St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-05-29
THE VERGENNES BANK CASE.


The Grand Jury Find indictments
against Cashier Lewis, Lieut.-GOv.
Allen and Publisher Ketchum -The
latter In the Chiltenden County Jail
Lewis Meets his Attorney at 1T. Johns.
bury aud the ''WOman in the Case.r
Those who happened to be at the train
last Thursday afternoon might have seen
Cashier Lewis, the Vergennes bank
wrecker, pacing unconcernedly up and
down the platform carrying in his hand
a large satchel of a peculiar shade of
green. He was smartly dressed and was
quickly spotted by the local politicians
as the man who had deliberately looted
a bank and betrayed the confidence of
innocent depositors. With him was ex-
Congressman Powers who will defend
him when his case comes up for trial.
Mr.. Lewis came here from Windsor on
the night train and left in the morning
for the White Mountains. He returned
in the afternoon and with him was Mrs,
HalIet of Boston, the woman in the
case" The two met Judge Powers at the
Avenue House, both gentlemen returning
to their homes that afternoon. Mrs.
Hallet remained here over night, leaving
for Jackson Friday afternoon. She is a
smart looking woman, is understood to
be quite wealthy, and wanted the best
room in the hotel when she registered
Mr.. Lewis made no attempt to conceal
his identity, and as the Chinese would
saw, Saved his face" while here.
The first proceedings in law were made
public on Friday when the grand jury
found three indictments against Mr..
Lewis, for embezzlement and making
false entries. The report then became
current that there were other indict-
ments out aud this was verified by serv-
ing indictments on Lieut.. Gov. Allen, the
vice-president of the bank, and ]. w.
Ketchum, the publisher of the Vergennes
Enterprise.
The indictment against Lieut. Gov.
Allen states that he aided and abetted
Cashier David Henry Lewis in iraudu-
lentlv securing a loan from H. w. Ward,
Treasurer of the Burlington Trust Co.,
of Burlington without the consent of the
directors of the bank and that the
money was converted to Mr.. Aliens own
use with the corrupt and fraudulent in
tent to ipjure the banking institution
and that the loan was paid from funds
in the bank and that Allen was bene-
fitted by this amount and that he did
wilully counsel, persuade aud abet
David Henry Lewis in so unlawfuly and
fraudulently misapplying the sum Of
$5,O25.
At two O'Clock Lieutenant Governor
Allen met his attorney and gave bonds
of $4,000 for his appearance at the
term of United States Circuit Court to be
held at Rutland in October.
In regard to the discrepancy of Sl0,-
600 between his claim of what the Aliens
owe the bank and what has been pub
lished that the bank claims they owe
$4,000, MIR. Allens says that it will be
satisfactorily explained when the time
comes to do so.
The lieutenant governor stoutly as
serts his innocence ofthe charge preferred
against him. He also stated that never
to his knowledge was he benefited by the
money obtained from the Burlington
Trust Company, but would not say
more as he did not court a newspaper
trial.
Publisher Ketchum was met in Bur
lington and arrested and put under
$4,000 bonds. These he was unable to
furnish and he was placed in the Chitten-
den county jail. Mr.. Ketchum denies
that he ever had any connection with
the Farmers National Bank. At pres
ent Representative Ketchum is proprie-
tor OF a newspaper plant, from which
several papers are published.
The work of investigating the condi-
ton of the Farmers Bank practically
has been completed, and it appears that
the total shortage is about $54, 1878.