The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-11
NO PENT-UP UTICA FOR HIM.
HE PLAYED NO FAVORITES FROM
OMAHA TO THE TWIN
CITIES.
THE PROSECUTION ABOUT DONE.
Judge Advocate Hunter Thinks 1t
VIII BE Finished by Noon
To-day.

at yesterdays session of the court mar
tial at FIT. Smelling was very damaging
to Second Lieutenant William H. Nor
ford, whose trial for conduct unbe-
coming an officer and a gentleman" is
still the sensation at the military reSer-
walton. From the evidence it has gath
cred the prosecution developed a state
of affairs in the officers private fnan
cial transactions which are SO compli
Gated, to say the least, that they show
wonderful versatility on the Part of
the lieutenant in his schemes to get
money.
The regular army officers who COM
pose the court assembled in the chapel
on the reservation ir the morning, and
Col. A. S. Burt, the president, ordered
the proceedings to De resumed at 1880
o'clock Lieut.. Col. Edward Hunter,
the judge advocate, was at his table
ready to proceed with the prosecution,
and Lieut.. Morford, with his counsel
Attorney D. F.. PEBBLES, was at an
other table not far from where the
judge advocate sat. The accused Of
fcer's countenance showed WEAKNESS
that could not be concealed, but other
wise he was composed, and during the
most trying testimony of the morning
he remained remarkably calm. The ses-
sion lasted until 1:30 o'clock in the aft
ernoon, when an adjournment was TAX
en- until 10 o'clock this forenoon. The
prosecution will then rest its case.
About fifty spectators witnessed yes
terday's proceedings, which, at times,
were unusually interesting. Attorney
PEBBLES raised objections several times
to questions which the judge advocate
put to witnesses and the animated ar
guments which followed each time
often touched on personalities which
compelled the court to interfere. Twice
the room was cleared of everybody to
enable the court to decide points IN
controversy, but after that the trlal
went along uninterrupted.
The first witness of the day was
President D. A Monfort, of the Second
National bank, who, Oh direct eXamina-
ton, testified that the accused lleuten-
ant had been a depositor at his bank
for several years Ar the close of bust
ness on March Is, 1897 the officers ac-
count at the bank was $3.50 to his
credit Of which sum SO was held by
the bank under a garnishment, leaV-
ing $3.50 which witness considered was
at the disposal of defendant officer.
''In what shape was the accused's ac-
count at the close of business on March
| 81. 1872" asked the judge advocate.
Attorney PEBBLES objected to this
question on the ground that it was
| irrelevant and immaterial. The lawyer
| said it had no bearing on the condition
of the account defendant officer had
with the bank in April II following,
when the accused gave the check to
Michaud Bros, the grocers. The obJec-
ton was sustained.
account at your bank on the 1st of
April, 1872 asked Col. Hunter.
THAT SO covered by an attachment
was on deposit" said witness, but
there was no money subject to Lieut..
Morford's check"
81 object to the latter part of that
answer" said Attorney PEBBLES. 'on
/ the grounds that it merely is a conclu-
sion of law, and that in this state IN
der the law no amount of money less
than $40 can be garnisheed.
The Judge advocate protested that
witness was competent to testify as he
had done because he was an expert
| financier and as such knew whether
his reply had been competent.
| 1t was ordered by the court that the
answer should stand as recorded, and
| then witness said that his bank had
| last honored a check given by Lieut..
Morford on April /, 1897. In March
| the defendant had deposited S127.90,
| the garnisheed SO still being there. The
| day this deposit was made the officer
had checked out $40, and again on
March % he had checked out $1o On
April he had checked out $3.50, leav-
the SO under garnshment, but between
| Anril and May 6, there had been no
change in the account. This statement
was intended by the judge advocate to
show that in the intervening time when
former testimony showed that the
lieutenant had drawn worthless checks
on the bank. the accused ofhcer knew
that he had no money on deposit
there.
Witness said that there had been
two garnishments against the lieu
tenants account-one on Dec. l, 1895,
and the other on March s, 1897. The
former had been released
when one of your customers is gar
nisheed in this manner asked Col.
Hunter, do you generally notify him
of the fact?"
1--WE do. sir replied witness.
Upon cross-eXamination. which was
conducted by Attorney PEBBLES, witness
emphasized his statement during the
direct testimony that Lieut. Morford
had been doing business with the Sec
ond National bank for several years.
He could not tell what amounts were
subject to garniShment in Minnesota,
although the So referred to had been I'M
der this process of law, in his bank
Witness could not say that he had ever
formally notified the lieutenant of the
earnishmentS against his account, al
though afterwards he had discussed
the matter with the officer in bust
ness way On one of these occasions
the officer had told witness that he had
never been served with notice OF either
sarnishment Up to April l the OIL
GERS checks always had been honored
at witness bank. Mr.. Monfort would
not say that the lieutenant had I'M
( limited credit at the bank, but his
checks were never protested. The Off
Ger had never used pass-book In his
dealings with the Second National
bank, simply turning in slip When
he deposited money.
Did not Lieut.. Morford request you
repeatedly to permit him to step be-
| hind the railing of the bank to where
the bookkeeper stood, for the purpose
of learning how his account stooo!
} Mr.. PEBBLES asked.
HE used to go around there" replied
witness.
Can't. c. C. Bennett. furrier of Min
reapolis, and an officer in battery L,
Minnesota national guard. was sworn
Witness testified that he met Lieut.
Morford in July 1896, at Lake City,
where witness was encamped with MS
battery. The accused had called on
| him afterwards and requested him to
keeC as sort of a secret what he was
ahoIt TO communicate.