The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-08
BANKERSFINED
ON PLEAS MADE:
IN COURT HERE
Judge Jansonius Imposes
Fines on H. F. ROhr and j.
A. Hooker of Dawson
EXPLAINS THE FINES
Court in Filming Men Says
He Has Ordered Further
Investigation

H. F.. Rohr was fined $500 and
J. A. Hooker was fined $500, by
Judge Jansonius in district court
here, on their pleas of guilty to
having, as officers, kept the First
State Bank of Dawson open while it
was insolvent. The court entered
into the record a notation that the
sentence did not bar any prosecu-
tion that may be made on any other
charges that may be brought. The
defendants appeared before the
court yesterday afternoon.
Judge Jansonius delivered the
sentence, in the case of MIR. Rohr, as
follows:
"You are charged with the crime
of receiving deposit Of $4,000 in
an insolvent bank. After the trial
had commenced you changed your
plea from not guilty to guilty.
"The States Attorney and also the
Attorney General have recommended
that no penitentiary sentence be
imposed. l fully realize that the
plea was changed with the assur-
ance that such recommendation
VIC uld be given. l also realize that
it was doubtful if a conviction would
have been had if it had proceeded
one of the states principal witness
es not being here.
"However, tNjs particular charge
is small one, and even without a
recommendation I do not think -ou
a plea of guilty a court can justly
impose penitentiary sentence. You
have pleaded guilty to only one
small charge, that of accepting q
deposit of $4,000 in a bank when it
IS insolvent.
1T has been suggested that you
committed other and greater crimes
in connection with the banking in
stitution Of which you were an Of
ficer, and that this Court should
impose penalty not only for the
crime you confessed, but also for
other alleged crimes of which no
charge has yet been preferred. 1t is
evident that such suggestions were
thoughtlessly made.
"Under our law a man can be con-
victed only by jury or upon a
plea of guilty. Upon a plea of
guilty only such a penalty can be
imposed as is suitable to the par
ticular crime charged.
"If you committed other crimes,
other charges must be preferred
against you, and I want to make it
clear that the fine I am about to
impose is only for this particular
charge, and does not exonerate you
Of any other crime if you are guilty
of other crimes.
ut has been suggested that you
embezzled from and looted this
bank. If you stood before me con-
victed of that crime l would not
hesitate to impose sentence of a
term of years in the penitentiary.
There is no more sacred trust
than that imposed in one who has
the savings of the people of the
community in his care, and one who
appropriates such funds to his own
use is guilty of a heinous crime.
II have ordered further investi-
cation regarding the other alleged
crimes, but that has. nothing to do
with the crime charged here, and
the sentence I am about to impose
is only for the crime you plead
guilty of-namely that of receiving
deposit of $4,000 in an insolvent
bank.
1T is the sentence of the Court
that for the crime you stand con-
victed Of you pay a fine of $5OO.OO."
j. A. Hooker, cashier of the bank
plead guilty of like offense and
was fined 100000. Both fines were
paid in full.