Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1916 — MARION PIERSON SENT TO PRISON [ARTICLE]

MARION PIERSON SENT TO PRISON

Found Guilty of Misappropriating Government Funds. POSTMASTER AT FORESMAN Taken Before Judge Anderson at Indianapolis Monday and Sentenced to Two Years at Atlanta. Marion Pierson, 32 years old, a young man who has spent the greater part of his life in this vicinity and who has always heretofore borpe a spotless reputation, was sentenced to serve two years in the federal prison at Atlanta, Georgia, by Judge A. B. Anderson at Indianapolis Monday. The charge against Mr. Pierson was failure to remit government funds. Mr. Pierson was postmaster atForesman, in Newton county, and also conducted a general store in connection therewith. It is understood that in the latter business he became in need of funds or account of slow collections and decided to use some of the government’s money to tide him over, but an inspector dropped into the office one day last week and discovered the shortage and Mr. Pierson was promptly arrested.

A dispatch from Indianapolis stated that the shortage was in the neighborhood of SSOO, but a United States marshal, who was in Rensselaer last week, stated that it would aggregate about $1,600, Therefore, it is quite probable some funds were turned back to the postoflice after the original shortage was discovered. Mr. Pierson was married to a Miss Sunderland of Foresman a few years ago, but they have no children. Relatives went to Indianapolis Saturday and made every effort to render him some assistance, but Uncle Sam does not seem to care for the money in a case of this kind and all offers were without avail.

Two other citizens of. this locality also appeared before the federal court Monday. Bert Baker and William Lewark of Roselawn, charged with selling a shipment of ruffed grouse to a Chicago company in violation of a government law, were fined $lO and costs each on their pleas of guilty. The shipment was made two years ago and contained thirty-six birds. Raymond Daugherty, former postmaster at Economy, Indiana, also received a sentence of two years in the federal prison at Atlanta on a charge of embezzlement. He admitted having embezzled $547, all of which, he said, had been made good.