The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-04-04
ALLEGED RASCALITY
On the Part of the President
of the Benton County
Bank.
A Discharged Cashier Making
it Interesting for His
Former Employer.
A History Of the Case from the
Commencement Up to the
Present Time

little exercised during the past lew weeks
over the arrest OF Jas f. Hall, president oi
the Benton County bank, charged with
forgery, on information furnished by A.
h. Marshall, late cashier of the bank, who
was removed from office OH the 10th of
January, 1882.
The bank was organized under the laws
of the state and opened up business on the
10th day of October last. the cash capital
being 10000, with Sl0WU paid IN. The
incorporators were Mr.. James f. Hall and
Mrs. r. \. Stone, each of whom paid in
5000, and filled the positions OF president
and vice president respectively.
In 1873, while living i'm st. Louis, Mr..
Hall made the acquaintance of A. X.
Marshall, a relative of the celebrated Ken
lucky Marshalls, and when
CASHIER WAS NEEDED,
MIR. Hall took Marshall into his employ,
at a salary OF $50 per month and board.
Marshall had been given To dissipation not
little, and, when picked up by Hall, was
in about as sorry a fix as it was possible
for man to be He promised to give up
drinking. however, and MIR. Hall felt as
sured that he would do SO.
As stated, on the 10th dsy OF October the
bank was opened for business, with Mar
shall 1T the cashiers desk. Every indica-
ton pointed To success, and such would
certainly have been the result had the
business been properly attended to. Such
was not the case. Mr.. Hall was compelled
To be away from home great deal, and
during his absence Marshall conducted the
affairs Of the bank to suit himself
He renewed his old habits, and was often
incapscitated for business on account of
drinking. In vain Mr.. Hall pleaded with
him TO reform. but to no purpose, and an
open rupture occurred between the two men,
resulting in
MARSHALL BEING DISCHARGED
on the 10th day of January. and the
appointing OF of T. T.. Chapman as his
successor.
and Chapman became convinced that some
irregularities existed and on the recommen-
dation of Mr.. j. T.. Thompson, of this city,
Prof. W. III. Moore, of Moore 4 Fraker's
college, visited Warsaw for the purpose OF
examining the books. MIR. Moore is one of
the finest accountants in the state. lie nd
an assistant remained there a week, and at
the conclusion Of his labors, Mr.. Moore in
formed Mr.. Hall that Marshall was short
something over 81 200.
Marshall, after being discharged, re-
manned i'm Warsaw, and was loud in his
denunciation OF Hall, whom he claimed
was a dishonest man, and his discharge was
brought about simply because Hall could
not use him for his own base purposes
This was, of course, denied by Hall.
When Mr.. Moore was examining the
certificates of deposit, he made the discOv-
erv that there were two for $3.50 each, and
one of them bore undeniable evidence OF
the date
HAVING BEEN CHANGED
from December 3lst to November Sd. Both
of these certificates were i'm the handwrit-
ing of Marshall and duly signed by him.
Marshall claimed that one was duplicate,
and that Hall had changed the date, and
thus $3.50 of his 81 200 shortage could be
accounted for.
On this information warrant was issued
for Halls arrest, and he was taken in Gus
tody, and his trial set for the 18th of
March. Mr.. Hall secured as counsel
Judge Shirk, of this city, and James Fl.
Law, of Warsaw, while p ID. Hastain,
prosecuting attorney OF Benton county,
represented the state
When the case was called, both sides
were ready and the examination commenc-
ed. A question arose as to the propriety
of permitting the books of the bank to- be
introduced as evidence against Hall, the
states attorney demanding them, while de-
PENDANTS counsel were equally as positive
they were not admissible. Justice Morgan,
before whom the cause was being tried,
ruled that the books must be produced,
and defendants attorneys took the matter
To the county court, where Justice Morgans
ruling was sustained, and Mrs. Stone was
ordered to produce them. They were not
forthcoming, and as Justice Morgan refus-
ed to have Mrs. Stone locked up for con-
tempt OF court. Mr.. Hastain dismissed the
case and brought ii before Justice Hamm
where it was called on Thursday last.
Again the propriety OF introducing the
books as evidence arose. and MIR. Hamm
dscided that Mr. Hall could not be made to
produce them. The states attorney
asked that Mrs. Stone be COM
PEELED to produce the books. and
a: paper to that effect was issued
Mrs Stone was confined i'm her bed, but
made answer through her attorneys that
she had not possession Of the books and
could not get them. Ii was ordered
that she be committed to Jail for contempt
until she produced them, but owing to her
illness this order was not enforced.
An adjournment was then had, and it |
was agreed between the counsel for the |
state and the defendant that the knotty |
question as to the admissibility of the |
books should be argued before Judge
CAN'T, at Clinton, on Tuesday, and the
trial be resumed before Justice Hamm, at
Warsaw, on Thursday.
Mr.. Moore, of this city, who is a witness
in the case, says there is
NOT SHADOW OF GUILT
on the part of Mr.. Hall, and it will be
30 shown when the case is again called up. /
The defendants attorneys are fighting !
against the admission of the books simply |
because the law does not compel them to
produce them,