The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-09
USED IN ELECTIONS
SOME REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN
METHODS DISCLOSED IN THE
BICKEL TRIAL.
THE NOTE OF MISS TANNER.
SENATOR SHEEHAN TESTIFIES
THAT DEFENDANT SAID PART
OF 1T WAS SPENT
FOR STEVENS, CHAPEL, HORST.
County Attorney Anderson Keeps
Presenting and Reading Notes
and Exhibits.
THE NOTE OF MISS TANNER.
FOR STEVENS, CHAPEL, HORST.

Some Republican campaign methods
were disclosed in the Bickel trial yes
terday. T. D. Sheehan, one Of the
receivers of the Minnesota Savings
bank, who was on the stand nearly all
day, was obliged to make the reVela-
ton on the direct examination. Being
asked by the county attorney to relate
various conversations he had with Will
liam F. Bickel, particularly with refer
ence to the $4,000 note given to the
bank by Miss Tanner, the defendants
sister-in-law, Mr.. Sheehan related how
Mr.. Bickel had told him that part of
the proceeds of the Tanner note, known
as states exhibit 5, had gone into the
campaign fund in behalf of Congress
man F. G. Stevens, and that another
portion of the money had gone towards
defraying the expenses of the cam
paign for Sheriff Chapel, City Treas
urer Horst and Mayor Doran..
This testimony was greeted with sig
nif1cant smiles by every one, except the
county attorney, who plainly did not
relish it,
The latter half of the day was spent
by the county attorney in offering in
evidence sand. reading to the jury the
notes enumerated in the Indictment,
which, it is alleged, the defendant
stole.
In the forenoon Mr.. Sheehan resum-
ed the witness stand. He testified that
Bickel had surrendered to him as re-
ceiver the books and records of the
bank.
Did Mr. Bickel make any statement to
you at the time he handed them over?"
I'VE had great deal of conversation"
was the conversation as to what books,
records and assets they were?''
That they were the records or the Min
nesota Savings bank
Did he say anything as to the correctness
of them?''
HE said that they were complete history
of the bank
"Did he say anything to you as to any
connection he had with the management of
the affairs of the assignee Of the Minnesota
Savings bank?"
Never to me personally, in reference to
that NATTER
States exhibit 5, being the Tanner note
for Sc, 800 was here shown Mr. Sheehan
Did you talk with him to that exhibit"
Several conversations were had
'Will you tell them in their order, as near
as you CAM"
1.-The first conversation was to the effect
that the note was perfectly good. That the
money had gone into Stevens campaign fund
and Stevens was to pay $500 a month until
the full amount was paid. Again a conversa-
ton came up at the time the legislative COM
mittee was Investigating insovent banks. I
had before that called Stevens attention to
the note, and l got Bckel and Stevens to-
gether in my office, and asked what the note
represented. Stevens denied at that time
Objection interposed by Mr.. Butler.
Mr.. Anderson-Was this in the presence of
Mr.. Bckel?'
yes"
go on
Objection again made by Mr.. Butler,
and YVES argued at length.
During the argument, Mr.. Butler said
he was there in the performance of a
duty and was Indifferent whether his
presence there or his position sitting
down or standing up were considered
irjmical or disagreeable by the other
side or by any one else. AS to what
Stevens had said in the presence of
Bickel he would remind the court that
Stevens had been once tried, and that
the county attorney had abandoned the
case and asked for a verdict for the de-
PENDANT. Now they were proposing to
go once more into the Stevens case
AS to the notes which Bickel was
charged with stealing-many of them
had been collected, many of them were
now in the possession of the receivers
The state was at the wrong end of the
case. The court had told the state
where to make start and they have
been promising to start at that point
but had not done SO. They were going
on fishing excursions for notes and
checks. 1t was not material what Ste
vens had said. 1t was not fair, in his
absence, to tell what he had said 1t
was not fair to bring forward testi-
mcny against him in his absence. The
court and the jury would not be sat
isfied that Bickel had been stealing by
showing what other people had said
about Bickel The legs were being
struck from beneath the case of the
state. They could not prove that Bick-
ell stole the notes because Bickel did
themselves and were enjoying them.
The objection was overruled.
Mr. Sheehan answered: "Stevens told me
that 1t was not a part of his campaign ex-
penses, and l wanted to know what it did
represent. Mr.. Bickel stated to me at that
time one of the items represented by the
note was a cash item of his own, which he
had been carrying in the bank cash, which
was made up OF checks or money drawn on
the bank by him. He also stated that 1t rep
resented in part other matters which were
carried prior to that time as cash items and
among others he referred to incidentally
at that time he said ibid not specify the
amount) represented in part moneys paid for
expenses in the campaign for-Chapel was
one Charlie Horst was another believe he
referred to Mayor Doran at that time, also.
the items that made up that note of $6500."
Ibid he bring in the items?'
mo. SIR"
''Were the books referred to in these con-
v.sations?"
Il think not"
Then followed the Identification and
presentation to witness of a large num-
Der of states exhibits comprising for
the most part checks purDorting to
have been drawn to the order of Bick-
ell during a number of years.
The introduction of these exhibits,
with the necessary formalities, occu-
pied much time, and was followed by
the introduction in evidence of about
twenty-five of the account books of the
Minnesota Savings bank.
Early in the afternoon session, the
county attorney sought to question Mr..
Sheehan concerning the Nusser notes,
three in number, and for 1888 each,
which a pending Indictment charged
Bickel with stealing from Mr.. and Mrs.