New Britain herald., 1916-02-11
"GU|LTY" IS PLEA
 OF SEN. BURTON Man, Once Highly Respected, Goes
 to Prison as EmbeZZler SENTENCED BY FRIEND
Judge Reed Was Once Intimate With
 Bank Treasurer, Tried Before Him -Givcs Sentence of Three to Ten
Years.

-G1NcS sentence Ol InECc 10 IC1l
 Years.
 New Haven, Feb. 11.-Franklin Burton, former treasurer of the Say ings Bank of Ansonia, was sentenced to not less than three years nor more than ten years in state prison. by Judge Joel Reed of the superior court today. after pleading guilty to e1nbezzlement of funds, fOrgerieS of notes and mortgages and making false entries on the banks books to deceive the bank commissioner and the officers of the bank. Burton took the sentence without any outward show of emotion. The imposition of sentence was preceded by a presenta- tiOn of the states case by States At tCrney Haines of Middlesex county, @ reply by MT Holden of Ansonia, at tcrney for the defendant, who made a plea for clemency, and a review of the crime by Judge Reed.
 Had Been Model Citizen.
 MT. Haines prefaced his remarks with an expression of the palnfulness of the duty before him. The accused, he said, had been regarded as an up- right, respected citizen until Septem- Der 16 last when his misdoin2s stood revealed. He had twice held the highest office in the gift of his fellow townsmen, represented his district in 1hc senate, and as a bank officer, ana church member had been a model citizen. His bank connections eX- tended through twenty-five years. His peculations began many years ago, so far back that it is impossible to determine when they began.
 Arraiencd on Seven Counts.
 Burton was arraigned on seven counts but MT. Haines, explaining that two covered incidents specifically re- fe rred to in the others, struck them out, with the courts permission. One, the third count, MT. Haines said, was greatly involved. The seventh one was to have been one covering all others. The information as read bv the clerk charged as follows; First, that on September 30, l9l l, Burton took $7.O0O in money from tho hank: second, that on May l, 1914, he used d certificate, later de- &cribCd as an interest payment on an obligation held by the bank, sent by .he city of New York for $70O; fourth, that on September 16. 1915, he took $500 cash; fifth, that September 1 :, 1915, he took $7,253 in cash sixth, that on May 1, 1915, he made false entries on the books concerning cer- tain notes. mortga ges, etc. to the amount of $343 with intent to de- ceive the bank commissioners and the hanks officers.
 Pleads Guilty.
 Burton called to the bar pleaded guilty. MT. Haines then related the circumstances during which he showed how Burton's acts were re- vealed. He had taken $4.300 from the till. The bank commissioner was making an examination. The count ing of cash had been done in the evening. The clerk counting had found a slip of paper calling for $4,300 cash which was supposed to be in q tin box in the vault. The next day the clerk wanted to see the tin box. When it was taken out $4,30O was not there. Burton then confessed his 
 The $4.300 was cash taken to use in an outside transaction and it was covered by use of a slip purpOrtinS to show the equivalent of cash in the vault. l nc Jnoli Ol } (. 200 ulu not at first appear but MT. Haines said it was found that for many years there had been an overhaul against the salary account, and this figure rep resents that overdraft forgery was clever.
 In the stealing of $34,3O0 shown by false entries, MT. Haines said the system of forgery was as clever as ha ho oic years service as states attorney. The bank accepted notes for money loar- ed with mortgages as security. Many of these were copied exactly, the notes and the mortgages with the of town clerks on the cover being accurately made. In course of time the original notes were paid and mortgages discharged but Burton placed the copies he had made in the banks assets and took the equivalent cash for his own use.
 Holden Makes Plea.
 MT. Holden made a plea for Bur ton saying that MT. Haines statement of the case was fair except in regard to forgery of town clerks endorsement in which he thought a mistake had been made. Later Mr. Haines said he had examined these signatures and found they were forgeries.
 MT. Holden said that the court had to deal with the case as a whole. Tho | peculations were actually about $3O,- ! 900 and began with a small real ! estate transaction a dozen years ago | when Burton was recovering from [ serious illness. Burton did not have | Inc moral courage to tell of what 1 he had done, and since then the money taken had mostly been to pav | interest on the original theft
 Judge Reed then called Burton be- fore him, and speaking slowly said
 (Continucd On Fifteenth pagc)