The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-22
The Culver Case.
An Interesting Case. The State Rests.
Where the Peoples Bank
Books Have Been.

so far has developed the facts tina
large sum of money was in oI
ought to have been in the bank a
the time of its failure. About 81
witnesses we examined Tuesday
Wednesday over one hundred oc
cupied the witness stand but as the
bulk of the testimony given was
merely the presenting of certificate
es of deposit or bank books show
ing wherein the bank was indebt.
ed to them it did not require any
great length Of time for each wit
ness and the'case was pushed along
with considerable dispatch. Some
Of the witnesses appear, when
placed upon the stand to be of very
short memory.
The testimony Of some Of the
witnesses is very peculiar, one
gentleman testified when asked II
he was not director of the bank
at certain period of its existence
said he was not sure but he believ-
ed he was but did not remember
how many years he WAS director,
in fact he did not know it until
after the bank failed.
Another witness when asked If
he had not signed mortgage, said
he didn't know whether he had or
not, he said Mr.. Culver and DR..
Pulien brought paper to him ask
ing him to sign it, saying it was all
right, he said he signed the paper
but did not know what it was.
One Ct the imp jrtanL witnesses
for the state was Attorney E. E.
Davis, of Toledo. Mr.. Davis was a
stakeholder in the bank and Is the
mortgage and also Mr.. Culver's
council. Mr.. Davis testified that
he had on deposit $4,000 in bonds
given him by his father and that
so far he had recovered bus 1850
Further questioning brought out
the Information t"tt a mortgage
for $4,000 was made out in his
name when the crash came and
that he was the mortgage.
The prosecution, by having the
large number Of depositors sub
poenaed, aimed to show what the
mount ofindubtedness was to each
Of the witnesses on or nrior to June
30, 1892, when the bank failed, and
offered as evidence all certificates
Of deposit and bank books.
There was considerable Of a
squabble between the opposing
council over this evidence, and the
court finally held it as competant,
as it had to be shown clearly
that there was money on deposit in
the bank at the time Of the failure
to imbezzle. This evidence has
shown that there was over 100000
On deposit on jane 80, 1892, and
that no monics have yet been paid
,ut on these deposits, although
several having testified to having
'ecaived payment OF Mr.. Culver,
Or through his agents, which testi-
mony, of course, was not placed
along with the other exhibits.
The case haj dragged along in a
grind and devoid Of
interest, little change and a slight
opportunity "or smile, but which
he court quickly suppressed was
)ccasioned by the testimony Of II
witness who claimed to have q Ger
.itlcate CT deposit, but when asked
hat it be shown to the court re-
Piled that "he hal traded it off for
On organ several weeks after the
bank 'busted,' and that the bank
honestly and truly didn't owe him
4 cent"
The defense satisfied itself dur
ing the progress of the trial that
none OF the witnesses were taking
an active part in the prosecution
Of the case, by asking each witness
before they left the chair, are you
Interested in the prosecution Df
his case? Have you been a wit
ness before the Grand Jury?
Wednesday afternoon Dr.. Pullen
vas recalled and questioned about
he disposition of some bonds. He
estilied to being the owner of slO.-
100 worth of bonds and said that he
lad paid $3.50 of them to Il. f.
Davis and the balance he had turned |
'ver to Robert w. Keynes, he furth-
,r stated that the bonds were his in
iividual property and that the Peo-
'le's Bank had nothing to do with !
hem.
Charles Keynes, one of the admin
strators Of the estate of his father,
he late Robert w. Keynes, who was
stocliholder in the defunct bank,
vas placed on the stand late We'd.
lesday afternoon and placed as evil
lence certificates of deposits and
,ank books shOWino. that the Pao-