Iditarod pioneer., 1917-05-12
CONVICTED BANK PRESIDENT GAINED COURTS SYMPATHY
 AND LATER DECAMPED

SEATTLE May 5.-W. l. Collier pres- Company, recently convicted on criminal charge and sentenced to the penitentiary, has disappeared, following the bringing in of another grand larceny charge against him. Collier was out on bail pending com mitment to prison.
 w. L. Collier, president of the Northern Bank x Trust Company of Seattle, which was closed by the state bank examiner in February last and who was sentenced re gently to from one to ten years Tn the state penitentiary, pleaded guilty to the charge ot making false entries in the banks books, according to the Post stlntelligencer. Collier had confessed to Prosecuting Attorney Lun- din the cmbezzement of S30,0OO of the banks funds in a period covering the last two years.
 Commitment of Collier to the penitentlary was delayed thirty days by Judge Smith in order that he might assist the bank ex- aminers in going over the books and strengthening out the accounts. In the meantime he was given his liberty under 9 bond of $5,000.
 In passing sentence the court spoke at length, expressing the sympathy of the community with the defaulting official in that he used the funds to buy stock in the bank. The minimum sentence was i'm posed.
 The specific charge against Collier was that he had made false entries to show the withdrawal of $l0,350 on September fl from the Northern Bank. One entry in the banks individual ledger showed debit entry of $2,350 in the account of the Nata toyium Company and another of 2S,O0O III the account of the Westlake Market. Lun- din, in recounting Golfers confession, said that Collier had taken money from the bank with which to purchase stock, and the stock had been carried in the accounts as cash on hand. When the state ex2mina- ton was at hand Collier withdrew the stock and at the same time made the entries of the fictitious withdrawals in the accounts of the two deposltors.
 For more than an hour before Collier was taken before the court he was cIosated with with his attorney, Will H. Morris State Bank Examiner W. E. Hanson and Deputy IAGllllIltI l.. H. 41UOIt Ill tl-t DlllCC oI tItC prosecuting attorney After Judge Smith heard the reading of the complaint, the statement of the prosecutor and the plea of Attorney Morris for lenicncy, he asked Collier:
 Was this money that you took used for any other purpose than the purchase of stock for yourself? Had you been gam bling?"
 No" your honor" replied Collier, in low voice.
 q don't know you very well Mir. Col Ter" said the judge, but I sympathze with you in your mistake. l feel sure that you will be able to win back the respect that you have heretofore held in the com munity when you have served your sentence in the state prison. The demands of the law must be met; but you are young man and l know that you will do all in vour power to make amends for what you have done. and in saying this l believe l speak for the community"
 The charge of making false entries was filed, rather than one of embezzlement MT. LundIn said at the request of the state bank examiner, for the effect conviction would have on others. The maximum sen tence for falslfylng IS ten years and for embezzlement, fifteen years.