The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-21

Tacoma, Nov. 2a-Special.-The trial OF
NJ n Taylor. president Of the board Of
pooiic works. on the charge Of misconduct
itt orfice. was begun before the city coun-
ell at 10 o'clock this morning 4 large
crowd heard the testimony. and inside
the railing were a number OF city and
county officials. prominent business men
ana taxpayers. Every bit OF the testi-
inony was atteltively listened 10 and
eagerly devoured by the crowd
Inc INSIDE dealings OF the Columbia Ma
tionai bank, as brought out by the evi-
dence warranted all that has been said
In the Post-intelligencer regarding the
defunct bank" That il was a political
rather than financial. institution was
made perfectly clear by the evidence OF
cashier Peters. who admitted on the stand
that he had worked hard for the nomi-
nation and election OF County Treasurer
Hedges and had paid Mr. Taylor $50 for
MS services in connection with the bonds
or the county treasurer Mr. Taylor's
son, Leroy W. Taylor, was paid a salary
Tor five months at So per month. al
though he never worked in the hank
This was done because the cashier had
promised Mr.. Taylor TO get his son a job
IN return for the efforts ne had made in
behalf Of the treasurer. Mr. Hedges had
been compelled. under the operation Of
4
dozen clerks IN March. and young Taylor
vas one or these. Mr. Peters had felt
bound 10 provide a salary for the young
man after he left the treasurer's office,
and 50 he was paid amounts at different
times, aggregating S325.
In the mass Of evidence introduced there
was much irrelevant matter. hut all OF
IL was on a par with that strictly belong
ing 10 the case. For one thing. the man
ner Of the election Of ii. l. N0taw 10 the
clerkship II the board OF education last
spring and the bouncing OF 9. w. Mock
who had filled the position for several
years, WAS gone into at length. From the
testimony Of Mai. Oliver. president Of
the bank and until lately president OF
the school board and from that Of Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Shackleford, Direct
or Lawshe. Of the board. and Mr.. Mack
it was proven that Mr.. Taylor used mis-
Influence with Maj. oliver 10 have No-
taw elected. Mr.. Oliver said 1t was in
t'mated 10 him that II would be a good
thing for the bank If Mr.. Notaw. who was
then a member Of the finance committee
81 the council, was chosen secretary. The
clty's deposit al the hank was over $780,
01) at the time Mr.. Shackleford testified
that he and Mr. Taylor had visited Mr..
Mock and requested him - resign. giving
him - understand that place would be
provided for him either at the courthouse
although Mr.. Notaw was elected over him,
and is stin ont of job.
National Bank Examiner Clary was one
OF the important witnesses. he said he
was now in charge Of the Columbia Ma
tlonal Bank and found papers among the
hanks records showing the payment OF Ger
tain money 20 the defendant. lie said tho
records we're in the form Of slips. and one
among the cash items. bearing the name
Of TAYLOR. This slip was produced win
two others The slips were offered In evi-
dence. Copies OF the slips we're ordered
made and the originals returned 10 the
bank examiner a his request. The witness
testified that ne had inquired into the pay
ment OF this money represented by the
slips but had not arrived az clear under
standing about them. They represented
payments made 70 Mr.. Taylor.
A. l. Andrus. a teller at the bank, swore
to the slips for $50 each. and told OF Mr.
Taylor's visit 20 the bank. and that he
had been taken 10 the back room behind
the railing hv Cashier Peters. The latter
had taken ont some money from the cash
drawer and given witness a slip for $50
THE first payment was made June q, and
the last July p Roy Taylor had been paid
$3.50 September 4. and sl95 a another. time
lie had never been employed IN tho bank
About the time the FIRST PAYMENT was
made, the county treasurer. by order Il
tha commissioners. had notified the hank
10 pay up the coun1y's balance. amounting
70 s9o000. a once. Subsequently an ex-
tension of ten days longer had been grant
"a by the treasurer This extension come
in between the TWO payments. and the bank
had been able to pun through.
County Treasurer Hedges vas examined.
and ssy1re be had nothing 10 do with tha
banks payments 10 TAYLOR. He said the
iatter's son was recommended 20 him by
var.cus prominent taxpayers
Cashier Peters testified at length re-
gard.ug the affairs of tho hank IN reIa-
t{0n 20 the city and county deposits. re-
citing facts already known He deta asled
the payment ~ money 10 TAYLOR and his
son. Leroy w Peters sw1re ne never
asked CITY Treasurer NcCaulev t. doposft
CITY money when the bank ran sbor.
Teller A1dr1Is was recalled and swo~A
that when checks came through the clear
ing house too large for the hank - meet
Peters would call up NcCauley bv teIe-
phone and ask him - bring down money
Peters haH said he never int.uataf -
any one that TAYLOR lAsf tried - hulld0zs
the bank This evidence WAS datIv c7n-
traa'rfe1 hv Pres dent Harris. ~ the
council WHO Er.uE an the stand swore he
had called an Peters and q,lestioinef him
REGARDING the safety 81 Tho citv's drras-
fe and tho cashier za ~ That ~arnas
from Taylor" Harris t'l3 how. in Nav
Tati7r had told him thc rifF would better
e~aF its money ouf. even n e had - close
The hank within sixty tiNS Taylor VS.
rat4 money by the bank go help il out II
difficulty
secretary WeIsfaeh. ~ the German
American bank. gaokkeevsr Young ana
others test.ae1 ~ 8 o'clock the f~.al was
continued uu 0. when the defense uu-
an s.71r-t~,eq Fark-r. Norton ana cav
..nsa~. az the fnBure committee - show
that Tayler ha1 never Influenced thsrn
REGARDING city finances.
Defendant went SD the stand aof iez-
t.aa8 q having received s1aa from tna
hank on tAe dates ua0ef lie SAID he
VS. sent for several firueS tv Peters ana
,,-Sentlv requested 70 work m tha banks
interest Win the board of county -7rn-
-rasssioners. who had natr~1 me bank
rNar the rogutv's balance must De rut un
ia cash lie adm tsed having sent men 10
tha raunlss orers ar1 tr8t h- went per
s,rallv 20 County Attorney Conner ana
trsad n atssuata these authorities frrrn
ri3~-strg a course W7fch meant rl.n - me
hank. Peters arrangement w5rh his s,7
.a~ov was in pav1eoc f0r advice gwen
regarding tae c7u8ty t~ets1s~er.s 5enf
when hs son vas lrt ou, he felt taat Pe.-
ers vas nor carrying ous his agreement
Vsta the ceuulv commissioner. Peters
hzs agreed to psr tar san tf~ ssre SAL
49,, he hs2 received from NedEes
Tz.e fact was tr3aEht oat ca ,~r.s-Ax-
animation that Tay}ar ana Prosecutor
l-1srsr were D~5thevs-.1-'sR Tee prose-
..,s-ta~ ~.ruret an admission ths- SONS.
- rhe rsu1es Tsvl-r sacr@ste5 Fsr .raEs-
r-,ea went on S7es5Ees' h1gi - tse e.rv
-s-t -t.s. .@..frs-tn fastmH ~rsv.te~ s-..rf---