Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-09-20
STOLE 100000
FOR NEGRO WOMAN
REMARKABLE CASE OF CHAS.
E. LETTEN.
STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO
First Steal Was Made in 1908 and
One Has Followed Each Week
Since-Woman Attempts to drown
Herself.

New Orleans.-With only so cents
in his pockets out of 100000 which
he confesses to having stolen from
the State of Louisiana, Charles F..
Letten was arrested making a clean
breast of his misdeeds to the grand
jury and supplementing this by a
further acknowledgment to Inspector
Whitaker. Coincidentally with these
proceedings Letten was indicted by
the grand jury on the general count
of the embezzlement of 100000
from the Office Of the collector OF
taxes for the First district, this ac-
ton being taken largely on his own
testimony before that body.
Hardly had Letten been led to a
cell in the Parish Prison when Vir-
ginia Reed was locked up at the
Central Police Station by order of
Inspector Whitaker and booked as
detained to await the inspectors fur
Their arrangements. She was paroled,
however, later in the evening. The
incarceration of the negro woman
followed Letten's statement to the
inspector, in the presence of the wo-
man, that he had given her aproxi-
mately 100000 of all the moneys he
may have taken.
"Is this the woman 10 whom you.
gave $4,000 of the money you con-
fess to having stolen from the state
asked Inspector Whitaker.
"She is the woman" replied Let
ten, his glance on the floor.
"That will do" said the inspec-
tor.
On her denial of Letten's asser-
ton, the Reed woman was taken in
charge by detectives and locked in
a cell until further orders.
The defaulter stands alone with
scarcely a friend in the world. Men
who only few days ago looked upon
Letten as a model man and were
pleased to be known as his friend,
have deserted him.
Outside of his son calling on hin
when he was locked up in the parish
prison, no one has visited the default
er. Not one of the many friends that
Letten had has offered to come for
ward and assist him in his trouble.
In fact, he has been left to his OWL
resources.
Letten has not secured a lawyer
and from all accounts no one will
secure one for him. Letten spent his
first night in Jail under very comfor-
table circumstances. After taking d
bath he retired early and slept like
an infant. He did not wake until
O'Clock next morning and was great
ly refreshed. He ate a breakfast
made up of prison fare such as those
in the boarding department of the
prison are served with. Letten seemed
to relish his meal.
When a reporter called on him and
Informed him that Virginia Reed
had attempted to commit suicide
Letten did not seem to care. When
asked if he mad already been made
acquainted with the fact he said that
1t was news to him.
"Have you made any arrange
ments to secure lawyers to defend
you?" was the next question asked
Letten.
''NO, | have made no arrangements
for a lawyer" he announced. "I
am in daze and don't know what to
do. know that l have got myself
in pretty bad scrape and 1 feel
awfully bad"
will you plead guilty when your
trial takes place." was the mex.
question asked Letten.
q I don't know what I will do. Only
time can tell. I have a wife, three
sons and two nieces and to make
matters all the worse, my wife suf-
fers with heart trouble"
Outside of the above Letten would
have nothing else to say. He pleaded
that his head ached him. Letten act
ed like man who was thankful when
the interview was over. He had no
harsh things to say about any one
and acted as though he was sorry
that he had gotten himself into trou-
Bile.
The following is the letter written
by Charles E. Letten to Inspector
Whitaker, confessing his crime
New Orleans, Sept. II, 1907.
Hon. E. S. Whitaker.
Inspector of Police:
D.. G.. = nnn