The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-22

OOllN 1I1OihRSSs
former supervisor of Batavia. who. for
seventeen years. Systematically stole
from the town nf Batavia and the county
of Gcncsec funds amounting TO more than
$4,000
Thomas WAS arrested in this city sun
day last by Chief of Detectives George
Sheets and Detectives Curran and ElpleE.
Thomas was recognized on the street
from a photograph i'm lhs possession oi
chief Sheets who picked him out OF the
passing crowd and took him 10 Tho ponce
station. where Thomas later on admitted
his IDENTITY 10 Chief of Police Barlow.
With The New York officials. he wili leave
ihls city today. so fhat hc may spend
the Christmas holidays with his family
and other relatives in Batavia. where
bonds viii be arranged for his release
as soou as he arrives
Ten Indictments.
The requistion papers, issued by Gov
ernor Charles j.. Hughes Of New York.
Tuesday last. We're houoTc1 Tuesday at
iernoon by Acting Governor Charles ;.
Tincey. The papers wcrc issued on ten
indictments. all OF ~hich the juno grind
jury. sitting I'm Batavia. found. The tiTSt
one is for forgery in the second degree
and the raising OF town order from IS
20 SIS. the forging the name Of The payer
and the passing Of the order. The second
Indictment Is Tor the raising OF town
order from s, 70 SlI. the forging "f tho
pavee's name and the passirG OF the or
Icr
The third indictment Is FOR the stealing
of $500. In 1905. In excess taxes col
lccIed hy Thomas OF the county OF Gene
see and the town oi Batavia and which
hc failed To pay into the treasury. An
other Indictment IL for The theft Of $lA9l.
in the Year OF 1907, collected and dis
posed Of in the same manner. Another
L. for the theft Of S&55l. in 1905, also
collected and disposed of in the same
manner Five other Indictments charge
Tbornas with tho misrepresentation of pub
lie moneys by public official and the
Justification % the nuolic records. includ-
Ing the lax rolls.
ON account Of the fact that The case
town of Batavia and the county cf
C;onosec. Thomas was "NtrBGitod on ten
indictments instead OF on ono. AS IS INC INC
usual method in ordinary cases, The
method in which tho man for seventeen
wears swindled tho county and town ont
az public moneys was unique and sitll Of
dcfied detection.
Beginning Of Downfall.
The story of the mans final downfall
hegan with The theft Of Si00 in hls first
year 5n office by manipulation Of th'
tax rolls From that time on up TO rh,
year Of 1908 the amounts he stole cradu-
ally increased until the last sum amount
cd To $g53iTI
While he Was supervisor OF the towl
OF Batavia. Thomas took care Of thu
lax rolls and footed mp their amounts
Iustead nf footing up each column scpa-
rately and correctly he ala this Incorrect
the totals of 2 much suIaller amount thar
the total asscssed valuation To illus
tiate. he footeo NY tie totals in 1871 II
such a manner ihat his lntais. instead o.
showing So 100 n0D, showed II 600,
difference OF $500 .hoh When the eXpsr
accountant discovered this, long aftc
Thomas had disappeared the officials die
moi even then realize hn% toe man ha1
turned tina mistake 20 his advantage. :
moro thorough examination. OF tho Ia:
rolls showed that he had collected III,
tax on The assessed valuation. which wa
So 200 900 and only turned in Ia th
treasurer OF the county tax on Sl,b00, ono
keeping the tax he had collected on th'
For sixteen years Thomas continued t'
DO this. and on acco,int of his family au'
mis- record i'm the civil war and his boost
ing ability for tho town Of Batavia. h
was not suspected. No error Was discoy
cred in his work until January |. 1909
on which date John ". W. Mullen. clerl
of the board OF supervisors. noticed Al
error in one nf the columns ri the Ia
rolls and called the attention Of Thoma
10 H. One peculiar feature. which wa
sfferWard recalled by Mullen. was th
fact that Thomas instantly became Il
aud had To rake a. seat in Tho office. hu
he told Mullen that he would rectify tb
mistake.
Discovered; Falls i'll Faint.
This. however. he did not do an
matter he became III. and on one occa
sion fell In n faint OH tho floor Of hi
store. Mullen Sllll olu not hrr1iue @lls
picious OF The MAN. and. in fact notliu
was thought OF The matter until Thoma
disappeared
On February Il Thomas left Ratavia
taking 4 train Ia Buffalo. n. V, an
from there hc went tp New York city
remaining at tho Buffalo Central hotel fo
several days. after which he left for part
unknown. While at Buffalo he wrote OF
and gent in his resignation supervise
OF the town Of Batavia and also sent 1w
letters 10 friends. In one OF which he sal
.dir s'rt-l,r th..r M
oyercnats
Thomas was next heard from IN Chi
cago and later on Tumors reached III
authorities at Batavia that he had hee
seen at San Francisco. As soon as hi
resignation was received by the cIer
OF the board. i, Blaine Thomas, the so
of the defauller engaged tie firm
Watson & Watson 10 defend the IA the
In the event tnat he was etInned To Ba
t7Va. Shortly afterwards William
Watson. the senior member Of the firm
went on pleasure trip TO Hamilton
Bermuda. and while he was at That plsc
Sheriff Garrett received telegram fro
Hamilton that man answering the de-