Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-16
Mlsrepresentlns the White Case.


In editorislly commenting upon the
case of Henry NJ. White. former
member of the Levy Court lwho Moo
day pleaded guilty to an indictment
charging him with obtaining money
from the county by false pretences, the
Morning News states that White had
been charged with taking, through
false pretsnces, ths sum Of S7.75 be-
longing to the taxpayers Of the county. :"
1t also says that there was but one
charge against White and adds:
1.-The fact that the amount OF his
alleged plumber was insignificant in no
sense lessened the magnitude of his
offending"
These statements are SO faulty and
unfounded as to amount to an absolute
misrel resentation of the case, and make
deliberate and persistent wrong doing
appear as trivial offence. They are
also calculated to place the attorney
general In the light of tiercely per-
scouting man for an offending that
hardly rose to the dignity of breach
of trust, and that would have entitled
the defendant, il found guilty by a
Jury, to recommendation to the mercy
OF the court
As fact the indictment under which
White pleaded guilty charged him with
obtaining from the county, by false
prstences, an order for the sum OF
ss2. %, on account of bill for work
performed by Henry M. Enos, whereas
the said Enos did not perform the work
SO charged for, and received but 81. SO
Of the amount obtained on the order.
These facts were admitted by the de-
fsndant'H counsel, who tnereupon pro.
ceeded to state to the court that his
client could account. for all the money
drawn upon the warrant except the
sum of S7.75, but could not account
for this sum, lowing to the careless
ness and neglect which prevailed, !" b,
reason of which osrelsssuess he was
placed in "the position OF making il
impossible for him to successfully de
fend against the whole charge
Under this indictment, and following
this statement by counsel, Whit,
entered a plea Of guilty and wal
sentenced to fine of 1915, with costs
and imprisonment in the workhouse fo
nine months. The "plunder, +" therefore
was not merely alleged, as the New
states. 1t was admitted.
Instead of there being but this ON
charge against White, there are thre
other indictments pending against him
charging him with obtaining none,
from the county by false pretences, b,
means of three warrants drawn in favo
of J. B. Lomax for the amounts o
sol. 10, $50 and $43 20 These indiot
ments will be retired In the event tina
White pays the fine imposed by tn
court yesterday, and the costs involve,
in all four Of the indictments.
We deem it nsoessary to make thes
statements, as q matter OF justic
to Attorney. General Ward. For th
situation as represented by the Morn
ing News would make it appear a
though the State was severely punish
ing man by sending him to prison 70
nine months for an offence which in
volved the taking Of small amount q
money In a manner that was aimpl
irregular, and that might have bee
susceptible of satisfactory explanatio
hut for his carelessness 10 the trans
action. On the contrary, there is q
doubt that knowledge of the res
facts will lead to the irresistible cor
clusion that the defendant was dea
with fairly and with all the lenienc
that the nature Of his offending just
fed
1t is incomprehensible, whom
knowledge Of the facts was go easily .
hand, why a newspaper should mi
represent this important case in such
manner.