The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-14

rose, spoke a few words to his attorneys
and then joined his wife and their friends,
talking to them for several minutes. AFTER
they had filed out of the courtroom he
returned and again consulted his attor-
neys, during which time Mrs. Brown ana
Mrs. Briggs, with arms about each other
and their eyes wet with tears. walked TO
and fro in the court corridor. Shortly att
erward the party left the building and re-
TUNED to their hotel. At no time did Brown
betray sign of excitement or nervousness
although his face bespoke his terrible dis
appointment
After the verdict had been read Judge
Anderson asked the defense If it wished to
file motion for a new trial and MI
ketcham replied that IL did, saying that
its attorneys would be prepared 10 ME III Dy
Friday. If the new trial is granted II Will
again be before the Federal Court. If, how
ever, ii is not granted, the case will be ap-
pealed to the United States Circuit Court.
Judge Anderson did not impose sentence
on Brown last night. 1t is postponed Tor
several days, at which time sentence VIII
cashier, and Justus l.. Brodrick, former
president of the Elkhart bank, who have
previously pleaded guilty. The terms will
be not less than five years and not more
than ten years in the government prison at
Leavenworth, Kan.
The charges upon which Brown was &C
quilted were those relating TO the making
of false entries. The fact that he was not
found guilty on these counts, however,
does not affect the limits of his sentence:
The main counts upon which he was found
guilty were those charging him with the
abstraction OF notes and the misapplca-
ton of moneys of the bank
IN JURY'S HANDS.
The case of Walter Brown went into the
hands of the Jury shortly before 1 o'clock
yesterday afternoon and from that time
until almost o'clock it deliberated the evil
dence as massed by both sides. Argument
in the long case ended yesterday morning
at 1870 o'clock when District Attorney
Healing in a fiery and vigorous speech
turned the last fire upon Brown. Judge
Anderson then read his instructions 20 the
jury, concluding at 1890 o'clock. few
minutes later the jurors were led into the
jury room.
crowd of newspaper men and those inter
ested i'm the outcome of the trial awaited
the verdict in the courtroom. AT O'Clock
Judge Anderson gave out word that there
would be no call of court until o'clock,
at which time the courtroom was fairly well
filled
The trial of Walter Brown was one of
the hardest-fought trials that has come up
in the Federal Court for years. 1t was
begun Monday, March IS, and from that
time until the verdict read last night
the case was fought out inch by inch.
Throughout the whole trial Brown carried
himself with complete composure and self
control and every effort to find the least
trace of nervousness or weakening in the
face of overwhelming accusations and
charges has failed
PLEAS OF ASSOCIATES.
The Elkhart Bank cases began in Fed
eral Court four weeks ago last Monday,
when Wilson l.. Collins. cashier of the
wrecked Indiana National Bank of Elk
hart, entered his plea of guilty to all
charges of his indictment except that of
embezzlement, which was nollied. The trial
of Justus L. Brodrick, president of the bank,
began the following day and for eight
days was fought against overwhelming evil
dence. On the ninth day, Brodrick threw
up the fight and also entered plea of
guilty to all the SiXty-five counts of his
indictments. However, he maintains that
he is not guilty of the charge of embeZzle-
ment and will make a statement before the
court when he appears for his sentence.
| Throughout the two trials Of both Brod-
rick and Brown, the consensus of opinion
was that the men would be convicted so
| strongly and undeniably was the evidence
presented by District Attorney Joseph Keal-
| ing and his assistant, j. j. Nj. La Toilette.
| Healing, who had spent weeks in working
| up the case, time and again sent damaging
| testimony straight into the face of Brown
| and handled the case with such tact and
| swiftness that every blow seemingly went
home.
On the cross-examination he was very
| brief, but i'm his few questions he brought
| out points that he could not have done with
| equal force in direct examinations. Ever
| alert, neither Healing nor his assistant
| La Toilette, failed when given an oppor-
! tunity to throw the testimony of the de-
| Tense to the favor of the prokecution. In
| his closing argument yesterday morning
Healing made a specially strong presenta-
tions, in which he struck straight from the
shoulder, pounding out with repeated en-
phasis the points of the evidence against
| Brown. 1t the general opinion that
| his closing argument went far in clinching
the case for the government.