Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-22
ALBANY POS1M|ST RESS
GETS YEARS SENTENCE
Embezzled Government Funds
in Trying to Support Herself
and Two Children, Husbands
Earning Capacity Being Very
Slight-R. r. Men Go to Jail

Mrs. Katherine I, Dow, % years old
and former school teacher, was sem
fenced in United States court Thursday
by Judge Harland y. Howe to serve
year and day for embezzlement while
postmistress at Albany. Another case
was disposed of when William Folsom
of Newport, conductor on the Boston
r. Maine railroad, and two brakemen,
frank Stone and Harold Carter of Lynn
donville, were sentenced to serve -FOUR
months in the Washington county jail
for stealing n roll of leather from
freight car. All Of the respondents
pleaded guilty.
In the case of Mrs. Dow. Judge Howe
stated in pronouncing sentence that 1t
was one Of the saddest cases with which
he had come in contact. Mrs Dow came
no to Albany a number Of years ago as
a. school teacher. She married man
who has not seemed to have the earning
capacity to take care OF even himself
They now have two young children. one
two and one five years OF age. Mrs.
Low has all along been the main support
of tho family. Tn order to pay debts,
which were incurred through sickness and
other causes, she ernbezzled money from
the postofiice. THIS money she intended
TO repay, out continually got in deeper
IL
$500 With par. Of it she purchased
mr. automobile so that her husband could
earn something hacking. This plan did
rot work out well and the money stolen
from the government was unpaid until
recently when Mrs. Dow succeeded in
paying back about $1,70O
In sentencing Mrs. Dow, Judge Howe
said that he realized the temptation
under which she was but that she was
trusted by the government and by the
public or she would not have had such
D. position. She had betrayed the trust.
lie realized that if her husband had been
IF her equal this condition would never
have arisen and she would not have
yielded to temptation.
The case of the railroad men arises out
Of the stealing of roll of leather near
Morrisville last September. Folsom,
Stone and Carter composed the entire
crew, with the exception of the engineer
and fireman. They saw the leather and
threw it into one of their cars. 1t was
harness leather. consigned to Boston.
They afterwards cut what they wanted
UP and sent the rest along. The amount
stolen, together with the damage done
to the goods. was fixed at 1923. The men
were discharged from the railroad as soon
as they were discovered to be the thieves.
All had previously borne excellent reputa-
tions.
Judge Howe said that there was alto
gether too much stealing on the railroads
and would not consent to fine in sem
fencing them. Attorney Leary, in plead
ing their case, told of the standing of
the men in the community previous to
the discovery of the theft. and said that
they already had been punished severely.
The court thought that a Jail sentence
Should be imposed where an entire crew
united to steal from their employer.
These men were entrusted with goods
of an immense value and instead of
watching over them and guarding them
were stealing. The sentence of four
months was less than any other respond
Rnts would receive in the future. He
took into consideration the circumstances
In imposing light sentence.
The special grand jury was called al
nine o'clock in the morning. 1t con-
sists of w. E. Andrews of Hinesburg
Frank Curtis of Williston, d. 3. Den
hing of Winoosk, William Flynn OF
Underhill, II. G. Gale of Essex juno.
ton, NJ. Gibbons of Winooski, S. T
Graves of Wnooski, f. T.. Hathaway OF
Burlington, F. S. Jackson of Jericho
George Kinney of Shelburne, r. b. Lam
BON of Burlington, William Mcdonald Of
Shelburne, f.. T.. Morgan of Burlington
D. S. Nichols of Essex Junction, Van A
Nye Of Burlington, T.. j, Palmer of Shell
burne, c. II. Shipman of Burlington
Stanton Williams of Charlotte and j. T.
Wolcott of Colchester. The jury wen
into session and reported finding sis
true bills in the afternoon. These are
thought to be the liquor importing cases
The jury was then dismissed. subject t
call.