Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-25
ISAAC DICKERSON'S STORY
Defendant Placed on the Stand to Tell Of
the Gass County Bank.
DENIES MANY OF ytTzeR's STATEMENTS
Readily pccounts His Connection with
the Institution mud shows How
slight His Responsibility
for It's Conduct.

Isaac Dickerson, the defendant in the case
brought by the state charging him with
fraudulent banking in connection with the
failure Of the Cass County bank, was on the
witness stand yesterday afternoon and COM
mcnced his testimony touching his connec-
ton with the broken bank. His evidence is
being given without much questioning by the
attorneys. He is allowed to go into details
concerning all his part and knowledge Of the
workings OF the bank.
The first witness yesterday morning was
Judge Thornell, by whom the defense sought
to show that Isaac Dickerson was tried be-
fore him at Glenwood and acquitted on a
charge very similar to the one that Is now
being heard. The evidence was not adj
mitted.
r.. G. Phelps, president Of the Commercial
bank at Atlantic, testified that he had known
Isaac Dickerson for years, and knew that Mr..
Dickerson always had a partner or hired a
bopkkeeper to transact the account end of his
business. He testified concerning the finan-
cial depression In 1893. Mr.. Phelps testified
that he saw Isaac Dickerson In Chicago on
October 30, 1893. This was the date on which
Wilbern, a state witness, testified with a
great deal Of positiveness that he had seen
Isaac Dickerson in Atlantic and that Mr..
Dickerson had that day told him that the
bank was in hard lines.
William Waddell, an old-time resident of
Atlantic and for a number of years cashier
OF the Casa County bank, testified concerning
the meeting of the bank directors in 1885,
at which a dividend of as per cent was de-
c!ared. Mr.. Waddell stated that the financial
condition of the bank was not impaired by
the payment Of the dividend.
DISCREPANCIES IN TESTIMONY.
o. G. CASTOR, reporter of Judge Thornell's
court, who reported the testimony in the
case OF the state against Isaac Dickerson,
tried at Glenwood last June, was placed on
the stand for the purpose of pointing out
the discrepancies between the evidence of
witnesses given at that trial and in the
present case. 1t was shown by Mr.. CASTOR
that at the Glenwood trial ]. c. Yetzer tes-
titled that Isaac Dickerson had told him
that AL Dickerson had said that the
bank examiner had demanded a reduction of
the banks holdings of real estate. In the
trial now in progress Mr.. Yetzer testified
that Isaac Dickerson had said that he had
received personal notice, by conversation
with the bank examiner, that the banks
real estate holdings should be reduced. Mr..
Yetzer also testified at Glenwood that A. w.
Dickerson had said that his father could
vote the Cooper stock. but did not testify,
as ho has in this case, that Isaac Dickerson
made any assent to that proposition.
B. o. Burlington, Judge Smiths court re-
porter, was called to point out some of the
49, SlDhA'SiS5 III t"t eNluGlCe BlNpH ny u.
c. Yetzer in the trial at Atlantic and in the
present trial. His evidence showed that
Yetzer had an entirely different story to tell
at the time he was on trial himself from the
one told in the trial of Isaac Dickerson.
c.. c.. Potter, clerk Of the district court
for Mills county, testified that he was present
during the trial Of Isaac Dickerson in that
court last June. He identified the copy Of
the record Of the case, showing the indict-
ment, trial and record of acquittal by the
jury in that case.
DIcKERsoN ON THE STAND.
Then the defense called the accused to the
| witness stand and his examination was not
completed when the court adjourned. Mr..
Dickerson testified that he was 65 years of
age and had lived in Cass county since the
spring of 1856. He first settled at Lewis
and removed to Atlantic in 1869, and had
made his home there ever since and had been
engaged in the real estate and loan business.
The business was carried on in 1892 under
the name of Isaac & K. j. Dickerson. Wit
ness had known William Waddell since 1859.
| Witness was connected with the Cass County
bank in 1876 and knew ]. c. Yetzer, its presi-
dent. He gave the names OF the men who
organized the bank and constituted Its Of
fcers and board Of directors. The witness, j.
c. Yetzer, A. w. Dickerson, c. F. Loofborow
and others were connected with the bank at
the time of it's failure. Mr.. Dickerson testi-
fed that he was vice president of the bank
for a number of years, but was never called
upon to perform any duty for the bank as
it's vice president. He testified that he was
a member of the appointed, for a
number of years, to examine the accounts
| Of the bank. He had never had any active
part in the management of the bank. He
was in the real estate business for all the
years he lived In Atlantic. He was for some
time in partnership with j. II. Wood and
since 1889 had been in partnership with his
son, E. j. Dickerson. He testified that he
was not very familiar with bookkeeping, and
did not know anything about the system OF
bookkeeping employed In the Cass county
bank or any other banking business. In his
own business the details of the bookkeeping
had been left to his partner or his SON.. He
acted, for the last time. as a member OF the
committee to examine the bills receivable OF
| the bank, in May, 1890. The duty OF the
was to examine the notes OF the
bank and compare them with the list as pre-
pared by the cashier or some other officer
Of the bank.
Mr.. Dickerson testified that his only knowl-
edge of the resources of the bank was &C.
cured from the examination Of these bills.
Other committees were appointed yearly to
examine into the condition OF other depart
ments OF the bank. In 1891 a was
appointed to examine the bills receivable Of
the bank. The witness was a member OF the
| committee, but did not act on the committee
except to look over the schedule. The ex-
animation Of the notes was made by otAer
| officers Of the bank. He had asked Mr.. Yet
| ger to go and make the examination with
| him. but Mr.. Yetzer put the matter off, and
the witness. left Atlantic before the examina-
ton was made.
"Mr. Yetzer Is mistaken" said the witness,
when he testified that l told him In 1871
or in any other year that l had examined the
| bills receivable and found them all right
Mr.. D!ckerson testified that A. w. DECKER
| son was cashier of the bank from 1879 to the
| time of the banks failure, and that George
Robinson was q bookkeeper in the bank for
about ten years and left the bank some time
In 1891.
The witness stated that Yetzer had never
! handed to him nor spoken to him about a let
ter written by State Auditor Lyon to j, G..
Yetzer in 1891.
KNEW LITTLE OF II BANK.
When the witness was a member OF the
examining committee In 1891 the committee
made no examination Of the books to ascer-
tain the truth or correctness Of the schedule
of the bills receivable furnished by the CASH
Ter. He supposed the bank at that time, in
1891, was perfectly solvent.
Mr.. Dickerson said he was not present at
any meeting Of the directors OF the bank
held in 1892 or 1898. He became interested
In the spring Of 1892 in real estate In Mis-
souri, and was away from Atlantic a great
deal and made no examination whatever of
the books OF the bank from May, 1891, until
the failure o. the bank in December, 1898.
From the spring Of 1892 until the spring of
1894 his business kept him in Missouri. His
Atlantic and Cass county business was looked