The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-24
DARDEN SENTENCE
DUETHIS MORNING

UVA / 2x40 IAVAAA VA w
Scheduling the pronouncement OF
judgement for this morning in the
case of D. M. Darden, local bank
er, who entered a plea of guilty
to ernbezzling$6. 900 from the Peo-
pies Savings Bank and Trust COM
pany in U. S. District court yes
terday morning, Judge Don Gil
liam, of Tarboro, remarked Il
don't know that I can pass wiser
judgement tomorrow than To-Day
but l want to defer sentence IN
til tomorrow morning -"
Decision to defer the courts
judgement came after more than
dozen prominent Wilmington
business, religious, banking and
civic leaders testified before Judge
Don Gillian concerning the char
acter and esteem in which they
held the former vice-president OF
the bank.
The witnesses were led to the
stand by the Ri. Rev. Thomas G.
Darst, retired bishop of the East
Carolina Episcopal diocese, and in
order included Marsden Bellamy,
county attorney; the Rev. Sankey
Lee Blanton, pastor of the First
Baptist church; Wilbur Dosher,
Wilmington postmaster; James E.
L. Wade, city councilman; the
Rev. J. F. Herbert, pastor OF
Grace Methodist church; the Rev.
Walter Freed, pastor of st. PauPs
Lutheran church; the Rev. E. W.
Haleck, pastor of st. Johns Epis-
copal church: Howard Penton,
member of the board of directors
of the Peoples Bank; j. &. Hunt
ington, secretary Of the Whining
ton YMCA: ". E. Yopp, city coun-
Gilman and ]. Walker Taylor d.
rector of the Peoples Bank, and
Addison Hewlett, chairman of the
board of county commissioners.
In addition to their character
testimony, many Of the same men,
together with others, offered a pc
tition to the court asking leniency
for Darden. The petition cited the
defendants ''unselfish contribu-
tons, to numerous civic enter
prises and the Darden family's
prominence in entertaining serv-
icemen.
Darden's guilty plea was en-
tered by his attorneys, Aaron
Goldberg, John Stevens and Ken
meth Burgwin. Through them, OAR
den offered no defense for the en-
bezzlement other than the state
ment that full restitution had been
made within four days OF the date
that another bank officer had dis
covered the shortage.
The government case was pre-
scented by Clarence Rouse and
Chauncey H. Liggett, assistant U.
S. district attorneys. Sole witness
for the government was E. Vance
Scurlock, special agent Of the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation.
From the witness stand, Sour
lock said the Darden matter had
come to attention of the FBI short
" after September S, the date
Darden's embezzlement was dis
covered by the bank. The govern
ments investigation, Scurlock
said, produced evidence that the
bankers embezzlement h d been
going on for approximately five
years, beginning in 1910.
There were Withdrawals in de-
nominations varying from 500 to
$500, these being covered in the
banks notes and loans records
kept by Mr.. Darden," Scurlock
testified.
"By February, 1915, these with
drawals had amounted to $4,000.
Shortly before an audit of the
banks books by a state examiner,
Mr.. Darden went Il another bank
and borrowed $4,000 on 60-day
note.
"When, on April IA this note fell
due, Mr.. Darden withdrew $500
from the notes and loan department
and repaid his note due at the
other bank (Security National
Bank and deposited four fictitious
notes in his own banks records
to cover the withdrawal" the FBI
agent said.
These fictitious notes went I'm
challenged, Scurlock quoted OAR
den as saying, until September 5.
last. when another officer Of the
Peoples Bank had occasion to
doubt their validity.
Under cross-examination ofAaron
Goldberg, the FBI agent said that
he had been informed that Darden
made full restitution of the $500
within four days of discovery of the
embezzlement. The federal agent
also testified under cross-examina-
ton that Darden had cooperated
fully in aiding the investigation.
On behalf Of Darden, Goldberg
told the court the defendant had
used the money to defray living
costs.
sMr. Darden appears to have
been in the unfortunate category
of a man whose social and civic
obligations demanded more money
than his limited income would per.
init. That is the only explanation
to this unfortunate case" Goldberg
declared.
After listening to the clara cter