Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-01

separate indictments chief among winch
was that accusing Kctchum OF making
| false entries on the books when clerk in
the bank knowing them to he false and
an injury to that institution. Another
charged him with aiding and abetting
Cashier Lewis in these matters and this
charge said Gov. Ormsbcc does not neces-
state that the respondent be proven to
| have been n clerk at the bank. He said no
dissent had been made to the charge that
the false entries on which indictment nine
was found at the May term, 1901, was In
the handwriting of the respondent. At the
October term 1901 he was indicted for maxi
ing 70 false entries in posting the checks of
j. j. Quinlan to the ledger by lowering the
amounts on the journal when placing them
on the ledger. These items the respondent
did not deny were in his handwriting
There were other entries when posting on
the NJ. +. Allen and Qunlan accounts, the
amounts were made much larger than the
deposits warranted. mo answer Is made
to the Checks" said Mr.. Ormsbee. save
that while he made the entries he did
not know he was doing wrong. Although,
| he says. 1t is in my handwriting l am as
innocent as a babe unborn. one of two
things will be found here to-day. Either
this respondent is guilty of the crimes
charged or else he is an idiot Of the first
class.
In arguing further along this line the
speaker remarked, although he is bust
ness man and has turned the world bot
| tom side up, has been deep in this and
run deep in that he says he never sus-
| pected anything was wrong"
| The two other indictments for aiding
and abetting Lewis in abstracting the
money and for obstractng himself the
items mentioned, were discussed at some
length at the close OF which Mr.. Ormsbee
said: "Ketchum easily made uses of the
| opportunity to get money from the dupli-
i $4,000. II you gentlemen of the jury had a
1 boy 10 years old and he passed through all
this and didn't know that the devil was in
1 1t with both horns sticking out and his
lamp filled and burning. you'd say YOU had
made something you didn't want to raise.
1t wouldn't be worth raising. You'd turn
1t out to grass"
This abominable practice OF duplicating
the checks was begun when the respond
I ent went into the bank and ended when he
: left it. 1t Is so shown by the silent wit
nesses Yet he says l am a poor lamb;
i / know nothing about 1t and didn't suspect
I my hand was in It from the wrist to the
l fingers. yet i intended no fraud. Gentle
men it's as plain as the ear marks You
I put on your cattle when you turn them
out in the spring.
| The speaker said that Lewis stands con-
demncd and the government makes no ex-
cuse for him. He was even dealing In
|
| and was not in this so-called smaller mat
ter, although It amounts to a large sum
in the aggregate He was rowing in other
pastures"
In speaking OF the padding" Governor
i Ormsbee said: This is a name given &c
one of the works of the devil in financial
l institutions. Its the way Of wronging
somebody out of what belongs to them
of defrauding them. Its a good word. Elk
4 pressive and at the same time in no way
| offensive"
i In another connection the speaker in
structed the jury to take their law from,
the court and not from what he or any.
body else says. Ketchum, he said. duplicat-
ed checks amounting to $15,992g2 and in
connection with the entries OF Lewis and
Hill to the amount of Sc, S32 80 Some items
appeared two. three, four, five, and one
item even seven times in Ketchum's hand
writing He gave instances where checks
were recharGed from one day to another
until 1t seemed as though these blasting
checks would never die. They were always
at hand and always in use"
In conclusion he told of the respondent
success a business man and inquired
why he should go into the bank at 81.
. a day under these circumstances. Tn,
argument was ended at 1890 o'clock
, LAWYER CUSHMANS DEFENCE.
At 1870 o'clock Mr. Cushman began hi.
opening argument for the defense. He ad
; mtted there would be little conflict re
garding who made the entries in question
and as to the falsity. He said that g;
t great volume of this cussednoss has beer
( laid before you for the purpose of magni
= flying what doesn't need magnfying." Mr.
Z Cushman told of the banks shortage o
, about SIPS 90, of which sum only about
900, 1t was claimed. had been manipu
, lated by Ketchum. Where, he inquired IL
tho remaining money?"Mr. Plat foundth a
early In 1892 false entries had been mad,
on the Allen account and this was befor,
ever check was recharged and befor
Ketchum came there. He gave several in
stances Of crooked work before Ketchun
l came to the bank while he was in the banl
and after he left the institution and al
in the handwriting of Lewis. He saiC
Lewis had manipulated the accounts ant
! needed to make false entries to balanc,
them up.
Speaking of the $4,000 which was force,
directly on Aliens account before Ketchun
! came into the bank, the attorney said 4
was only preparation for a campaign O
false entries and defalcations.
mo new era d8wned on the Farmers
National hank so far as the manipulation
of Aliens account after Ketchum went II
e there. So far as 1t was changed David II
Lewis changed his method of operations
\ 1t wouldn't be safe to continue the SAM
way forever" After telling how Levi
had fooled President Dunshee and othe
directors as to the banks shortage Mr.
cushman said: IF any person In the banl
could protect and take care of himself b,
tho maupulations 1t was the ex-cashier
And thief Will never allow another maj
to steal from him."
In comparing the positions and the cir
cumstances under which the responder