Evening journal., 1902-01-18
WILLIAM N. BOGGS GETS
LONG SENTENCE COMMITTED
will Leave New Jersey Pcnitentiary
on April 25
He Was Convicted Of Embenling ilO7, 900
From the First National Bank
Of Dover

President Roosevelt yesterday de-
nicd twcnty-one applications for par
don and granted one pardon and one
communication of sentence. The
commutation of sentence was for the
benefit OF William n Boggs, who was
teller OF the Flrst National Bank OF
Dover. and who on April n. 1898,
pleaded guilty TO the charge OF en-
bezzlement OF funds of the bank and
on May 10. 1893. was sentenced to inn
prisonment for Ave years In the New
Jersey State Prison.
His full term of imprisonment. with
allowances for good conduct, would ex-
pirc May l6. 1903 lie was kept In Jail
for more than a year between the date
.of his plea OF guilty and the date Of
his sentence In order that his testi-
mony might be used against his code
PENDANTS. The Attorney General rec
commended that his sentence be so
commuted as TO give him credit for the
time spent in Jail between his plea Of
guilty and sentence. and the President
has approved this recommendation and
commuted his sentence to expire April
%. 1902
Boggs in 1898 was sentenced by
Judge Bradford 10 fve years imprlson-
ment In the Trenton Penitcntlary for
.emhezzling 100000 OF the bank s
funds.
Delaware never had a greater scan-
dal than the one which grew out OF the
defalcations OF this young man BOggs.
H. involved a United States senator,
Il IltIhurA tt4I.
placed on trial In the United States
District Court. charged with improper
use Of the banks money; member Of
the Delaware State Legislature. Col
onol Ezekiel Cooper. who died in
prison while serving his sentence, and
several other prominent citizens OF the
Diamond State
Next to Senator Kenney Boggs WIS
the most conspicuous figure in the
scandal without his aid the Govern
ment never could have unravelcd tho
tangled books of the Dover Bank he
was a wonder ~ figures. lhe fact that
he stole more than the whole capital
stock OF the institution. In a very few
years right under the noses Of the di-
rectors and the national bank exam
iner is proof Of his ability
Boggs was regarded as ono Of the
most remarkable young men IN Della
ware-and he was His system OF
carrying along balances and deficits
without ever getting into tanglc. his
cool head and quick Judgment under
tho most trying circumstances, and his
lunerring Judgment OF human nature
were wonderful.
Deserted by the men who had profit
ed by his viol@ions of the law and
who had helped to place him In the po-
lsition of a criminal .Bogps fed 20 South
America June /. 1897 Then the great
defalcation was discovered A run was
started on the bank but the Richard
sons put up money enough 10 make
good the shortage
firing Of his enforced Punishment,
Boggs returned in the spring Of 1898
and gave himself up TO the Federal au-
thorities. Lewis Vsadegrift was then
United States District Attorney for
Delaware. With the aid OF Boggs he
began vigorous prosecution of sew
oral OF the most prominent citizens OF
the State The two trials OF Senator
kenney. then a member Of the United
States Senate. were full OF sensations
and dramatic incidents.
Senator Kenney was defended by his
colleague, Senator Gray and Levi c.
Bird. Against this able pair Boggs ac-
quilted himself as a witness in a most
astonishing manner. His testimony
relating 20 the speculation in Bay State
Gas and the adroit manner in which he
introduced matters which the defense
endeavored 10 exclude made him really
q more interesting figure than the de
iendant himself
Upon each trial the jury in the case
Of Senator Kenney disagreed. Bogge
was a witness against all the defend
ants In the Dover Bank cases, Clark
Cooper and the FIVE or six others
Il Is not known what he will do OF
where he will reside