The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1866-03-24
THE. sLOCUM TRIAL.


number of witnesses from Ada County we're
examined, including. the present. and, late.
Territorial financial officials. Among the
numerous witnesses residing in this County
who were placedupon. the stand were Messrs.
.Cannady,. Murphy, Vajen, Wickersham, Shep--
herd, Belknap, Edmondson. The records of
the Territorial Controller, of the Board of
County Commissioners, of the Auditor and
Tax Collectors offices, were also put in evil
dence. The entire field of Investigation was
travelled over in all directions, and facts and
figures, collected, more or, less. neEainent, and
laid before the jury, in,qpaatities and quail
ties enough to confuse the memories and in
tellectsofa dozen juries.
Messrs. May and Ganahl appeared for the
defense !: and District Attorney Waite and
Judge Mclaughlin for the the prosecution,
assisted by associates for consultation.
Attorneyson both.sides entered into theirre-.
spective causes with much earnestness, and
carried them through in the same spirit. g
!. The defense made a.strOng point onfthe
fact that if the Territorial raanegs houldshays'
been paid over by the County Treasurer, it
should have been paid by, G. D. Vajen to the
Territorial Treasures, nsteadio fpaying it over
to,Mr.. SloGum. at the. time the-latterg super
seeded Vajen. as Treasurer. At that. time
$l1, 00o,was paid to Slocun belonging to the
Territory. lift belonged to the Territory it
should,haEe been paid to the Territory by
Vajen If the order of the County Commits
sioners was not valid to protect Sloeum,
it was not valid in the case Of Vajen :, it is.
Yajen therefore who is the actual defaulter
to the Territory, instead ofSlocum. Slocum
would be liable on. different indictment for
the misapplication offthe funds, but not on
tual embezzler of the Territorial funds, was
the then acting County Treasurer, G. D. Va
ien-it mattered not whether he used the
money, OF. gave il. to some one else. lit be-
1onged' to the Territory, it was HIS duty to
pay it to the Territory, and he is the actual
embezzler. $ = f'.' s1'
This articlesis written before the charge Of
the presiding Judge is given to the Jury, and
what will be on this point, we cannot nogT,
say,
One remarkable fact, was drawn out in the
testimony. 1t was shown thatthes dnsttrans-
ferred by Vajen to SIocum, was, in3thes Ian
guage of one witness, ''of very bad quality"
that it was heavily s'saqded." In fact, one
witness testified under oath that he was safe
in.saying that from ST., 5OOyto $4,000 of the
amount was pure sand. 1t was certainly
never made the duty Of the Treasurer to re-
|ceive sand for taxes, and whether he received
as coin, or, " sanded " it himself it was
equally as gross an outrage on the people OF
this county, and violation of his official
OATH If Vajen had right to receive $4,000
in sand. he. had the. sanleeright to receive the
whole $1,000 in the same worthless gravel.
The public will very readily form an opinion
as to7whom the person was who drew draft
on "Mother Earth" for that sand.
The. trialswas- witnessed by large audi
ence including many ladies, who seemed
deeply interested.in the testimony and in.the
result. Whatever may have been theopinion
ofithe audience, as to the Defendant, it was
universally considered that the defense was
ably managed by the counsel in the case.
Considerable alteration occurred oetween
the counsel for the prosecution ,and4d sfeRse
during the trial and summing up. Each Side
contested every inch of ground. Whatever
may beethe result, one thing is evident thai
if, Mr.. aSlocum. is acquitted, it will not be
from,apy, lack, Of. prosecution.
II p. S.-Friday eEenipg:-We, understand
that the jury failed to agree on verdict, and
that there is but little probability of Their
ever doing so-standing nine for acqulttal.
Such is the result of all the food of mis-
representations and falsehoods which have
poured over the country about the facts II
the case. The jury was composed of fair
unpreiudiced men-many of whom kne1
nothing, previously, of the case. II such
jury failed to convict, no jury, ever will .fnt
/ the Defendant guilty. 1t there is any meney
4 due the Territory it will undoubtedly soor
I be paid.
I TEE FEN1ANs are creating great scar
: