New-York tribune., 1909-04-14
A. ". T. BACK A SUICIDE
on D4E OF SECOND TRL1L.
Former CLERK Of Broome County
Superrisors Shoots Himself.

z,-rbarnton. Y y. April 15-Just before his
Ind trial on a charge Of stealing Broome County
xss which was scheduled 10 open In CooperstoWn
- 70 o'clock this morning. and as climax Of the
Investigation Of public affairs in Broome County
,;cb began in 1867, Arthur ". T Back. former
,ls-j, Of The Bronze County Board OF Supervisors.
former custodian Of county buildings and former
,,et-n,an Of the Broome County Republican Com
nj,tee committed suicide early to-day by shooting
himself through the head
Pack shot himself 7:so O'Clock this morning
-, his hodv vas not found until two hours later
- c1erl. in Mr Backs office found the dead
-, sitting at z table clutching a revolver Two
es-cslibre shots were fired one through pane %
,lss. presumably see if the revolver was IN
ro-king condition. and the second through the
-, - the head While the shots were heard in
-. hy,Iding they attracted no attention, and MI.
Back vas supposed to bc on his way 10 CoopeTS
,ouu having announced last night that he ~ouio
leave a. O'Clock this morning
The suicide closes long series OF official inVes-
,ieations OF Broome County good roads affairs by
.,ste and county officials which lately resulted IN
N. returning OF twenty-one indictments. the resis-
nation OF NJ Back from his offices OF clerk OF tne
Board OF Supervisors, custodian OF county pullu-
,nss sr1d Chairman Of the Broome County Repuoh-
czn Committed the resignation of County Treas
,,rer David Is. King and the resignation OF jasper
Smith as County Superintendent of Poor
H;ra Of these indictments we're against BACK
,o,,r against David B. King, three against Jasper
s-oi-b one against Charles Hustis "a clerk III Mr.
z.cl.s Office, ore against Frederick " Van PAT
ten. charging perjury in connection with the "rSt
rial Of Nj Back, and three against a local news
- charging criminal libel The amount IN
peP ~, ni,e indictments against Back
...,.5 s12 50 and four charged grand larceny and
FIVE forgery.
TRTAI. RESULTED IN CONVICTION
.,,, series Of cases has been tried. and
.,.,5 mas scheduled begin before Supreme
-. T,s+ice " s Andrews. of Syracuse, in Coop
s+,z-- this morning, The first trial. on cha'se
- Recommendation Of 500 Of county 1uhos to"A
-1ecs II, January and February. 1865. and resulted
=, ,he conviction Of the defendant, Justice w W
- -,-ssi5inC Nj Back sentenced TO Auburn
--,sor for a term Of not more than three ana
onabs1f years nor less than one year Ihe grahui'e
of certificate of reasonable doubt by Jusuce oiaIH
served as . stay Of sentence and the appeal Is
sin pending before the Appellate DIVISION 80 De
partment.
In the first trial Mr.. Back was defended 10y 'ne
Ista George Raines of Rochester. and Theodore r.
7u7tiU of Binghamton. The death Of MI Ralnes
last fail and the retirement Of Mr Tuthil as cou-
ssl for he defence left Back without an aitor-
ney and ND this morning he mad anhouilceu
that he would conduct his own defence at tre SCI
ood -rl The prosecution of the trial beginning to-
5sv was 10 be conducted by District Attorney r. >
.se,zber. Deputy Attorney General Roger +. Cialk
.ul John r stanchfeld. of Elnira- About month
ago. at a hearing before the Appellate DIVISION on
the spreal from the first conviction. M Back con-
ductel his argument
THE INDICTMENTS
rs.os, mas indicted by the Broome County Grand
T,r-,- :, August 1907. on eight charges Of forgery
.-s Grand larceny growing out Of his conduct OF
she oe5res OF clerk of the Board of Supervisors
e,o custodian OF public buildings and grounds
HI, OCCUPANCY OF those Offices gave him control
or the work Of building roads. in which Broome
t-o,,ntv embarked on generous scale in lsJ3' ana
es result Back built up powerful political ma
chine and is alleged have attempted 10 over
,hrn4r George W. Dunn member Of the State
Renualican Committee District Attorney Clark
and Staye Controller Glynn however, investigated
Harl's conduct Of his offices, and as result Mr.
C;lv1D reported that Back had ''usurped the pre-
-oEsti.es Of the Board OF Supervisors and. with
the aid OF a con.5aisant County Treasurer, had alb
solute control Of the county treasury Mr.. Glynn
also stated that $500 00o had been dispersed from
the Rroo7,e Count treasury the sole order
AMI audit of Back and that Of this amount si06,S0S
WIS paid directly 10 Back and sl76.3SS was paid
II q clerk in Backs employ and dispersed by them
Back subsequently resigned clerk Of the Board
OF Supervisors
was also indicted on charge OF Iniss pproprtating
county funds and resigned two days before he was
10 sppear before Governor Hughes for a hearing
IN tbs bitter fight which ensued two Of the editors
q Bingnarnton paper were indicted for making
charges against the District Attorney