
Mr.. Buck would not bs down for some
time. The telegram was in the possession
Of Mr. Robert g. Pennington wlo has
been assisting District Attorney Vande-
grift.
During the noon recess he was taken
sick and the telegram could not be pro.
ducei. Boags in cross.examination stat
cd no never told Cotter the amount OF his
defacation or the manner in which he
got the money out of tho bank. He told
Cotter Of the plan to send Cooper up tho
road OH Monday to meet Mr. Buck. He
denied that he ever told William Andor-
son after the Cooper trial that II Cot'er
had kept ont Of tho Cooper trial Cotter
would have saved himself.
Edward J. Faucet, telegraph opera or
at Dover, testified that Johnson-Cooper
telegram passed through the Office to MI
Boggs.
The Government rested and Co.tcr took
the stand. He denied that Bocgs told him
on May that Bongs had to go far away
on the following Monday He did not hear
of the arrangement ahoutCOoper sreingN Nr
Buck. Ho knsw nothing of the arrange
ment.
Both sides closed. The District Attor-
noy was willing to submit the casa accord
ing to the decision Of the court during the
other trials.
Mr.. Higgina wished tho documentary cvi.
dence reviewed before tho jury. District
Attorney Vanderbilt did not present any
prayers He WAS willing to abide by tho
charge Of the coGrl.
District Attorney Vnndegrift mnde his
opening address to the jury, beginning at
o'clock. The evidence. ho said, was
largely documentary. Tho jury should
road ihese letters carefully and when tho
members do, there will be no doubt IN
their minds abont the guilt of this defen-
dant Ho said, however,, that If after the
jury had considered the evidence they had
tho least reasonable doubt OF bis guilt
ElNt lll0 uCNtlb VI ~ uuN bitN" ann W.
60 free.
How Is it possible for this defendant |
who knew this man since 1898 and knev |
hB bet on horse races to draw checks for
S3, 800 toiG, 0I0 without cont to meet them, /
and say that he did not know that lhe |
whole transaction was fraudulent. WI
liam N. Bogga takes that stand to explain
as FAR rs possible, tho wrong which he has
done. 1t was his dnty, when he came back I!
to tell the whcle truth.
For years this man knew the president |
and cashier of this bank and went on |
drawing checks On that bank when he 1
had no money to meet them. These checks 1
are are not on the books because II they |
had been entered they would have given |
away the whole plan.
Look over these books and see who tho |
people arc that entrls' cd their money to |
this concern and recall that they have |
rights which must be respected and pro-
tected. The jury has them to consider.
Tho testimony is that the entire capital of !
this bank and part OF Its surplus We're |
wiped out by this deialcation. The
learned counsel fer the defendant will
read these letters and try to show that
,hers was no OWL intent that this man
was borrowing from the teller, not
were not such fools to put on paper what
they were doing.
The teller of little bank down In Dover
going into deals for hundreds of acres OF
land and rows of houses should have OK
cited the suspicion of any honest man, If
Cotter WAS borrowing from William N. +
Boggs he should have drafted directly
any bank should tell you when you want
ell money to draw Oh that bank and you
know thai man was n gambler and dealing
in hundreds of acres OF land through
straw men, you would not do 1t. This was
carried on for years and years. This should
have excited suspicion. Could any mem.
ber of tho jury have dono that and not
know that it was wrong.
Cotter says he thought William N.
Boggs was well to do man Those let
tiers show that they werc toying to get SEQ.
ond mortgages on this land. 1t was q
scheme o. one man in Philadelphia carry.
Ing on schemes, and another IN Dover pay
Ing them out of other peoples money.
The letters SHOW that they were In q hole
and they were trying to got out Of 1t. In
Dne letter he asks Boggs to carry one of
these checks in his pocket If 1t was ar
b nost transaction and Boggs was to de-
done Tho way lt"e so-callod loans
wers made is enough to show where the
money came from. This Centre county
land was only good to be used In deals
TIE whole scheme was fraud in which
straw men figure.
1t makes no difference to the people who
lost the money whether these people di-
vded the money or whet ether nne was ger
ing it. II this man Is shown to be into it
be should be convicted.
When Cotter was telegraphed to conc
20 Dover he came at once. He saw Boggs
md he admits everything which Boggi
'aid, except that the liabilities were shown
lm. Why should William N. Boggl lie
n one detail. Why should William N.
Boggs lilo to send a man to jail? Boggs
1as nothiug to gain by this. His career is
,nded and he might as well bo dead.
3oggs went away. Thov all do,
They all make the circuit. Then they
ONE back and knock on lho peni!entiary
.oor and say: "Lnt me In, but do not
compel me to be n wanhorer on tho faco of
he earth" He would have to bo a lomon
o try to make anoth her man take tho
with him. All that thnro
vas in tho testimony of William +. Cotter
vas that he did not know that Boggs was
akjng money from tho bank.
Continued on Fourth Darc