Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-18
25O-YEAR TERM
MAY Be SENTENCE
GIVEN R. M. PETTY
President of Defunct Bank Is
Found Guilty on Twenty,
five Counts.
EACH CHARGE CARRIES
MAXIMUM OF 10 YEARS
Court May Bunch" Indict-
mehts and Impose Mini
mum of Five Years.

Guilty" That was the verdict
returned by the jury last night after
celebrating for six hours and Is
minutes on the fate of Robert M
Petty, former bank president and
railroad magnate of Washington
charged with misapplcation of banl
funds.
Twenty-Five times Federal Court
Clerk Benjamin Havens, of Trenton
asked Foreman Frank E. Davenport
for the jury's verdict. once for each
count in the indictment.
Twenty-Five times Foreman Frank
f. Davenport answered Guilty."
Each reply was like "a knife thrust
to the prisoner. He sat crouched uI
in a heap in a front chair in the
courtroom, after the verdict, disap.
pointment written in every feature.
The maximum penalty for the crime
of which he was found guilty is ter
years Imprisonment for each Of
fense.
Thus, if Judge Restab takes u
notion to impose the maximum pen
atty, Petty will be sentenced to 25(
years in the new Atlanta peniten-
tiary.
The minimum penalty is five years
In passing sentence on the prisoner
1t is probable that the indictment
will be considered as a whole and not
by the individual counts.
Looked Like Disagreement.
When the jury did not return in
five hours 1t began to look like a
disagreement. Each moment after
that counted for the prisoner. his
friends told him.
He was hoping for the best wher
the jury filed in. With a throbbine
heart he listened to the preliminary
questions from Clerk Havens, who
received the jury in the absence OF
| Judge Relstab.
What is your verdict on the firs
count?" asked the clerk.
There was a moments pause. Deer
silence pervaded the court. Every
eye was fixed or Foreman Dayen
port. His face was expressionless
| He opened his mouth convulsively, al.
most mechanically, it seemed, ant
| just breathed the word Guilty
A deep sigh was heard from Petty
His huge form seemed TO auiver from
head to foot. His adopted son was
at his side and tried TO comfort him.
Clerk Havens repeated the question
25 times At each answer Petty's
head sank lower and lower on his
breast 1t was all over. The end
had come. but not as he had ex-
pected. There was not even recon-
mendation of mercy from the jury.
1t was a great victory for Assistant
United States District Attorney Wal
ter H. Bacon.
Totters 10 Clerks Desk.
After the jury had been dismissed
with the instructions to report on
April 20. Petty dragged himself up
to Clerk Haven's desk.
He asked when an appeal could be
made and when sentence would be
imposed.
In sympathetic tone the clerk told
Petty that he could not appeal the
case until October in Philadelphia.
| Attorney Sylvester Smith, Petty's S
counsel. had arranged with Attorney
Bacon to have Petty sentenced on
April 2S This arrangement was made
shortly after the jury had filed out.
| Petty was taken to the Essex
Marshal Louis G. Beekman. pending
his sentence to the Federal peniten-
tiary at Atlanta. Ga.
Petty was arrested on April 20,
1912. on charge of misapplication
of the funds of the Washington Ma
tional Bank, of which he was presi-
dent.
The specific complaint charged him
with appropriating $50, 295 of the
funds of the Northampton. Easton
and Washington Traction Company
and applying the amount to his credit
in his own bank
Had Been Under $4,000 Bail.
After his arrest Petty was ar
raigned before United States Com
missioner George 7. Cramer at Tren-
ton and released in $4,000 bail, fur
nished by Attorney Smith, his eoun-
sell and William l.. Doyle.
Petty. the Government claimed in
the first IL counts against him, trans
ferred from the traction company S
account to his own account in his
bank s11.3O0 without authority
The other Ia counts charged him
with selling "a traction company
bonds to the bank for $18,995, title to
the bonds being in the company
name.
Petty was president Of the traction
company and was also one of its
incorporatorss He was also inter
ested in the Washington Piano Com
pany. oxford Iron and Steel Com
pany and the Warren County It'd
ings.
The bank suspended payment on
November 16. 1911, with liabilities de-
clared to exceed s2s6,OO0. Philip Til
linghast was appointed United States
receiver Ior the bank.
CAPTURE MEN AS THEY
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