Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-13
District Attorney Martin Says
Government Has No Evidence
Against Him.
KETCHUM CASE POSTPONED.
Request Granted on Account Of Mrs.
Kstchums Illness Allen Asked For
Trial But Government Said T. Had
noCase at Present-W Ill Await
Trial of Ketchum.

Rutland. Feb. H.. The present term Of
the United states Circuit and District
Court came to an end quite Unexpectedly
this morning after some quite unusual
proceedings, adjournment being taken un'
til April 18th in this city 1t was fully OK
lccted that the cases egs inst j. w. Netch
UNI and NJ. f. Allen, charged with com
rhcity in wrecking the Farmers National
bank Of Vergennes, would re tried At th's
session The government had its witnesses
ready including Mr.. Mccormick from the
Co,nptroiler's office at washington and
wanted to try the Ketchum case but MS
attorneys asked a continuance on account
Of the illness of Mrs. KGtchum and 1t was
granted.
for Lieut.. Gov. Allei. demanded the tria
Of the case against him. This demand was
fcllowed by a statement from the prose
cutting attorney that tho government had
at present no case against Mr.. Allen and
lie made q statement which practically
vindicates Allen of all charges against
him. He said that he had not only given
the case his close personal attention. but
had employed Ex-Gov. T.. J. Ormsbee ia
assist him and they could not find airy evil
clence on which to begin a Il ial agains.
rim.
r. w. Maloney of this city. who has
been engaged as counsel in the Allen case
in connection with Seneca Haselton of
Burlington and +. S. Plat of Poultney in
making a demand for an Immediate trial
said in part:
THE respondent in this case was in
oicted at the May term of the grand jury,
were also Messrs. Lewis and Ketchum.
The respondent has since caused an in
restigation to be made as IL result of
which it has been found that the funds
were taken from the bank not by the re-
spondent hut by a duplication of lis
checks. This was done by a scheme which
shows that he could have had no possible
knowledge of 1t. This investigation has
without doubt disclosed the entire in
nocence of MIR. Allen in the case.
1t has been noised about the country
that this case has been continued from
time to time on the request of Mr.. Allen,
AS we'll rs others perhaps. Now all these
things give the world the idea that Mr..
things off and we think it is right that
our true feelings should be disclosed
through the press or otherwise
Our senior counsel, Seneca Haselton,
is not here as he understood that the
Ketchum case was to be tried first. He
can be secured in short time however,
If necessary. We do not want this AFFAIR
TO be put off too long but we are willing
to rest reasonable time it seems best
to the court. AS the transactions point
towards Mr.. Aliens entire innocence and
the trial will give the respondent a chance
&c Vindcate himself We think il is time
to let the blame and fault rest where it
should"
In answer to this demard for an nine q.
date trial the district ATTIC ii,y sail:
Il had Informed the ootnscl FOR the de-
Tense some time since that tho Eetchum
case would be tried first. WHY" Because
II was apparent on the banks be ok when
tie Indictment was found that Alien :
az count had been increased fctitiously by
nearly $1,000. Since that time the govern
nent has emplo: cd the best expert ac-
countant sent from Washington ami the
respondent had employed the best expert
accountant in Vermont and their eX-
Hn'inations show that Gov Allen did not
lroft a dollar, but that he was injured by
these entries For instance on a certain
day we lind his check drawn for SOL II
Whit h went TIL ougE the bank in regular
CIDER, say on July End. and two days later
the Same check is charged to him again
Two or three days later the same ,reck
Is charged again. Later this check is
charged the fourth time" He stated that
after eight months of investigation the
Cover nment was unable to bring any evil
dcnce On which to bass a cAsc
Then. ii is understood that Governor