Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-05-03
n. G. POTTER, M,DDLEsuRv. VT.
kETCHUM CONVICTED.

sentenced TO serve seven Years in Chit
tenden County Jail.
John w. ketchum, Vergennes' repre-
sentative IN the legislature and ex-pub-
Usher OF newspapers, was on Friday
after four days trial, found guilty on two
counts of completely in wrecking the
Farmers National bank of Vergennes,
the jurors remaining in elaboration only
eight minutes. The verdict, delivered
late in the afternoon at the federal court
room In Rutland, was heard by a large
number of people, apparently the least
moved of which was the prisoner at the
bar. Although the verdict came like a
slap in the face, he did not finch. and to
the end maintained the nonchalant air
which marked his bearing from the first.
His wife was in the adjoining room
when the verdict was pronounced and
she too bore up bravely under the blow.
The session Friday was almost entirely
given up TO arguments In the case and
the Judges charge. The former were
more condensed than was anticipated
and in all cases were strong and earnest.
The defense was solely that the false
entries although made by the respondent,
were not made with criminal knowledge
or intent on his part. Lewis, the ex-
cashier, was repeatedly assailed and
pictured as the unscrupulOus rascal who
deceived intentionally the unsuspecting
youth, ketchum.
The prosecution maintained that the
respondent was no fool and could not
have made the confessed entries as he did
without discovering the dishonesty it
yelled. The famous Currey-Ketchum
interview was referred to by all the
attorneys and the discrepancy in the
testimony regarding it was emphasized
by the respondents counsel. The prose-
cutiOn made little of the interview, ex-
cept as it bore on the other evidence,
which the government claimed was
alone sufficient to convict.
Saturday morning, within a few min
utes of each other, Lieut.-Gov. Martin F.
ALEU- of North FerrisbuIgh and
ketchum stood at the prisoners bar in
the United States Court room, the former
to be acquitted and the latter to be sem
fenced to prison for seven years. On
the train which bore Prisoner ketchum
in the officers custody to his cell in the
Burlington Jail rode the lieutenant.gov-
ernor free at last of the charges which
had threatened him for the preceding
twelve months. His eXoneration was
complete, the Judge in summing up the
case acQutting him of any criminal
knowledge and directing the jury to re-
turn the subsequent verdict mot
guilty" Before the governors friends
had ceased to shake his hand in congrat-
ulation ketchum sat with downcast eyes
in the prison pen while the court pro-
nounced sentence upon him. With his
counsel he had made hard fight for
liberty and throughout the trial had pre-
sented brave front to every assault of
the prosecution. AT the sound of the
iury's verdict, however, his spirit seemed
TO leave HIM and while the decree of the
court was being spoken, he heard as in
the apathy of despair, nervously twisting
his fingers and rarely lifting his heads.
The REGISTERS report of last week
closed Wednesday evening with Ketch-
um on the stand. Thursday, the fourth
day of the trial, was by far the most in
terestng, and not the least feature was
the description brought out in the cross
examination of the respondent of his
career In Vergennes. The story of his
meteoric rise from abiect poverty to the
heights of wealth and power as told
sounded like a romance and his rapid
downfall leaving him In bankruptcy and
following soon after the bank closed
was made more picturesque by the con-
trast. The respondent was subjected to
an unusually stiff cross-examination.
Not once did he lose the nonchalant air
which he has affected since the trial
started.
In the afternoon an alleged confession
of guilt made by ketchum was intro
duced by the government in rebuttal
after 1t was sworn to by the president t
the bank and another man. The re-
spondent on the stand emphatically de-
MED it. The progress of the case was
watched by crowded court room es-
pecially while the respondent was under
the district attorneys fire.