The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-27
NOTE SIGNED BY M. c. TANNER
Is MAKING A GREAT DEAL OF
TROUBLE FOR YOUNG WILL
LIAM RICKEL.
And tn. Introduction of Document
AIRY Evidence of an Unsensa-
tiOnal Character.

was principally devoted to the arga-
ment of Pierce Buffers objections TO
the admission of certain documentary
evidence offered by County Attorney
Anderson. This evidence consisted OF
certified copies of the articles of incor-
poration of the Union Savings associa-
ton, of Rochester, and of the various
amended articles changing the name of
the Union Savings association OF
Rochester to the Union Savings bank,
changing that name to Minnesota
Savings bank" and providing for other
alterations. The court oVerruled the
objections of the defense in each in
stance, and allowed the documentary
evidence to go in, with the exception
of certain amendments providing for
the removal of the bank to st. Paul,
and for the election of certain officers
and trustees. The chief contention OF
the defense was that the Minnesota
Savings bank was not, as alleged in
the indictment, a banking association,
but savings association organized I'M
Ger the law of 1867 and in no way sub
ject to the laws of 1875 or 1879
The morning session began with the
opening address of the county attOr-
ney. Mr.. Anderson confined himself
to a plain statement Of what the state
proposed to prove.
The Minnesota Savings bank, Mr..
Anderson said, had been doing business
up to Jan. IS, 1897 as a savings insti-
tuition, not as a bank Of discount. Since
1889 the defendant was a trustee, and
for a long time the vice president. Al
the time of the failure Bickel was the
managing officer of the pank. He was
the only one of all the trustees who
spent his time at the bank. While
Bickel was not duly elected as cashier
he acted as cashier for some time and
president. He would show that be-
fore Nov. II, 1896, by the books, Mr..
Bickel never had a savings account
in the bank. From the close of the
year of 1894 Bickel had in the cash
drawer a cash or debit slip carried as
cash, upon which ticket was entered
the total of BickePs Indebtedness to
the bank for money which he drew
on his and his wife's checks, and which
he caused to be drawn to various or
ders Nov II, 1896, the debit slip
showed an Indebtedness of $500,
Bickel continued the practice of
drawing checks made payable to va
rious persons, which checks were I'LL
timately returned and charged to his
/.
goodly amount, they were pinned by
Mr.. Heinlein together with yellow
slip covering the amount, and the total
put on Mr.. BickelS debit slip. Then,
after time, another bunch of checks
of BickeTs would go out, and, after
being returned, the total would be
placed on the debit slip as before.
These checks. running down to Jan.
Is. footed up $1,940, which money was
used by Bickel. Bickel had no account
in the bank, but as a matter of fact,
started out in November with an in
debtedness of nearly $4,000. Nov. l6,
1896. the debit slip shows his indebted
ness to be $3.691.94. Jan. Ii following,
a few days before the failure of the
bank. this slip carried as cash disap-
peared. 1t was taken by Bickel him
self from the cash drawer and carried
away from the bank. Other paper was
taken by Bickel at the same time. At
the time Bickel took the cash slip from
the drawer, he brought to the paying
teller promissory note for $780,
made payable to the bank, signed by
NJ. c. Tanner
The state would show that NJ. C.
Tanner was a woman, and the sister
in-laW of the defendant. The note
bore no Endorsement, nor was there
any security of any kind for it. Bickel
handed the note to Heinlein, and had
him put it in the cash drawer as cash
Jan 16. Then he took out the cash
slip and the other paper and attempt
ed to make the books balance through
the Tanner note.
He would show that Jan - 1897. six
days before the failure of the bank,
Fred c. Stevens, Bickel Sr. and the
defendant met, as trustees but trans
acted no ether business than to pass
on a prospective loan of 5000. The de-
PENDANT made the minutes of the
meeting Oh a slip of paper and after
wards brought the slip to Heinlein
and directed him to copy the minutes
from the slip into the minute book.
These three trustees met again Jan.
16, 1897, and transacted some business,
among other things arranging for the
assignment.
After the meeting the defendant
brought a slip to Heinlein, which con-
tanned an entry authorizing a loan of
5000, the same to be entered as of
the meeting of the 18th. This was a
false entry, and he would show that
Stevens never saw the Tanner $4,000
note. until it was shown him this fall
by the county attorney. The board of
trustees never passed on such note.
When the Tanner note came into the
bank, there was no money loaned to
Tanner on it. Bickel took it and put it
in a drawer. at the same time abb
stracting the cash slip and other pa
per. This was the 1851 charged by
the indictment to have been stolen.
Jan 16, 1897, the bank was the owner
of a large number of notes, amounting
in the aggregate to about s., 800. These
were assets of the bank, representing
money borrowed by various individ-
uals The county attorney would show
that Jan 16 Bickel told Heinlein that
mold nd hot
an entry was accordingly made. Not
a single dollar of these notes had ever
been paid.
He would show that Walter r. Will
mot and NJ. Saulpaugh, of Mankato,
had been summoned to appear before
the grand jury, with respect to these
notes Before they appeared Wilmot
and the defendant went to Messrs.
Sheehan and Dixon, the receivers, and
turned over the notes. He would show
the explanations made by Bickel, for
his taking of the notes from the bank
They were given to Wilnot, as security
for money owing Wilmot.
Again Bickel stated that he had adj
vanced large sums of money to the
bank and when it closed, that he had
a right to take the notes by way of
security. Also that he had purchased
from various individuals their open &C
counts with the bank; that these ac-
counts belonged to him, and he had
caused them to be Cancelled on the
books of the bank.
He would show that. at the time
Biclzel took the notes, he took enough
cash slips to make up $500. On the
teller's cash book the next morning
appeared an over-check of $500 On
Jan. II, the over-check of $500 dis
appeared Bickel tried 70 make the
$1,000 appear as a credit.
He would show that Bickel shortly