The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-08-03
TWELVE YEARS FOR MAYOR
WILLIAM H. BELCHER, WHO STOLE
100000 FROM CITY.
HE GAVE HIMSELF UP MONDAY
official Of Paterson, N. j., Who Had
Been Wandering over the Country
for a Year, and Returned Broken in
Health, Goes to Prison.

for Year, and Returned Broken IN
Health, Goes to Prison.
Paterson, N. j., Aug. 3.-William II.
Belcher, who while mayor of this city
absconded year ago, and returned
to surrender himself last Monday, was
today sentenced to twelve years in the
state prison on a charge of embezzle-
ment.
Sobbing in his cell last night, Belch-
er said
81 didn't take 100000 :" anything
like that amount. When ReL e Pater-
son / had exactly $500 s., is
went to Minnesota, and in We y
my wife | want to say that at Ii, Us
has she known of my whereabouts
was my intention to disappear as if /
was dead, and go to soma foreign
country, but | made the fatal mistake
of procrastination.
"If | had had money | would have
gone to New York and stayed there.
That's the best hiding place in the
world. But a man can't work there
and hide too, and | had to work. So
| went west.
Il dropped off in Chicago, but re-
manned only week. 1t was exciting
to walk around the streets and pass
by policemen who you knew were
looking for you. had my mustache
shaved off and did not fear capture
much.
Stayed Awhile in ST. Paul.
GEThpn I rnnln a fatal mistake
went to Minnesota. | won't say what
towns | visited, except that ST. Paul
was one, but had 5000 left, and lin
gered around looking for something
to do. | lost my wallet one night in
the street. | was afraid to go to the
police about it, and there | was, 1000
miles away from friends, from every
body, penniless and fugitive. | went
to a railroad office and asked for
work. they could not give me any.
was desperate and pleaded for any
thing.
owe can give you a job digging" "
said the man to whom | applied. |
jumped at it. That morning | took
my place in a trench with pick and
shovel, and for three horrible weeks
/ stayed there. | received $1.25 a day.
Then they made me assistant fore
man; my pay was raised to $3.50 a
day, and things looked brighter
Il stayed there until last January,
working all the winter in the snow
and rain until rheumatism seized me.
/ managed to save $3.50, and with it
l went to London, Canada. l worked
at anything | could get, but my lame
knee was against me and | could not
hold my position very long. At one
time, | sold newspapers. But | al
ways kept enough money saved so
that | could get back east if l wanted
to.
"It wasn't until June came that |
made up my mind to return. My knee
was getting worse and worse, and
could hardly hobble around. | could
not pay for proper medical treatment,
and so / made up my mind to come
back.
81 landed in New York on July 90
and the next day wrote Prosecutor
Emley. | told him | was ready to sur
render and that / would return of my
own volition."
"Will you plead guilty when you
are arraigned on Friday?" he was
asked.
What are the specific charges?"
was the reply. rs it theft or what is
it?"
"Embezzlement and forgery" he
was told.
Forgery" exclaimed Belcher. 81
never committed a forgery. That's
lie. I'll not plead guilty to that"
'Itl was said that your over-confi-
dence in friends was primarily the
cause of the trouble" was suggested.
Friends, friends" Belcher NUT
tered, as if to himself. 81 haven't any
friends; | never had any"