Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-09-11

The Case Of Lawrence Braincrd.
While the abduction OF Mr. Braincrd
from Winnipeg IS an unduubtcG fact,
some of the statements made in cOnncc-
ton with the affair, are certainly CHROME
GUS Mr.. Braincrd is not, rs the Il 'spatcirs
call him, the "absconlng president of the
First National bank of St Albans" The
statement that he was "a leading man ia
the State Of Vermont and Il leader of So
clety being married to Miss Smith, sister
of Governor Smith" is equally erroneous.
Mr.. Brainerd, though prominent III st Al
bans was never Il leading man in Vermont
and he did not marry Miss Smith. He
is brother of Mrs. John Gregory Smith.
| He was notas the New York ITorId says he
was, president of the Lemoyle Valley
railroad" nor of the Lamolle Valley rail
road nor of any railroad. MIR. Brainerd
| was president of the st. Adams Trust Co
! When that concern went to smash, fol
| lowing he failure of Bradley Barlow, for
whom Brainerd had endorsed heavily, it
became known that the funds Of the Trust
company had been loaned to very large
amount to the Norwood Lumber company
(of which Brainerd was the principal
Owner,J in violation of its charter, thus
subjecting himself tOa possible penalty of
five years in States prison. He was in
dictcd in twentyfour indictments, and
was admitted to bail in $4,000 on each, or
SIS 900 in all, his brother, Adds q. Brain
erd, and his brother-in-law, f. Stewart
Stranahan being his bondsmen. The
feeling against him in the community
NNhi gl fttll of in, I,. W ~
company, was very strong, and he left st
Adams, and has never returned 1t was
known that he was living in Den
YER Col, until a recent date, whe1
he seems to have slipped across the line
Why, having done so, he should have as
sumcd a false name, does not appear. Hi
offence is not an eXtradiCtable one, ant
he might as well have passed under hi
own name, as under an alias. His friend
say that he has always been honest in hi
private transactions; that he was active il
his church, and IA good citizen that tn,
accounts of the Trust company wer
straight and showed where all its fund
went to that his violations Of the law, il
. regard to the character of the loans, mad,
in effect to himself, and in securities moi
permitted by the law, was an offence whicl
has been committed by many other bank
officers without punishment-and that a.
he had assigned all his property for tn,
benefit of the Trust company, NJ
court would have punished him severely
On the other hand 1t is reported that eX
cellent legal counsel advised Mr.. Brain
erd that if he wished to consult his per
sonal safety it would not be wise for hin
to appear for trial. He was accordingl,
absent when his case was first called il
, the County Court. Delay was secured il
the case by IA demurrer to the indict
. ments. The Supreme Court declined t.
hear this because the respondent was no
. present, and remanded the case to tn
. County Court. The County Court opene,
at st. Adams on Tuesday, and Mr.
3rainerd's case was to to be pressed to tria
or forfeiture. His bondsmen wanted him
. and the States attorney has been search
ing for him in Colorado and the west. Hi
whereabouts being finally discovered, tn
proceedings described were taken to st
cure his attendance. 1t is reported tina
his bondsmen are advised by their counsc
that there has been no violation of intel
national law in the case, and it is said tina
! they expect the officers to bring him t
, st. Adams, within Il week.
On the other hand, it is said that tn
, Dominion authorities will resent tn
act of the detectives and demand the re
:, turn of Branerd. If they do, it is tn
, opinion of Senator EdmundS and of othe
good lawyers, that he will be returne
whence he came. The further develop
a ments in the case will be awaited with in
, tcrcSt.