The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1922-02-09
GABERT'S STATEMENT
TO THE PUBLIC TODAY
TO THE CITIZENS OF MARIETTA
AND COBB COUNTY:

AND COBB COUNTY:
On account of my official connec.
ton with the Marietta Trust anC
Ranking Company for the past seve
raj years, and the part that ! have
had in bringing about the downfall OF
this institution, / feel that / should
say something to you, and yet my
conduct in connection with this mat.
ter has been so ineXcusable, ! hardly
know what to say; for have been I'M
able TO explain or excuse it to myself
and can hardly hope to do 50 to you.
AS you know, was born and rear.
ed IN this county, and have worked
hard ever since | was q boy. / mar.
ried a girl who was born and raised
IN Marietta. We have been blessed
with FIVE splendid children; two
boys and three little girls. | have
always loved and wOrshiped my wife
and children. They have been all to
me that any father and husband could
wish for. We have lived within our
legitimate income. have never
drank. or dissipated in any other way.
4 lnvlte the closest scrutiny and
criticism of my moral habits, which
] believe are above reproach, with
the one fatal exception. In my am
bition to accumulate property, so as
to have an income to provide for
the support and education of my
children, yielded to the temptation
70 speculate. In doing this / first
Used funds that belonged to me and
then funds that had been entrusted
to my care, but with view and pur-
pase Of returning them. / know this
WAS wrong, and / deserve not only
condemnation, but no sympathy for
It. lost. In my effort to regain
what had lost, I speculated again.
Again ! lost Again ! .spedulated,
huRing TO recover enough to repay
xzae fund, and again lost. .Realiz-
ing what | was into, became alarm
ed: specialized again and again, and
s~sth 1heS same result, always hoping
asaH praying that could recover en-
sugh TO replace the. funds that had
@eez etrusted to me, and then quit
ThlS speculation has continued thru
several years. / meyer at any time
GEsed a dollar with the view Of steal
ing it, and not one dollar of the mon
ey went to my personal benefit, to
the benefit of my family, or to my
friends. 1t was always my purpose
to return it, and in every instance
fortune broke against me.
When / finally realized how wrong
! had done and how impossible it ap-
peared for me to restore the funds
which had been entrusted to me and
which / had wrongfully used, no one
can understand the suffering that
have endured. For five years. it has
been a torture to me day and night.
not only because of the wrong | had
done and the consequences to myself.
but more because of the shame and
disgrace it would bring to the fair
name Of my wife and children, and
my mother, and also for the wrong
had done to the people with whom
a had been raised, who had trusted
me, and whom loved and respected.
For at least five years, have suffer-
ed all the tortures that a prison could
impose on any one, or torment could
put upon the blacklist sinner on the
hardest criminal.
! realize, however, that | deserve
no sympathy for this, for | brought
It upon myself. | have also brought
sorrow. disgrace and poverty upon
ray wife and children. | am going
to admit my wrongs in the courts,
and take the additional punishment
that is in store for me, and when this
is over, shall hope and pray that |
shall have enough courage left to so
conduct myself that | may, in some
degree, regain the confidence of the
SeOple of this town and county who
base trusted me in the past, and
~RhOm love and respect,
! am giving the auditors of the
bank every assistance ! can in arliv-
Sug " the true status of the affairs
OF che bank. In an effort to replace,
~ far us | can, funds that I have
useA in my wrongful Speculation,
shall turn over everything have to
The last dollar.
Ny Wit0Ssnd VhildeeA sane .inppcept
4f any ~rong-doings Their burdens
wnrs already heavy, s4pA slnpost NO
SeaIRbae. a'snt 20 ask that YOU be
charitable enough Of their feelings
~ F1feain from placing upon them the
-StiSna of, or any responsibility FOL
aIy wrongful conduct. The ever
pMesent knowledge and consciousness
of the shame, disgrace and poverty
4s (which have subjected them. to-
-eether with the financial loss to my
friends and associates, and the loss
~ the confidence and respect Of my
friends, is my real punishment, the
extent of which God alone can know.
In conclusion. want to warn nay
friends, one and all, Young and old.
against speculation. My case is Al,
example of what it is liable to do
for any one
(Signed) A. H. GILBERT