, 1866-04-06
NUMBER 10.
The slocum iTnnI.

The trial Of Mr.. Alfred Slocum, on the charge
! Of embezzlement Of Territorial funds, has oecu-
/ pied the attention of the District Court during
I the whole Of the past week. number Of wit
nesses from Ada county were examined incind.
ing the present and late Territorial financial on.
cials: Among the numerous witnesses residing
IN this county, who were placed upon the wit.
ness stand, were Messrs. CanDady, Murphy,
] Ngeni Wickershafn, Shepherd, Belknap, Ed
mondsoa. The records Of the Territorial Cou
rolleri OF the Board OF 0ounty Commissioners :
! Of the Auditor and Tax Collector Offices wera
also put IN evidv"~.. IT.. .-fira 6eld ~ ;rvos-
tigation was travelled over in all directions anu
! facts and figures collected more or less perth
nent, and laid before the jury, in quantities and
qualities enough to confuse the memories and
intellect of a dozen jures.
Messrs. May and Ganahl appeared for the de-
fensc, and District Attorney Waite and Judge
Mclaughlin for the prosecution, assisted by as
sociates for consultation. Attorneys on both
sides entered into their respective causes with
much earnestness, and carried them through in
the same spirit.
The defense made a strong point on the fact
that if the Territorial money should have been
paid over by the County Treasurer it should
have been paid by c. u. Vajen to the Terrific
rial Treasurer instead of paying it over to Mr..
Slocum at the time the latter superseded Vajen
as Treasurer. At that time Sll, 900 was paid
TO Slocum belonging to the Territory. If it be-
longed to the Territory It should have been paid
to the Territory by Najen. If the order of the
County Commissioners was not valid 70 protect
Slocum, it not valid in the case of Vajen : it
is Vaien, therefore, who is the actual defaulter
TO the Territory, instead of Slocum. Slocum
would be liable on a different indictment for the
misapplication of funds, but not on this ndct-
ment for emhezzement. The actual embezzler
of the Territorial funds the then acting
County Treasurer, c. D. Vaen-it mattered not
Vbnth ba tha fa
one else. If it belonged to the Territory, it was
HIS duty to pay it to the Territory and HE is the
actual cmbczzer.
THIS article is written before the charge of the
presiding Judge is given to the Jury, and what
it will be on this point we cannot now say.
One remarkable fact was drawn out in the
testimony. 1t was shown that the dust trans
ferrcd by Vajen to Slocum, was, in the language
Of one witness, 4" of very bad quality" that it
was heavily " sanded." In fact one witness
testified under oath that he was safe in saying
that from 81 500 to $4,000 of the amount was
pure sand. 1t was ceIttinly never made the
duty of the Treasurer to receive sand for taxes,
and whether he received it as coin, or 'sanded"
it himself, it was equally as gross an outrage on
the people Of this county, and a violation of his
official oath. If Vajcn had a right to receive
s., 900 in sand, he had the same right to receive
the whole Sl1 900 in the.same worthless gravel.
The public will very readily form an opinion as
to whom the person was who drew Q draft on
q Mother Earth . for lbaJ sand.
The trial was witnessed by large audience, in
Guiding many ladies, who seemed deeply inter
ested in the testimony and in the result. What
ever may have been the opinion of the audience,
as to the defendant, it was universally conceded
that the defense was ably managed by the coun-
sci in the case.
Considerable alteration occurred between the
fol :he prosecution and defense, during
The trial and summing up. Each side contested
every inch of ground Whatever may be the
,esult, on thing is evident: that if Mr.. Socum
s acquitted, it will not be from any lack Of
prosecution.
p. S.-Frdav evening.-We understand that
he jury failed to agree on verdict, and that
here is but little probability of their ever doing
o-starding nine for arquittal.-Iddho World.