The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-19
TRIED TO EVADE TRIAL
Il Will Go to Penitentiary if You
Testify Said to Be Lat
ter's Words.
SIGNING LABOR CHECKS
Laborer Gives Strange Evidence
of Work of the Bank
Officials.


pathetic picture as he sat upon the stand
yesterday in the trial OF Justus l.. Brod-
rick, who is charged with embezzlement
and sixty-three other offenses contributing
TO the ruin of the Indiana National Bank
Of Elkhart.
Mr.. Wright and Mr. Brodrick are friends
of long standing and the unhappy plight
OF the former as ne gave up the most dam
aging testimony against the defendant
touched many hearts in the courtroom.
BY the testimony of Mr. Wright, the
cause of ]. l.. Brodrick received blow
under which the Iatters attorneys were
helpless. Wright had endeavored by every
means to escape appearing in court as
witness and just previous to the serving
of the warrants left Elkhart and took
trip through Michigan.
However. he was followed and finally
subpoened and forced to appear in court.
Although ne had been heavy loser in the
Elkhart bank failure, his friendship for
Mr.. Brodrick had not wavered.
When first placed upon the stand. it was
evident that Wright was making every
effort to shield Brodrick. but when District
Attorney Healing pressed him sharply he
shrugged his shoulders wearily and made
clean breast OF relations between him
self and Brodrick The sensational feature
of Wright's testimony a conversation
which took place between himself and Brod-
rick Thursday noon at the Denison Hotel
when the latter charged him with having
gone out of his way to testify at the trial
and told him that his perjured evidence
would send him to the penitentiary.
CONVERSATION IN HOTEL.
Mr. Kealing asked Wright the last time
he nad seen Brodrick. He evaded the ques-
tion. Then Mr.. kealing asked him If it
was not yesterday noon that 6e had a talk
with Brodrick. 1t seemed for a minute that
Wright would break down, but he finally
answered yes. Healing then asked him to
tell what had been said by them.
Ills words punctuated with emotion,
Wright answered. II met Mr.. Brodrick at
the Denson Hotel yesterday noon. He said
that he wasn't feeling well. and that his
best friend in the world going back on
him. He said that If I persisted in giving
evidence he would be sent to the peniten-
t.ary, and / woulo be the one that sent him.
lie charged me with having gone out of my
way to appear witness in the trial"
What did you say to Brodrick?" asked
Mr. Keaiing.
Il told him that had tried to evade the
trial, and that If 1 could help it he would
not suffer from my testimony.
WAS any one else present when this con-
versation took placer" asked the prosecu-
tion.
Mrs Brodrick was present" replied
Wright.
Mr. Wright" continued Attorney Keal-
ing, will you tell the court about your
transaction of the Elkhart Paper Com
pany with Brodrick?
Il gave Brodrick two notes." testified
Wright, .ons for s.. 900 and one for $4,000 for
stock in the Elahart Paper Company.
why did Brodrick want you TO take
stock in the Elkhart Paper Company"
HE said that there was one of the stock
holders who wanted to sell the plant at a
rediculously low price and he asked me to
agree to buy. $500 in stock on condition
should not care to purchase the stock
formally.
When did you get the notes back?" :,
brought them to my home.
What did he say?
.He said There are your notes."
s1s that all he said?
THAT is all l can remember
STORY OF THE NOTES.
"Mr. Wright. to refresh your memory,
Sidn't Mr.. Brodrick say: L got them FROM
the bank and you replied, L didn't know
they were in the bank? .
1T is my impression that 1 did"
You really didn't have any stock in the
Elkhart Paper Company. then. 1t just ap-
peared that you did?''
Yes sir"
Mr.. Healing then questioned him about a
note CT 81 900 which he had given Mr.. Brod-
rick TO deposit in the Elkhart bank to the
credit of the Garden City Stationery COM
pany but which. 1t is charged. he sold
with three other notes. TO the Hamilton
National Bank of Chicago Mr.. Wright
said that he had given RIodrick the note
and IL had been recorded in his passbook
Attorney Spaan questioned Wright but
briefly as he did all the witnesses who
were on the stand yesterday afternoon. D..
C.. Thomas was then called TO the stand
again.
entry of the Garden City Stationery Com
entry of $l.o0o deposit on Nov. 3. He said
there was not.
rs there any entry from NOV until
the bank closed of $1,000 depost?
There is not, replied Thomas.
WAS there any difference between the
account on the pass book and that on the
There is difference of $1,000"
us there any record of sl.Oco deposit in
There is not" replied Thomas.
In whose handwriting Is the record in
the pass book?
u. l.. Brodrick-
There were many new Developments in
the trial yesterday afternoon. Eleven wit
nesSes Were on the stand, among them
Mrs. Fannie X. Thompson, who, as stock
holder of the Acme Cycle Company, lost
heavily by the bank failure; j. Walter
Brown. who Is charged on sixty-seven
counts as having been instrumental In
wrecsinS the bank. several of his stenog-
raphers and bookkeepers employed in the
defunct bank and several men with whom
Brodrick. Brown and Collins had had deal
ings-
STENOGRAPHERsS TESTIMONY
notable phase OF the trial was the trend
% tic te. tImony towards duplicating j.
Walter Brown in the financial chicanery.
The testimony OF BeryI Tousley. employed
in tse Consolidated Paper and Bag Com
pany as Browns stenoerapher. was TO the
effect that she had. at Browns request
made out many notes 10 the bank which
We're carried as assets. although they repre-
sentec nothing, Miss Tousley had no
money. She said she signed the notes be-
cause Brown told her TO. Her signature on
therz Was NJ. Il. Tousiey. She said that
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