New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-12
POnzi Admits.
He Served Two
Prison Terms
tcontInusd from pass one)

stuffed full of bank notes. tied up in
packages, apparently all of $1,000 de-
nomination. He offered no explanation
as to the amount Of cash in the bag,
but it was unquestionably large.
The Italian wizard" passed most of
to-day in the office of Daniel V. Nc
Isaac, former assistant district attoY-
ney. who, with Daniel H. Coakley, re-
Gently has been acting as his counsel.
Late tonight Ponzi said he intended
going to his Lexington home for two
or three quiet days with his wife and
mother. He said he was tired Of the
rush" of the last two weeks.
Ponzi, when confronted with reports
regarding his two terms in prison, con-
ferred with his lawyers and then issued
this statement:
"The statement am about to make
should have been made before, in view
of the fact of the notoriety Of the
press. l felt that the past had very
little bearing on the present situation
Several years ago / committed a sim
l had every reason to believe that
society owed me another chance.
Should Not be Exception
81 am not the first one to have COM
mitted sin and not the only one, not
even III tH6 Clty Ol OootOH. w men 1
see others who were under the same
situation years ago and now to-day
occupy prominent positions, / do not
see why ! should be made the excep-
ton to the general rule and become
the object of persecution on the part
of the authorities, press and the
public.
Charles w. Morse, at one time
prominent banker, was also convicted
in United States courts and sentenced
to fifteen years in Atlanta, Ga. I
know, because I was there with him.
He was released after serving a very
small part of his sentence. He has
been now occupying for years a posi-
q banker to-day and deals with the
United States government and associ-
ates with the most respectable men in
the United States.
II do not mean in any way to imply
that he is not deserving of the respect
Of the public, but merely ask, if he
is deserving, why shouldn't I be?
Montreal records show that man
OF my description was convicted of
forgery in 1908 and sent for three
years to st. Vincent de Paul and
served about twenty months. This is
ali that the public in general cares
to know
Did Not Commit Crime, He Says
Il feel that it is also very important
Tor the people at large to know that,
although am the man who was con-
vlcted and sentenced for that crime. |
am not the man who perpetrated the
CRIME. What is occurring to-day to
me happened then in Montreal. the
only difference being the object of
persecution was my employer.
A man apparently friendly to him
suggested that he leave Canada. the
object of the man being to appropriate
during his absence all the assets left bv
the fugitive banker. In order to be
sure he wouldn't come back to demand
an accounting he compelled him to
Jorge certain instruments which he was
gong to hold as a club over his head.
was present at the transaction.
when it developed later that the
man could not gain possession of the
assets, revenge or other motives
prompted him to demand the return of
my employer under extradition pro
ceedings on a charge of forgery from
Mexico to Montreal.
IL felt indignant, as any other man
would feel under the circumstances. and
decided that I would save my emf
rloyer, regardless of the cost or conse-
Quences. When he was brought to
Montreal l exonerated him by assum-
ing all the blame, and to this dav | do
not know what has happened to him.
Il am not trying to pose as a hero.