The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-21
SOON With THE JURORS.
The Bachelor Trial Drawing to a
Close in the United States
Court
All the Evidence In the Case Was
Completed on FRI
day.
The Opening Argument for the Proseou-
tion IL Begun By Assistant District
AttorHsy Wallace.

~
nearly over IN the United States court. and
the case will very likely go the jury to day.
The oss examination of the defendant
was completed yesterday morning, and
then c. II. Middleton. one Of the directors
Of the bank, took the stand. lie Insisted
that the board of di sotofs knew Of ths
purchase OF the Stebbins stock by defend
ant On cross examination be was unable
20 III any dates OF formal or Informal
meetings OF the board. but he knew the
subject had beon discussed a dozen times
Before Bachelor went east be was given TO
understand by the directors that the pur-
chase Of the stebbins stock would be 10
ths interest Of the bank.
Vice. President Harmon. Of the bank. was
recalled By the defense. He told The story
Of the time when The bank deposits fell
OF on acoOunt Of Stebbins' connection With
II. Witness walked into the bank one dsY
and asked Bachelor how he was getting
along. Bachelor told him the funds Of
the bank we're getting quite lev, and owing
20 the failure Of the Dsadwood bank the
StockRTowsrs' was threatened with a run.
While they were talking Judge Bach came
In and demanded the county fuHds. some
$4,000. on deposit there. Bachelor re-
ferred him 20 witness, who stepped into the
vault with Bachelor. There witness asked
Bachelor how much money there was IL
the bank. Bachelor said the money only
amounted to about 1880. Witness asked
Judge Bach what be meant 10 do with the
funds and was told he meant TO tsks them
to Hsisns. Then" said the witness II
made bluff. / gave Judge Bach
/ a - .
nsapolis, and took train Tight away for
that city, and arranged for a oTsdi TO meet
the draft" Witness said that By reason Of
this and other troubles caused BY steb-
bina' connection with the bank, the feeling
was that they should Get she 5tsbbins
stock. One day Bachelor came in and
said he was going 70 get the Stebbina stock.
witness asked him how. Bachelor eplied
that he would give his notes In consider
alton Of what he had done in the matter Of
getting the stebbins stock, Batohelor
thought be ought ts be made president Of
the bank. witness voted for Bachelor
for president himself on that account.
Witness was asked II he had been told that
BateheloT paid for the Stebbins stock with
lhe osnEs n0seJ. he fspiiei that be had
never bsen told 30. be knew that Batch
eloT was Dor owing money from the bank.
and he drew his own infersncss
George bheetz WAS Teealled and testified
to the value Of the electric light stock. In
his judgment the plant was worth 10000.
IL was never enoumbsred until Just before
the suspension Of the bank. he plant
ought 10 be ran on $1,000 ysar and the
income ought 70 be $l2 900 or $4,000
L. II. johnson was called BY the proseou-
tion. He said that when he bought his stock
! In the bank Batchslor had told him that the
concern would be dec q ing dividends in
the following June. After he became a
director he was away most Of the time, bot
not eontinuOusly. He had no knowledge OF
the discount COMMITTEES being called TO
meet a, am time and never attended any
OF their meetings. lie never knew Of any
occasion for attending the meetings. After
the bank failed be asked BatohsloF for a
list Of the assets. Bachelor sail be
couldn't give IL 10 him az the books we're In
the bends Of tho examiner and he bad no
access 10 them. Wines told Batoheler he
ought 20 be better posted on the condition
Of affairs
The defense thea put on a number OF
witnesses as TO the reputation OF the de-
fendRnt In Miles City. They we're ID. A.
Cory, A; J; ssliRmsn' Col. James sullivan,
johnson, X. b. Wsiriok, I. q. Bach, Al
smith and Capt. Harmon. They ell testi.
ned 20 the fac, that In Miles City defendant
stood high aud enjoyed unlimited conf
dence and vas regarded ~ one of the lead
ing young men OF eastern Montana. ibis
William Wallace, Jr., began the opening
argument for the prosecution during the
afternoon. He wished 10 be a. fair 20 the
defendant he said. as he would be to any
man accused OF highway robbery or any
such odense. lie fain would say. however,
that in his opinion tue offenso chsrle
against defendant was & eater ono than
that committed by q high~aymAn. de
had violated the trust and COM
dence rsposed IN him by the COM
asuk.
traveller and forced him 20 surrender his
property. she traveller was the only one in
oonVenieneed, and his financial condition
might NOT be seriously impaired. The
man charged with q crime like that
Charged against defendant Derpetrated n
crime which was not only far reaching in
its effects. but affected a class of small de-
positofs who had int, listed their en- ninga
TO she bank by reason Of the supposed
security afio ded rather than yield 10 the
temptation Of larger profits in the or
binary course Of business.
The fact wss that defendant had not aud
never had. during his connection with the
bank, any assets except his house and for
nitufe. his stock In the Electric Light and
Water company, aud his stock IN tue bank.
Al tho time the bank faisd defendant
owed ~ f52OOO, of which 1000 was Ia his
own name and Sl2. coo in tue name OF his
father. 10 tuts must be added about
&c 90 interest which ne had failed TO
charge ON his own notes, having only
charged sir per cent. when the current rate
vas twelve usr cent. A he 80 zoo owed.
plua tue interest withheld. mAds nearly
$50 600. which vas about four Eiths Of the
entire capital stock Of the bank A. the
time OF the suspension OF the bank. accord
ing 90 his own testImOnt, defendants total
indebtedness including that TO thu bAnk,
WAS about $4,000.
IL was IN October, 1891 that defendant
began using ths funds OF the banks, Mr..
Wallace said, 60 pay for his own Ventu 80
From then on his connection with the bank
was a series OF misappropTiations ana false
entries. When ne undertook 10 uTchase
the Sisbbins stock be claimed 90 expect as
sistance fom friends in F.ttsburR
AMI other places In the east.
uuon winch assistance h. relied TO pay fof
the funds be had usrd; aud he also eK-
pectsd 60 place portions OF the stock with
stockg overs throughout that section. II.
wien the notes gwen IN this ansAction
lecame due. be had gone 20 the priv from
whom DO bought the stock and said, "My
a aus have fsilsd; nv friends have failed
me: take back the stock and give me nv
notea. Or place the notes m judgment"
he would have been saved. But he com
mrncsd then 20 uss the funds Of sue bank
10 pag for the stock, ana from that nrst
step be was ready 10 uss the bank IN an
way. limited emily by the nsotsstties OF his
various projects.
Not on,y. eontinusd Sir. Wallace. did de-
fsndAnt use over $4,000 II tne deposltors'
money and fail 90 charge himself with over
SO zoo lutte ost, but shortly before the sus-
pension OF The hAuk he purchased tue stock
a.H a Ia a.