The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-11

Later, in Minneapolis. the loan was
made liz
Col. Hunter introduced the note in
evidence. 1t bore the date of Aug. ),
1886, and was for $500 to run ninety
days with interest at per cent, and,
after Capt. Bennett Endorsed it, the
paper was negotiated at the Swedish
American National Bank of Minneap-
Oils. Witness saidfhe gave the officer
his personal check for the amount,
less $500 for interest.
Lieut. Morfegd agreed with me
when he received the money that ne
would pay off, the note at $100 per
month, but he failed to do this. About
ten days before the paper fell due,
wrote to him and told him to pay the
money at once He gave me no reply.
The day before the ncte came due /
was notified blythe bank that it would
have to be paid9n The following day L
called at the bank eand Reimbursed the
note in the hope that Lieut.. Morford
would do something.
The next day I received letter
from the lieutenant in which he apollo
gized for not having seen me. He said
he had been waiting for funds from
friends in Omaha, but the money had
not arrived. He said the money would
reach him soon and he asked me to re-
new the note-to send new note to
him and he would sign it, Then he
wound up by saying that he hoped
l was pleased with the result of the
presidential election, thus mixing
little politics with the dose he was
giving me in connection with the loaE.
After receiving this letter [ arranged
with the president of the Swedish
American bank to let the old note re-
main as originally, as the lieutenant
had promised to have it paid off by
Feb l, 1897. After that arrangement
the lieutenant again failed to keep ms
promises. and I received no word from
him, although I repeatedly communl-
Gated to him with reference to the
matter until December 20, when he
said he had just returned from Omaha,
where he had tried to raise the money.
but failed However, he promised
again to do something.
LAS the time for the note to mature
drew nearer, l wrote more letters 10
the lieutenant, all of which he ignored
The note was not paid and L turned IL
over to collection agency. This came
to nothing and finally took the paper
up myself on July 3, 1897, for $3l4
which included the interest which had
accrued. l received no money from
anybody to apply on the note, and L
took no steps tG-get the money after
wards, until August, when wrote 10
the defendant that, if something was
not done, | would take the matter tC
the commanding officer at Fort Smell
ing No attention was paid to this,
and finally l did lay the matter before
his superior officer"
But While Capt Bennett was trying
to get his money out OF the lieutenant
it seems that the latter was endeavor-
ing to bring an uncle OF MS, j. b. Nor
ford, of ST. Thomas, Ont, to his res
cue, as at this point the judge adVo-
cate introduced in evidence a letter
which witness had received from that
gentleman in regard to the matter.
In this letter Mr.. Morford expressed
surprise that his nephew should have
gotten himself into such dire financial
straits, and said that one thing was
certain that if the lieutenant was
court martialed and dismissed from
the service his creditors would get
nothing. Mr.. Morford offered to set
tie Capt. Benefits claim on basis
of S. or $40 a month Witness stated
that he refused to consider the prop
osition. replying that he would accept
nothing less than $25 a month"; be-
cause "such man as Lieut.. Morford
was a disgrace to the United States
army and deserved to be dismissed
from the service"
The last letter i'Capt. Bennett re-
ceived from the lieutenant was dated
Aug. IA, and in it he stated that he
had just returned from Washington
and was under arrest He hoped that
against him until after his trial
On cross examination Capt. Ben
netts testimony developed no essen
tial facts. and Arthur L. Helliwell, a
Minneapolis attorney. was put on the
stand. He testified that his firm had
received note for $57 for collection
from an Omaha law firm. 1t had been
given by Lieut.. Mofford at the United
States National Bank of Omaha, Neb.,
March IA, 1898, before the lieutenant
entered the service of the army, for a
loan to that amount. and had never
been paid Mr.. Helliwell notified the
defendant of the Indebtedness and
asked him to settle it, but received no
reply to the communication. Then
the attorney had entered complaint to
Col. Paige, commander at Fort Smell
ing. Witness had learned that the
lieutenant had gotten money enough
together to indulge in a bicycle. and
he informed Col. Paige that if the ac-
cused could afford to- buy wheel he
ought to be able to pay his honest
debts.
Col Hunter introduced the CORE
spondence which occurred on the mat
ter between Col. Paige and Lieut.. Nor
ford The former had referred to the
complaint to the accused, in expiana-
ton of which theI lieutenant. had rep
resented that the note had been given
to an old friend in Omaha and that
he was positive he could arrange the
trouble satisfactorily. In subsequent.
correspondence between the command
ing officer and his subordinate, Col.
Paige dwelt with emphasis upon GER
tain statements made in writing by
the accused at different times which
he could not reconcile.
letter from NJ. T. Barlow, Presi-
dent of the United States National
Bank of Omaha, regarding the note,
was also read. Init Mr.. Barlow stated
that the debt had been contracted be-
fore the defendant entered the regular
army He understood that the lieu
tenant was likely to be court rnartialed,
and, although the debt owing to his
bank was a just one. he preferred to
take no hand in the action against the
young officer.
Dec - 1896, Lieut. Morford drew
sight draft at the Omaha Savings bank
in favor of J. f. Markell & Son. hotel
keepers. for SIS, and received the
money for it, The draft was introduce
ed in evidence by the judge advocate.
not to become matter of record, but
to assist the defendant in his case.
This draft was drawn on the Bank of
Minnesota and was returned unhonor-
ed to Omaha. 1t was again indorsed
and sent on April % to the post COM
mander, who called upon the lieu
tenant for an explanation, which was
made in writing. The lieutenant in
sisted according to the judge adVo-
cate, that he attempted to honor the
draft when it reached him. but when
he went to the city for that purpose,
he had found that the Bank of Min
nesota had failed, and as he had for
gotten the name effthe Omaha bank,