Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-05-06
INNOCENT NAN FREED
George H. Bosss Unjustly Ac-
cused and Convicted Of an
Embezzlement.
.Boess Fought for His Liberty in
the Courts for Three
Years.
Real culprit Finally confesses
and the Imprisoned Man
Is Released.

which for aggresslNes prosecution anu
stubborn defense has no parallel in the
annals of jurisprudence in the west is
been set free at Shawnee Okla, after
fighting an embezzlement charge for
three years, during which he carried the
case thru the federal circuit court of ap-
reals and to the United States supreme
court.
The case naturally has attracted con-
siderable attention turnout the north
west, for the reason that prior to going
10 Oklahoma Boggs was a resident of
this part of the country and enjoyed an
extensive acquaintance. His friends III
the narthwest, after he had exhausted
every resource and spent Every dollar he
had. interested themselves in his behalf
and provided the means to continue the
fight. They also appealed to the presf-s
dent who. however, after careful in
y=stigatipn refused 20 extend clcmency.
Boggs was liberated because the real
5culprit confessed the crime for which he
had been convicted, and has now gone
70 prison in his stead. The history OF
the case reads like a romance. In 1886
John W. Eoggs was a resident of Blair.
where he had lived for many years. His
brother was a well-known capitalist of
Omaha. A short time previous to 1896
q. citizen of Blair went to Oklahoma and
was instrumental in establishing the
town of Shawnee He succeeded in
bringing into the new territory a num-
A.
among them John w. Boggs.
After the election Of 1886 there was
struggle to secure the position of post
nephew and namesake of Omaha capl-
talst, was one of the candidates. He
was a stranger in the country. but the
record of the family in the northwest
stood him in good stead. Thru the eff
forts Of John NJ. Thurston. j. c. Gown
and other prominent Nebraska republic
ems Baggs was given the place, entering
upon his duties in the spring of 1897.
Everything went Well with the new
postmaster until November of the same
year. on the night of Nov. 4 a regis
tered letter was mailed al the town OF
Tecumseh. the county seat of the coun-
u directed TO Guthrie. o T. This let
ter contained $3.50. repro sented by nine
$50 bills. BY reason of the peculiar sys-
ITEM of running trains II was necessary
ttat the sack containing the registered
mail for points east of Shawnee be
opened at that place and that the mail
he transferred to other rouches.
The last trace of the registered letter
vas at Shawnee. A tracer was sent gu,
and q postotfice Inspector put To work
On the case. A Cay or two afterward the
nine $50 bills We're found in an unoccu-
llied building wrapped in a note adj
i8dressed to George H. lSosgs. the post
lruaster The unoccupied building had
heen used as the postotiics until a short
/ time before the registered letter was
4 stolen, and the note stated that the per-
1 son who had opened the letter had
LEARNED that the numbers OF the bills
lad been recorded and therefore no one
i could pass them; that therefore the thief
had taken this opportunity of returning
1.-The funds TO the government.
i The inspector who worked on the case
was John Beebe. He investigated the
case and applied for a warrant for the
arrest of George II. Boggs on the charge
|.ef rifling the registered mail. Boggs was
i arrested, the case was tried In 1899, ane
4 Boggs was convicted on four counts
BEING sentenced TO The penitsntlarv a,
il Leaverworth. Ilas.. for a year and {
4 day on each count.
An appeal was taken to the supreme
!. court of the territory. where the judge
]. nlent was affirmed. Pending the hear.
q ing on the appeal the attorneys for III,
Z defense received anonymous letters
stating that Boggs was innocent of tn,
a crime and that for the sum of $500 evi
i cence TO prove his innocense would b
ILroduced. This evidence was not forth
looming, and the trial proceeded. Befor
4 The case taken TO the supreme court o
the territory f. A. Jones. of Tecumseh
I @. T.. went before United States com
missioner for the district and testifie
! that Thomas Lovelady. a clerk in tn
( Tecumseh postofiice, had confessed /
: him that he had stolen the money at tn
Tecurrseh office.
! On this evidence the commissioner is
sued warrant for the arrest of Love
: lady, but the United States district at
! torney for the territory refused to rec
s ognize Il and wrote q letter TO the con,
5 missioner scoring him for Issuing
warrant.
4 When the news of the conviction q
I'oggs reached Tecumseil, Thomas Love
lady went before the United State
$ commissioner and surrendered himsel
n In his confession he stated he was
clerk in the postoffice at Tecumseh, {
t., in November. 1897. On the night Z
a Nov. 4 he made up a registered packae
: CT nine $50 bills for Transmission frol
+ the Tecumseh office to Guthrie, whic
was the Office of deposit for all of III
postoffices in the territory. On the Nigh
!, of Nov. he found that the package
: sent by him to Shawnee the night BIZ
fore had been by mistake sent west
q the Tecumseh pouch instead of in tt
u Guthrie pouch. He intended to put it
the safe until the next morning ar
. again send it to Shawnee. but his after
ton was called to the stamp windo,
Upon returning to the distributing t;
BILE he picked up what he supposed
be another package addressed to T,
II cumseh and cut it open. AS soon as
;. was opened he saw that he had tan
IS pered with the package addressed
v Guthrie and became alarmed at the col
l. sequence. as the description had gol
.e III by mail of the money in the packag
e, and he feared that he would be MAJ
1t to suffer for his carelessness.
l. Then he resolved to destroy all ira
rs of the mutilated package, and with TN