The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-04-17
This Action Taken upoa the
Testimony Of Expert
Goldsmith
That 1t Was One of the Books
of the Bank--The Black
Book
And the Blue Book Kept by Cash.
ier Hopkins Were Also
Admitted.

argument at some length by the oppos-
ing attorneys In the Quay case, Judge
Biddle formally admitted the now fa-
nous red book" as evidence. Later he
also admitted che "blue book" and the
"black book Judge Biddle, in admit
ting the red book" said:
When the question originally arose
IN this case in reference to this particu-
lar book, did not think the district
attorney had sufficiently established
the proof that il was bank book. The
question now comes in an entirely diff
ferent capacity. 1t seems to me that an
expert could tell, better than anyone
else. what books are necessary to carry
out the system in vogue at that bank.
He swore most positively that this
book is book Of the bank. Up to a
certain date he said the books We're kept
in certain way. and the accounts COM
pared in the ledger. He followed this
up with the statement that entries for
merly made in the ledger We're now in
this book.
The gentleman who kept this book
was cashier and 10 use the words Of the
assistant cashier, he was the whole
bank The question is not whether the
contents Of this book are material or
immaterial. but whether il is a book o:
the bank. The expert positively swears
it is book Of the bank, and under
those circumstances. il is admitted, as
he knows more about it than I do"
Caused . General Buzs.
During the announcement Of the de-
Cision the most complete silence pre-
vailed in the courtroom. and as the
court finished, a general buzz of whis-
perins was noticeable, and every eye
was Turned in the direction Of Mr.. Quay.
He sat quietly, and there was not
movement Of muscle to indicate what
impression the decision had made upon
him. 4 little later, a smile came over
his face. After the decision. Mr.. Wat
son made an effort. apparently, to
change the courts decision by calling
attention to the fact that the Judge
stated that prior to 1891, before the ex.
istence Of the red book, the entries Of
interest payments on state moneys were
made direct in the ledger. whereas
there had been no testimony to that ef-
feet. The judge stated stated that he
So understood.
The district attorney contended that
he had said the red book indicated a
new system to avoid discovery of
iniauitious transactions rendered abso-
lutely necessary after 1891 by the new
banking law Mr.. Watson replied that
the red book did not show regular cal
culation of interest, but only three spe-
cltic instances.
Judge Biddle disposed of the matter
by saying, in brief. that the books would
speak for themselves.
Blue Book and Black Book.
Mr.. Goldsmith was recalled to testify
that the BLACK book" found in Hop
kins desk, is a book of the bank. This
book. the commonwealth alleges, shows
transactions involving the purchase and
sales of stock in which the defendant
was interested. The same objections
which were made to this witnesses tes-
timony in the case Of the "red book"
were again made by the defense and the
objections were overruled.
I'm your opinion, is this book of the
banky' asked the district attorney.
Eyes, sir, it 10 . book of the bank"
This was the only question by the
prosecution and Mr.. Shields cross exam
,ned the witness.
Mr.. Goldsmith said that his opinion
was based upon the fact that the book
EXPLAINS the nature of number of
loans made by the bank, not explained
by the regular books. These transac-
tions. he said, dealt with persons, who
were customers Of the bank, number
who were borrowers from the bank. on