New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-04
CALLS THEFT A FREAK.
No Criminal Intent, Says Counsel
for Youth Who Stole $3.50, 900.

Henry Ambrose Leonard. the youth who
startled Wall Street by obtaining securities
worth $4,000 from the National City Bank by
means of forged check. was before Magistrate
Pool in the Tombs court again yesterday but
his examination was put over till tomorrow at
the request Of Abraham Levy, his counsel It
made plain, in the course of an argument
for the reduction of Leonards bail Of $4,000.
that Wall Street interests will demand his
prosecution for forgery, although all the stolen
securities have been returned to the owners.
Mr. Levy asked for the reduction of the bail
TO $1,000, but Deputy Assistant District At
torney Chadwick objected, mentioning the case
Of DR.. R. c. Flower who gave $4,000 and fed
70 Mexico. Mr.. Levy said no bank official had
appeared in court TO ask for the prosecution Of
the youth.
No one has shown any criminal intent here"
Mr. Levy added. Il may call It q Wild and
idiotic performance, but feel confident that the
banks VIII not exact their pound Of flesh. since
ali the securities we're returned"
A representative of the banks then asked 10
be heard. saying that while there was no dis
position to press the charge of larceny, the banks
were anxious to have a prosecution for the
forgery Of the check.
ooh, I can understand that" said Mr.. Levy
This case has shown up the banking system in
d most unenviabIe light. It has shown loose
methods and placed the bank in a ridiculous
light in the public eye. Here is a youth who
had a boy push a piece of paper through d bank
window and get nearly 100000 That is ridic-
ulous. As to the forgery. it was one Of the
ciumsiest I ever saw"
Why didn't you get some Of that money!"
asked Magistrate Pool.
Il saw him too late" was the lawyers an
swer, that created laughter in the courtroom.
Magistrate Pool radJ1ca1 tF1a hail to S05 OOO
but that was prohibitfve, and Leonard was led
to the Tombs.
After q. long talk with Leonard" said Mr..
Levy to newspaper men, Il am convinced that
he was entirely alone in the transaction and
that it a boyisk escapade, without real
criminal intent, his maiE object being to do
something that would startIe the financial
world. At his examination I believe I show
that there was no criminal intent in the trans
action"
Police Commissioner McAdoo had talk with
young Leonard yesterday before the youth was
taken from Police Headquarters and he said
afterward that he was strongly inclined to be-
lteve the young prisoner told the truth when he
sad he had committed the robbery simply to
show how easily il could be done,
Banking officials in the financial district yes
terday said that even If young Leonard had not
been caught he would not have disposed of the
stolen securities without detection. At the same
time, they said, 1t was a relief 70 know that the
stolen securities were returned IF they had
been hidden awav for a few years there would
have been the fear that they might be used
as the basis for loans, thus getting into the
hands Of innocent persons. who would lose
money them. That was one of the worst
features Of the Manhattan Bank robbery Of
twenty years ago. the stolen bonds being hidden
away for years and being a constant danger to
investors.
IF the bonds stolen by young Leonard had
not been recovered" said a bank officer yes
terday, they would have been made worthless
by the issue of duplicates, but the real owners
Of the bonds would have been obliged TO tie
up securities Of double the value until the bonds
matured, and all the time there would be the
chance that some innocent person would buy
them or lend money on them and thus suffer
loss"
7 do not believe young Leonard really in
tended TO profit by the securities robbery" said
one of his associates in Wall Street yesterday.
because he knew we'll enough that it would
not be possible for him to raise money on the
bonds without being caught. and he knew we'll
enough that all transfers and payments on the
stocks would be stopped at once He probably
thought he would make himself famous by
exposure Of loose banking methods. and guess
he viii be famous enough to hold him in the
Elmira Refornatory for awhile"