St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-01
STREETER is ROASTED.
ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY Pc
TERS0H MAKES AV ABLE ADDRESS.
PLENTY OF TECHNICALIrIEs.

The Defense Maintains There Is
Not Sufficient in the lndict.
ment to NJ rit ActiOn-Lengthy
Arguments-Casc Carefully Re-
viewed By Mr.. Peterson, Who
Says Streeter Is a Thief.
The criminal court room presented a
busy appearance yesterday. The
S,reeter trial was fully launched. and
the jury. whose vacation of a day had
frightened their wits, listened to the
arguments presented by the opposing
attorneys with a degree of intelligence.
Mr.. Peterson, the atfabie assistant
county attorney. opened the case with
all able address. in which he did not
spare the feelings of the defendant in
the least. He gave voice to a great
many things that were anything but
complimentary, and Mr.. Streeter'S ears
Must have Iingled as he listened TO his
arraignment. The amoun of money
stolen. according to the charge IN the
indictment, was 1870. 322. n. and there
was no doubt in Mr.. Peterson'S mind
but MIR. Streeter, in the capacity of
trustee, was guilty of the rhine with
which he was charged.
The money was placed in his pos
session by those who trusted him, and
he had abused their confidence in IL
shameful manner. At this point of his
address Mr.. Peterson delivered himself
of an epitome sermon on morality aud
the manner OF Its decline and disappear
ance. The charge. he said. meant that
Mr.. Streeler and Mr.. Menage took the
money and appropriated it without the
consent OF the board of directors or Off.
GERS of the institution. People would
not put their money into corporation ii
they thought it was to be used for prl-
vate purposes and enterprises. When
money was taken in such a manner as
had been done in the ease of the de-
PENDANT and the absent Menage, it
vas nothing more nor less than steal
ing-pialn stealing in an aggravated
form. There was no question as to the
guilt of an officer of a trust company
who loaned money. not in good faith,
but in fact against the express %prohibi-
ton of the directors.
THE more | examine into this case"
continued MIR. Peterson" the more l am
convinced of the guilt of Mr.. S~treeter.
l confess | was sorry to believe this of
W, ii in this community, and | will be
glad, as will MIR. Nye, if he can explain
away the charge against him. We will
be glad to find him innocent. but l be-
lieve him guilty. Men like Mr.. S.reeter
are not the poor, haggard WretcheS who
stand up 10 plead to the charge of lar
ceny of a coat or shirt. They steal mill
ions in this country. You know it and
l know it. They come into this court
with a r%etinue. of the ablest lawyers i'll
the state. Why? Because they have
money to hire them, and money usually
makes LAWYERS work These lawyers
are not here to make this plain to you.
They are here to cover everything up
that is possible. That's their business"
You have often heard the saying
that when a mai steals il million he can
not be convicted. l always feel bad
when | hear that. 1t is a libel on our
civilization and upon our government.
| should be sorry to think that our pen-
itentiarics are filled with poor wretches
who steal a coat. or perhaps bread. |
i believe we have a good government,
one of the best OIL the face of the earth,
and tor the purpose of this case. you,
gentlemen of the jury, are the govern
mtnt. Only so long as jurors do their
duty faithfully and fearlessly are our
property and our lives safe. One of the
reasons why the American people have
been able 10 enforce the laws and main
tain the government is because Amer.
can jurors. when they are put in the
jury box. lay aside their prejudices and
peculiaritieS and act fearlesSlv."
In continuing. Mr.. Peterson said
You must not re blinded by the fact
that some else has been guilty as
well as Ssreeter. Ii does not make any
difference how many were in the deal
if Streeter was guilty. Mr.. Menage had
to have some one assist him steal. That
man was w. S. Streeter. l presume
Mr.. Streeter will tell you he was merely
a hired man. That is true. But MIR.
Streeter not only got a salary from the
company, but he also got another salary
from Menage, who hired him to help
carry out his nefarIous schemes. Had
it not been for Streeter's clever work,
Menage could never have gotten away
with the swag. Think of it! A mal
who Is willing to hire out to steal for
a%nother!"
When court opened for the afternoon
session, Mr.. Peterson having concluded
his review of the case, Attorney Lam
caster asked the court to require the
prosecution to state which particular
item in the bill of particulars it would
proceed on. The matter was taken
under a%dvisement by the court. and the
first witness, Frank j. Percival, was
called to the stand. He was allowed to
state his NAME, but Judge Shaw OBJ
jeeted to his giving any further testi-
Inony on the ground that the indict-
ment did not state sufficient cause for
action. Judge Russell was prepared to
hear argument on this point, and con-
%seguently the jury and witnesses were
dismissed unit! 10 O'Clock this morning.