Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-23
PANNILL ON TRIAL.
fhs c. 4 0. Ticket Agent and Deiaulter
/ Hammers Alleged ACCOmpliCe.
sNDEZELENENT OF BANK FUNDS.
fslSe Entries, EiSapprOpriatiOn, and
/ Withdrawal Charged.
DEFENCE OUTLINED.
EAttorney Lee shows the Accused to
Il ne Stiii the Trusted Agent of the
Railroad Company-Tcstimon of
President Adams.

President Adams.
rNNCHBURC. VA. March 22-tSpe-
siai) )-Ihe case Of the Government against
- r. H. Pannll. late city ticket agent OF '''e
"a Chesapeake and ohio railroad. eharseu
< with aiding and abettng walker g. Ham
Rs ner IN ahstractlng and msapproprhtihs
~ re funds OF the First National bahK.
~ was called this morning in the CH''eo
STATE court Judge Pani presi'lhB'
~ l0 O'Clock. the time appointed LOT
thc opening Of court. every aVahao'e
su9c. i'm thc room was Occupied ana the
;A interest manifested was intense Num-
bors of persons were turned away and
vt s., eager was the crowd TO catch
M e..,c cr,in1 OF the proceedings that many
s..oI In the halls. and some even waited
Without the building for the slightest
nous that might afford them information
~ a. REGARD to the trial
plnnnl was brought into the courtroom
M "a. exactly 10 minutes TO II o'clock. accom-
,.o,ed by his father. mother. and
brother lie WIS dressed in a dark suit,
..tlway coat. with a small black cravat.
D.. Was apparently perfectly composed,
..I WaS but little changed by his con-
X futucnt IN jail. lie took his seat be
ttt,n his mother and father, just behind
s counsel. Messrs. j. J.. Lee and Ran
.ph Harrison. The jury impaneled.
i several preliminary motions being
sIoscd OF. District-AttOrney Montague
ps .reded 10 state the case from the
standpoint OF the Government.
THE CHARGES.
The defendant" said Mr.. Montague
was charged with aiding and abetting
Walker q. Hammer. late teller OF the
I.st National bank. In various offences;
irst In cnbeZziing funds Of the bank;
second. in abstraCtinR or Unlawfully with
drawing funds OF the bank; third, in the
~ appropriation OF funds; ana fourth in
making false entries. IL was thought
las, October that Pannil WAS getting
money from Teller Hammer without the
knowledge Of the officers Of the bank.
An investigation. made after Hammers 3
exposure developed the fact that the
amount thus obtained had reached 5000
p,rnaps more but We think we can sus-
tain that mucls by proof. This money.
We expect to prove. was gotten by Pan
rili on deposit slips representing fictitious
amounts. and by bogus checks, which
were never intended TO be presented TO
the banks Oh which they were drawn
We also expect TO prove" said Mr..
Montague. that in the month of January
last Pannill, railroad agent, getting
salary Of 800 per month. deposited in
the bank upwards Of $1,000. Last Oc-
t0ber Pannill owed the bank s2.OO0, while
q the books showed the bank indebted TO
him. He promised to make good this
amount and a short time afterwards told
the bank officers that he had reduced
30 10 $40, when IN reality he had in
creased it to 5000, represented by bogus
checks carried In the tcller's box.
CHECKS DEPOSITED.
The Government will also show" con-
t.nuei Mr. Montague. that the amounts
Of the checks deposited on some days
were Identical with the amounts of those
dep sted on others. and that some checks
Woe deposited over and over again; one
check as often as eghty-four times; that
certain checks on other banks were
never presented by Hammer for collection.
Du, were concealed in the tellers box.
and this cOnceainent could not have
been possible except with the knowledge
and request OF Pannill.
"On the 18th OF February Pannill had
& aimed that he had reduced his in
81 debtcdness to less than $50. Two weeks
81 later he admitted that his Indebtedness
wac nearly s. 00U Tho Government claims
81 and expects to prove that Pannil got
II this money on concealed and worthless
checks"
THE DEFENCE.
hIr Lee outlined the defence as fol-
VI q
man OF about 30 years Of age. About
ten years ago he came from Petersburg
10 this city entirely without means, re-
4 lying for success solely upon his own
efforts ana his own integrity Of pur-
Il pcsc. 1t VIII appear that he came here
and was taken up by the Chesapeake and
Ohio; for ten years was the trusted
employee OF that railroad, having
given every evidence of the highest CON
duct So faithful was the character
n he displayed in that humble position that
as bis ability Increased he was promoted
from one position to another, until three
or four years ago he was appointed
ticket agent Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
In that capacity he had full charge of
all the funds accruing from the office
There was no one there TO guard him.
Ills accounts were found correct, and
from the day of his arrest so faithful
had been the discharge OF his duties he
was continued as the ticket agent Jf
the road and his name kept upon the
payroll. Their faith and trust in him
Is still unshaken
1T would appear in evidence that Mr.
n Hammer. the teller, ten years ago was
scarcely known 10 this prisoner II will
also appear that in 1871 MIR Pannil
moved his account TO that bank, and
he transferred 1t 10 that bank because
he was informed Of the honesty of the
methods pursued by the institution and
of the courtesy invariably displayed by
the officers
STOOD HIGHER.
"Of all men in Iynchburg there has
never been "a man who stood higher IN
public esteem than Walker c. Hammer.
lie was bound u the hearts Of his fellow
citizens Now. gentlemen. ii will further
transplrc that Pannill became what is
known as Overchecked through what he
considered courtesy and mark OF conf
dence shown to him by the bank. He
has done what | have done many time,
with absolute confidence in the trust OF
the bank. in AN national banks monthly
report h1s TO Doe made. and the United
States Government provides a form for
this purpose. and on it is a column mark
ed for oYerch-cl<s showing that the gov
ernment itself does not condemn it, Now,
II Mr. Hammer could testify. il would
4 be shown tnat he had the same conf
81 dence as others. lIre was MIR. Hammer.
n trusted hy everybody. exalted in the es-
81 timaton OF al lie makes a statement |
IA 70 Paun.l telling him 10 DO so and so. |
IA We do not claim that it was intended 10 |
~ pay The amount, bat every act of Pan |
t& nils was done upon the suggestion of |
IA M. Hammer, and the basis Of his entire |
"a conduct was the confidence which ne had !
81 IN Hammer. lie never got $1,000 from the |
III bank Mr Pann.ll entrusted his affairs |
& 70 Mr. Hammer, and did whatever Ham |
ner tod him was right 10 do. But we |
are told that a clerk IN receipt OF a |
salary Of $i00 per month-let us say OF |
only NJ-was running an account aggre- |
2 eating $4,000 a month. II Is impossible |
I every one OF these deposits. as win be |
"A shown. nave their amounts recorded upon |
i the books OF the institution.
OPEN TO INSPECTION.
''They are entered upon the ledgers open |
10 the inspection OF all the officers |
Where 1t was spread out Either the |
4|<ashier or some other officer knew IT, or |
they were grossly negligent Of their duty. |
Ihey saw these checks representing Mr. |
PannilPs Indebtedness 10 the bank IL |
BE- was being sued for this money, then |
hese checks would be in evidence: other |
kise they cannot be. "Mr. Pannill never /
Pispecied for one instant that Mr. Ham |
ktr Kept these checks hidden. II Is the |
pty Of the bank-eXaminer 10 swoop |
o"n Ike a hawk 10 come in at all mo- |
ttnts and demand an inspection OF the |
>pks of that bank. Then. there Is the |
ehier, Mr.. A. rally. whose duty II |
20 keep an accurate supervision over |
bank. and the third safeguard is the |
nting committee. The directors and /
IN. ha kQ