The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-11
He WAS VERSATILE
LIEUT.. MORFORD'S FINANCIAL
GENIUS is COMPLIMENTED BY
THE TESTIMONY.
NO PENT-UP UTICA FOR HIM.
HE PLAYED NO FAE0RITES 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 gentleman" is
still the sensation at the military reser-
walton. From the evidence it has gath
cred the prosecution developed 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 tile court assembled in the chapel
on the resefyation il the morning, and
Col A. s. Burt, the president, ordered
the proceedings to be resumed at 1880
o'clock Lieut. Col. Edward Hunter
the judge advocate, was at his tapie
ready to proceed with the prosecution,
and Lieut. Morforo, with his counsel,
Attorney D. F.. PEBBLES, was at an
other table not far from where the
judge advocate sat The accused Of
ficer's .countenance showed WEAKNESS
that could not be concealed, but other
wise ne WAS COIlipOSeu, anu ing TIC
most trying testimony of the morning
he remained remarkably calm. The ses-
sion lasted until 100 o'clock in the aft
ernoon, when an adjournment was TAX
en- until 10 o'clock this forenoon The
prosecution will then rest it's 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 trial
went along uninterrupted.
The first witness of the day was
President D. A. Monfort, of the Second
National bank who, On 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 10, 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 l790 which witness considered was
at the disposal of defendant officer
I'm 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 immateral 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.
What was the shape of the accused's
account at your bank on the LIST of
April. 1892" asked Col. Hunter.
"That SO covered by an attachment
was on deposit" said witness, but
there was no money subject to Lieut..
Morf0rd's check"
II object to the latter part of that
answer" said Attorney PEBBLES, ION
the grounds that it merely is conclu-
sion of law, and that in this state I'M
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
fnancier, 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 offlcer
had checked out $110. and again on
March % he had checked out SD on
April he had checked out $3.50, leav-
ing the account as it had stood with
the 50 under garnishment, but between
Anril l and May s, 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 officer knew
that he had no money on deposit
there.
two garnishments against the lieu
tenants account-one on Dec. L, 1895,
and the other on March 6, 1897. The
former had been released.
when one of your customers IS gar
nisheed in this manner. asked Col.
Hunter, do you generally notify MIN
of the fact?'
1--WE do. sir" replied witness.
JTpon cross-examination. which was
conducted by Attorney PEBBLES, witness
enpha sized his statement during the.
direct testimony that Lieut.. M0rtord
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 50 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
garnishments 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
earnishment Up to April 1 the Off
GERS checks always had been honored
AFT witness bank. Mr.. Monfort would
not saw that the lieutenant had UNI
limited credit at the bank, but his
checks were never protested. The OH
cay had never used a pass-book in his
dealings with the Second National
bank. simply turning in slip When
he deposited money.
Did not Lieut. Morford request you
repeatealy 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 stood 2?
Mr.. PEBBLES asked.
He used to go around there, replied
/ witness.
| Capt C. C. Bennett, furrier of Min
peapolis, and an officer in battery Z,
Minnesota national guard, was sworn.
Witness testified that he met Lieut..
7 Norford in July, 1896, at Lake City,
! where witness was encamped with his
| : I,.,I l11 on