The weekly tribune., 1894-05-11
THE HANKS TRIAL
B0Okkeeper Burns Gives Some Dam.
aging Testimony Which the :.
Defense COuld Not Shake.
Hanks Wanted the First Balance Book
Destroyed = His Indebtedness
6lgP Amounts to $4,000.

Destroyed = His Indebtedness
lss@ Amounts to $4,000.
9 HELENA, May Especial to The
TRrBuNE.EWhen the prosecution fin
,zished the direct examination OF Book.
fetper Burns Of the Merchants National
Bank Of Great Falls TO-DAY the indebted
hees Of Will Hanks. individually and on
Hccount of his connection with various
|firms had been run up to e62,0 900. The
vifnese also testified that Hanks came
| 10 him at the bank and wanted him to
. destroy the first balaLce book. The
witness replied "For Gods sake, don't
think Of doing anything like that"
Hanks then wanted the witness to take
the book to his (BurnsD room and he
(Hsnks) would burn it. This witness
also refused to do.
On cross ss-examination witness stuck to
his original statement, though unable to
recall Hanks exact language, though
the above was the effect Of it.
Attorney Garter thea asked witness to
turn to his own account wi tn the bank
and toll how he stood on the books at
the time the institution suspended, and
also at the time he told Examiner Bar
rett Of the attempted destruction Of the
book, which was In August last.
The prosecution objected to this and
the court sustained the objection.
Col. Sanders broke in on Judge
Knowles while the latter was ruling on
the objection. The court lectured him
severely for It. When this was all over
j. B. Leslie assistant prosecutor said
some reflections had been cast on Burns
<bn aotson oalrad opd rothor thor
let them 20 by he would withdraw his
objection and let him answer as to bis
own account with the bank. Witness
then said that on July "a, 1894, the
time the bank failed, he had overdrawn
Sl27 and owed q note for S2,087 which
was still unpaid. As there was no
security for the note since then it had
been secured by paid.up life insurance
policy for $1,000 Most Of his over
drafts at the bank were with checks to
pay premiums on this policy. As to in
terest on notes he either paid it by
check or added 1t to notes when received.
The witness also gave statement OF the
condition Of the bank at the time 1t
closed and at various times previous.
Assessor Eliot OF Cascade county testi-
fled 10 Hanks assessment list for 1882,
showing q total assessment OF $l2,895
S. w. Crum, deputy assessor, testified
that it was the same in 1893.
HELExA, Nav S.-ISpecial to The
TRIBUNE E.EIn the Hanks trial today the
cross examination Of Burns, the book
keeper Of the Merchants National bank
OF Great Falls, was completed in the
morning. II was de ,eloped that Hanks
was absent from Great Falls from Dec
%, 1892, to Feb. l, 1893. Cashier Wilt
had charge Of the affairs OF the bank
during that time and ordered thirty -hve
checks of w. H. Burgess 4 Co. paid
when presented. Hanks was also absent
in the east from about May l, 1893, to
sometime in June on business connected
with the school bonds Of Great FALLS.
During that time the checks OF Burgess
& Co. were paid as before. These checks
were paid at the instance Of Hanks. On
redirect examination witness said the
reason he did not tell the grand jury Of
Hanks request to destroy the daily bal
ance book was because he was not asked
about It. He further said that Hanks
knew the condition Of his (Burhs) per-
sonal account at the bank and author
lied him to draw check on 1t. Witness
said that on June 3, 1893, the county
treasurer OF Cascade drew q check on
the bank for S82, $50 at the time the
county had deposit of $120,552. The
city treasurer drew check on the bank
on June 26 for 1913.
George A. Wells, who was cashier for
year after the organization Of the bank
was called to testify in regard to the dis
count committee and az to whether OF
not they we're consulted about the loans
to Hanks and the firms with which he
was connected. He said the COMMITTEES
had never been called upon to pass on
the loans. Witness was questioned about
the 5000 certificate Of stock Of the Gas
cade bank, opened by Hanks and placed
in the Merchants bank as security fol
loans.
Col. Sanders made a vigorous fight
against the testimony as to that. The
court decided to allow the testimony and
recess was taken for dinner.
When court reconvened Mr.. Welli
testified that the value Of the stock wai
5000 to $1,000. Witness had subscribed
for 125 shares Of tie Merchants bank
stock and paid for 1t. He borrowed
$1,000 or $1,000 from the Merchants
bank of Helena to pay on this stock, anc
paid the money back few weeks later
E. w. Knight, formerly cashier Of the
First National bank Of Helena, testified
to Hanks bringing the Cascade banh
stock to the First National and borrow
ing 5000 on it. Hanks alsc ave mott
for 5000 for this loan, on which 81 ,OO(
was paid at one time and $3.50 at another
time. The money was paid Hanks by
draft on New York.
Cashier C. D. Wilt testified to having
refused to pay checks OF Burgess Go
because their account was overdrawn
Hanks ordered him TO pay them: Their
wac no security for these overdrafts O
for those Of Hanks & Fullerton. Or
June 8, 1899, q check of j. F. McClellant
for 5000 was not paid because Their
was only $1,000 or $1,000 In the bank 2
the time. Speaking Of the Cascad'
bank stock, witness said he had neve
seen it. Recently Hanks had spoken Il
him about IL. He had said he did no
know anything about iI when he wa
before the grand jury and told them %
II knew you didn't" Hanks said, "wh,
didn't you tell them to 60 to hell.
Witness said during Hanks abeence h
had orders to pay Burgess check.
On oss-examination witness said h
had had $4,000 or Oh, 900 on deposit 9
the Merchants bank at one time IN 1882
Witness had been told by Hanks en'