The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-08-29
Guild In Prison
Works In Garden
And Is Better
Reports From Honolulu Say
That Defalcations Exceed
Million Dollars and Total
Not Yet Known

John Guild, formerly secretary and
director of Alexander q Baldwin and
honored member OF the business and
social communities of Honolulu is
now No. E-512 in the Oahu peneten-
tiary. He is employed in garden work
and his physical condition is reported
as improved.
Events have moved rapidly in the
Guild business tragedy. On Friday
afternoon of last week the grand jury
found two true bills of Indictment
against him, one for embezZling bonds
from the Episcopal Church and the
other for embezzling $4,000 from
Alexander & Baldwin in 1917. On
Saturday morning Guild was taken be-
fore Judge Banks and pleaded guilty
to both indictments. He was sentenc
ed to serve in the Oahu penetentiary
at hard labor two terms of not less
than five nor more than ten years, to
run consecutively. This would mean
that with allowance for good behavior
he may be released in between seven
and eight years, if he lives to finish
his sentence.
Dramatic Court Seen .......
AS reported on Saturday by the AS
sociated Press the scene in court was
highly dramatic. Shortly after 8
o'clock Guild entered the judiciary
building supported by j. j. Balch and
G.. G. Kinney. When Judge Banks en-
tered he strove to rise but the judge,
noticing his condition told him he
might sit. Assistant Prosecutor Stat
sol 10 in intt tt1nn oh nrpinO
bezzlement from the church and in re-
ply to the query of the court: You
have heard the reading of the indict
ment, are you guilty or not guilty?"
He replied: 'Im guilty" and repeat
ed the words a second time. Then was
read the indictment charging en-
bezzlement of $37, 900 from Alexander
& Baldwin. The same question was
propounded and Guild replied again,
I'm guilty" stressing the word guilty.
Plea For Leinency
Then e. NJ. Watson, counsel for
Guild made plea for leniency in
which he said in part: "This defend
ant was friend of every man, woman
and child in this community and | am
informed that any sentence you may
pronounce will be his death sentence.
He then presented to the court the
certificate of two physicians and ask
ed Judge Banks to read it and make
if a part of the record He continued:
The defendant has made all possible
reparation and turned over all the
property he had to the losers, every
piece of real estate and every cent of
money.
He has performed perhaps more
ntnnr indiVi-
dual in this community, acts of word
and deed as we'll as gifts of money,
always treating others with kindness
and giving freely of his time.
81 can't explain; l can't attempt to
explain.
"He has afforded the company every
possible aid in tracing the shortages.
| ask the court to extend any leniency
it may see to be proper"
Attorney Stafford then said that
there are still $1,000 of bonds belong
ing to the church unaccounted for that
might be found AS to the embezzle-
ment from the company the figures
were collosal, approximately S75O,OOO
OnlY one Indictment had been secured
for such offenses though more than
hundred might have been; it was de-
sired not to clutter the records. lie
explained Guilds system. First at the
office. last to leave, working Sunday
mornings, having duplicates OF the
stationery and blanks OF the other OIL
fees. retyping them to suit his neces-
sity in covering up the peculatlons ne
was responsible for which could only
have been done by man trusted as
was he. He said that three OF the
church bonds that had been traced
were not the bonds originally purchas-
ed by it.
Judae Pronounces Sentence
Judge Banks then said in part: Il
fear every much the weight of respon-
sihiIitv the law places upon me. There
is the dual responsibility to the com
munity and the man accused. Inc
law must be stern but must never De
inhuman. Many things must be taken
into consideration in pronouncing sen
tence. but nothing has been shown thls
court to call for leinency. There was
no justification; there was not that
temptation that comes to persons in
poverty or distress; he was not the
victim of bad environment His crimes
were premeditated and carried out
with consumate skill. This is one of
the most terrible deeds in the his
tory of this community" He then pro
nounced sentence.
Sorry Spectacle
In court Guild presented a spectacle
of abject moral and physical weak
ness. His hands trembled like leaves
in the breeze, his eyes were red and
swollen and he wept and sobs shook
his body from time to time.
After sentence he was taken from
the room supported as he entered and
put in a car with Arthur McDuffie,
chief of detectives and driven to Ka-