The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-05
In HURRY TO co.
Henry M. Dickson Anxious to
Reach Prison.
Has Had Enough OF Jail Ex-
perience.
TELLS HIS OWN STORY
Was Once a Railroad IMMIGRANT
Agent.
Admitted Defrauding Weir
Family Out of $50.

Henry M. Dickson, alias d. H. Rob-
ertson, pleaded guilty to a charge of
embezzlement this morning in the Uni
ted States district court and was SEN
fenced to serve one year and a day in
the federal penitentiary at FIT. Leaven-
worth. Dickson, who is a gray haired
old man, feeble and trembling, secured
$40 by committing his crime.
Since his arrest three months and a
half ago Dickson has been in the Shaw
nee county Jail awaiting trial and SEN
tence.
He was practically carried into the
court room this morning.
Is ID. H. Dickerson your right
name?' inquired Judge Pollock of the
man as he arose mblingly clutching
on desk for support.
NO, Sir, my name is Henry M. Dick
son." responded the prisoner. Dick
son." spelling it slowly. IT had an
I was, all the time getting his mail so
my father told me to assume the D.
Father says to me, Henry, you better
take that letter D and add it to your
wrong mail. I used to be a travelling
immigrant agent for the c. B. & @.
railroad and"
Are you guilty or not guilty?' asked
the Judge.
I'm plead guilty, my friend, for if I
lay here in Jail I will surely die. I
want to explain how it happened. I
met this young man, Weir, and he ask
ed me to write to his grandfather in
Missouri, and the letter was addressed
to my care. I was working for some
doctors here. Then when the letter
came he said he wanted me to write to
his father. I told him that he had
told me to write to his grandfather.
But 1 wrote and asked for $40. The
letter came and I opened it,
Did you take the money!"
Yes. sir. I did. I'll admit that I
took the money"
What did you do with it ?''
"Well I spent it. Oh. I'll admit
that I took it,
what does the indictment pre-
sent" asked the court of H. J. Bone,
United States district attorney. THE
facts are these, your honor" said the
district attorney. 1.-The defendant met
a young man by the name of Claude
Weir, at Newton. while on the train.
Weir was never in Topeka and the de-
PENDANT never met him there. They
found out from talking with the
young man that his grandparents re-
sided in Missouri. He wrote letter
to the grandparents signing the young
mans name and represented that he
was sick here and without any money.
The grandparents forwarded the letter
to the parents In Oklahoma and in re-
sronse to this letter $40 came through
the mails which this defendant signed
up for and took. A few days later the
boy turned up home safe and we'll to
the surprise of his parents who asked
him he had received the $40. He re-
piled that he had not. They asked
him if he had been sick and he
stated that he had not. The inquiry
then resulted"
Evidently there must have been
some strong provocation for this man
to have fallen to the temptation. l
take it also that his health is very
bad. The minimum penalty is one
year and the maximum five years.
eff your honor please. under the
existing circumstances. / would
the Minimum suggested
Bone.
The court then passed sentence. Il
want to 60 right away, I don't want
to stay here. [ would like to ask the
court to have me removed right
away" said Dickson to deputy Unit
ed states marshal That's all right
you won't have to ask for that" said
the officer.
Claude Weir, the boy in the case,
lives at Aline Okla, with his parents, |
s. B. Weir. His grandfather, James |
J. Weir lives at Greenfield. Mo. Dick |
son met the boy on the 26th of July, |
1907 and on August End received the |
letter from the mail carrier where he |
was boarding, III West Fifth street.