Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-18
BECnEL'S SECOND HEARING
Preliminary Examination Of Embeszlement
Charges Before Judge Baxter.
SOME FIREWORKS IN THE COUNTY COURT
Attorney ConneII Gets After Witness
Hunt Till the Court Calls Him on
and the Witness Takes His
statutory Protection.

From q very matter. fact sort Of q calm
terrific storm suddenly broke forth with
all the fury Of a tropical pour-down In the
bearing before County Judge Baxter yes
terday Of the charges brought by Erastus
Young against W.. r. Bechel OF embezzling
over $50, 900 from the Pacific Express com-
pany since 1896.
Two witnesses were examined-W. e.
Mason. who for several years. with some in
t~ervals, was the bookkeeper Of the company,
and Andrew J. Hunt, the assistant chief
clerk, who had charge Of the banking sys-
TEN in the general Office Of the company.
The evidence went on smoothly enough with
hardly an objection from either side until
well or In the afternoon, when City Attor-
ney Connell, representing Mr.. Bechel, cor
nered Hunt and made him confess that he
had come TO this city at the instance OF a
Pinkerton detective named Chaplin all Tie
way from Arkansas City to give evidence
against Bechel, after a recent meeting with
Chaplin at Denver, and endeavored to force
him to admit that he had some assurance
that he was to escape prosecution himself
and that the company would reward him.
Hunt owned up to the fact that he had
stock In q Colorado mining company IN
which no money consideration had been
agreed upon, amounting to less than a one
third interest, and Cornell was aiming to
make him say that either this stock was the
reward, else that the shortages hal been
caused by payments on this stock for Hunts
benefit. Then the thunderbolt came.
Hunt arose from his chair and, with a
voice auivering with suppressed rage. but
subdued into an ominously quiet tone, asked
the court IL counsel was to be allowed to
bullyrag him in that manner" Objections
to this style Of cross-examination had come
rapidly enough from County Attorney Bal
drige and Judge Baxter took the side Of the
prosecution, saying Connell's questions wero
not fair to the witness. Jumping mp, and
with eyes flashing with fire and his right
hand thrown high Into the air, Connell
shouted: Hell get his full Of this before
we are through with him. l propose to
show UP the double-barreled scoundrel ne
Isl" The court pounded his desk vigor-
ously and said he wouldn't stand more or
that sort OF thing from anybody In the court
room. Both Hunt and Cornell were stand
ing glaring at each other, but the courts
authority prevailed and IN a few moments
each took his seat.
Keeping the Company's Books.
Mason was the first witness called by
Baldrige. He explained all about the al
legged discrepancies and forced entries In
the department OF Auditor Bechel and went
at length into the details OF keeping accounts
in the several books there, but on cross
examination his testimony was as favorable
to Bechel as his evidence on direct examina-
tion had been for the state. Baldrige
wanted him particularly for his expert po-
sition In the company and his personal
knowledge of the disputed entries in the
hooks. The main point OF his testimony
SO far as the prosecution was concerned
was to show that bogus drafts, for which
no vouchers had been drawn, had been en-
tered In the draft column Of the classiaca-
ton books and that these had been offset
by.oded~ctions from thu disbursement COL
umn, the effect OF which. he said. was to
reduce the company's earnings on their
face. He stated that these classification
books had disappeared and he had been
unable to find any trace Of them. The con-
dltion Of the ~company's pay-rolls and the
system OF expense envelopes" all came
out during Mr.. Baldrige's questioning. The
discrepancies. however. he said. had existed
when he took charge OF the books in the
eOs and up to the time he left them in 1893.
He resumed the books again in 1895. Fin
ally 1t was ELECTED from Mason that the
peculiar entries were not made after any
consultation with the officers OF the COM
pany, but upon consultation only with the
chief clerk.
On his s-examlnation Mason admit
ted that II was a physical impossibility for
Mr.. Bechel to personally supervise the sew
eral divisions Of the auditing department
or to have any personal knowledge Of all
the details OF the hundred or more en-
nlNvaa The phiaf clark r X Su1h0rnpyh
was closer to the various sections and the
force. and from Mason the impression was
conveyed that the chief clerk was more
directly responsible. All the discrepancies.
ne stated. had occurred prior to his re-enter-
ing tho company's employ in 1895 and none
had occurred after January of that year.
II have no knowledge Of the discrepan-
'cies." said Mason. except from an exam
ination Of the books. / have no personal
knowledge Of any shortage or discrepancy
subsequent to January. 1895"
Before Mason left the stand a few re-di-
rect interrogatorles were put to him. In
answer to one OF them he identified an entry
Of June 26, 1893. made in the draft column
Of the daily classification book, Of a draft
for 81. 1856. Is, Offset by an entry for a similar
amount In the disbursement column, no
voucher. 1t IL claimed. having ever been
made out for any such draft
Hunt on the Stand
Hunt followed for the state. About an
hour OF the afternoon was consumed by Mr..
Baldrige having him identify ffty-seven OF
the company's Expense envelopes the
first Of which was dated In February, 1896.
On each The naLIe Of A. ]. Hunt had been
written and witness said the handwriting
was the ONCE style Of Bechel, but the dates
on the envelopes he had written himself.
He said Bechel had a different style OF sig
nature in his private affairs from that he
used In the company. Other than Bechers
signature he was not familiar with his hand
writing because about the only writing
Bechel did by hand In the auditing depart