Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-23


I we will show that Mr.. Biggers. the book
keeper. overdrew his accounts 81 200: Mr..
/ shumate. assistant book-keeper. over $500;
and Mr. Adams, the runner. over 1900:
! and vet they are reinstated. and am
| glad OF IL. There are no better men than
! they in the city. Pannill has not
| done anything wrong. This shame has
been brought upon him by his trust in
Hammer and by the gross mismanage-
ment u the bank by the offiecrs
"Now II you find these the true facts
VIII acquit Pannill fully Of any inten-
tional criminality I'm this matter"
THE TESTIMONY.
At the close OF Mr.. Lees address. Cap
tain r. II. r. Adams. president OF the
First National Bank. took TIE witness
stand He was examined at length by
both sides. and YVES on the stand for
several hours. lie gave an account OF
the discovery Of Hammers defalcation
and his arrest on February 2Sd. On Mon
day. the 18th of February, the Counting
Committee counted the teller's cash. The
witness produced a number of checks
which had been found In the teller's box
aggregating $S.lS6. He said that when the
count was made the total shortage was
found 20 be nearly $4,000 OF this. some
thing over 5000 was represented by the
checks deposited by Pannil: s250 was
Hammers shortage. and about 5000 was
what the teller had allowed the young
men I'm the bank. Captain Adams was
not allowed to state what Hammer had
told him. such testimony being ruled out
on objection by the defence.
FREQUENT DEPOSITS.
Mr.. Montague questioned Captain Ad-
ans at length as to the checks found In
the teller's box and the deposit-slips on
which they were noted. The witness said
that there were thirty-six Of the checks
One was a check dated simply 1895, drawn
on the National Exchange Bank OF this
city 1t had been stamped. paid at the
FIRST National Bank on December 1st.
and again on January 18th. One check
according to the deposit-slips, had been
deposited twenty-five times in December,
twenty-five times In January, and nine
teen times in February. These deposit
slips were mostly In Pannilrs writing,
with the totals footed up in Hammers
handwriting
Mr.. Montague then went over the entire
list Of checks with the witness who tes-
titled to the number of times each had
been deposited. as shown by the slips
One check Of $3.50 had been listed for de-
posit eighty-four times. On several
OF the checks. said Captain Adams, the
dates had been changed, and they had
been stamped paid at the First National
Bank more than once. As TO the numer-
Gus deposits. he could only say that the
same amounts had been deposited so
many times; as to the checks deposited
being the same. he could not tell exactly
by the deposit-slips.
"KITTING."
In response TO other questions Captain
Adams said that on October 18th the
Bank Examiner had told him that Exit
ting" was going on. The witness saw
Hammer and told him it must stop. He
then ascertained from Hammer that
Pannill was overdrawn 5000 He went
to Pannill about II. and Pannill said
that was about the correct amount; but
he wanted II u derstOod he had no,
wasted the money but had invested IL
in two or three enterprises. He prom
ised to make good the amount, and on
February 18th he came to the witness and
told him il was then less than 800. After
the arrest of Hammer. ten days later
Pannll called at the residence of wit
ness and informed him that he 0'annilD
had been Informed by Hammer that his
shortage was $3.50; that the amount
WAS large. but he supposed 1t was all
right, as Hammer knew what IL was.
on February 25th Pannill brought a note
to the bank to cover the shortage, but
the bank officers declined to accept II.
a number Of notes from Pannlll to
Hammer were read. They related to
taking out certain checks and putting
In certain others at different times. one
OF them was endorsed i'm Hammers hand
writing with the sentence. Look over
this, and see if 1t Is not too short at
one end"
ROSS-EXAM1NED.
Captain Adams was cross-examined at
length by Mr.. Lee with the evident
purpose of endeavOring TO show that the
officers Of the bank had been negligent
in their duty in not keeping careful
watch over the books and employees.
Mr.. Lee then questioned the witness as
To the 50. .000 advanced To the young men
In the bank by Teller Hammer.
Mr.. Montague objected to this line OF
inquiry. on the ground that what any
body else might have done had nothing
to do with the case of Pannill
Counsel for the defence, however. ar
gued that the charge against Pannill
was collusion. and the defence wished TO
repel that charge. They wanted TO show
that Pannin was not alone in overdraw-
ing but that the practice was general.
Judge Paul admitted the question. and
Captain Adams stated that the teller
advanced 81 200 to Elvin Blggers, the
first book-keeper; $575 TO Esten Shunate,
second book-keeper, and $I1 to Sam
Adams. the runner.
The only evidence OF their indebted
ness was their checks two of them being
on the First National Bank. The wit
ness said that the bank officers and di-
rectOrs knew nothing OF Hammers trans
actions with Pannll or with the young
men in the bank. He thought the ac-
tion of the young men lndiscreet and
that il was part of Hammers plot
to put them under obligations to him.
They were still employed at the bank.
Their overcheck was made good the day
following Hammers arrest. and as soon
as the vault was opened Captain Adams
said he had been willing TO take a good
note for Pannll's shortage at first. but
after discovering the methods by which
he got the money was not willing 10
take any note.
At the conclusion Of Captain Adams's
testimony Cashier Talley and several di-
rectors of the First National Bank We're
put upon the stand, but no new facts
4. 4