The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-02
Thought He Could Corner the Whole Cotton Market
 lofthe World"
DETAILS OF REGULATION
 LAID BEFORE THE JURY
Former Paying Teller of the First Ma. tionaI Bank Charged With Embez- clement of $1oo,ooo-Har-
 ding First Witness.

| embezzlement of sloO.Oo0 from the First National bank of this city, was begun in the United States court yesterday morn ing before Judge Oscar R. Hundley Lit tie time was lost in preliminarles and during the day the witnesses for the prosecution were rapidly examined and the governments case was nearly con cluded when court adjourned at 5:30 o'clock
 As announced on the preceding day. the plea of the defense was stated to be en- tirely based on the claim that the de- fendant was acting upon an insane delu- sion at the time the peculations were committed and was not responsible for his acts. In the words of Capt. Frank s. White, counsel for the defense, Alex ander R. Chisolm had delusion that he could control the cotton market of the world and labored under the influence of a mysterious power-delusions of grandeur-that possessed him." Captain White declared that the defendant, un- der these circumstances, had not the mental capacity to understand the re- sponsibillty of his actions.
 Defendant Surrounded By Family.
 When court was called to order the de- fendant was in court, accompanied by his father, mother, two sisters and three brothers. The defendant appeared physi- cally well, but looked downcast, and all during the proceedings kept his eyes upon the table in front of him, with no evidence of interest in the testimony of the witnesses.
 Some time was consumed in weeding out the jury, each side exhausting the three challenges allowed and three others Of the jury were excused on account of Illness Two more jurors pleaded indis- position. but 1t was not considered se- rious enough by the court to disqualify them.
 The jury is composed of the following: B. W. Evans, w. J. Pate, R. S. Hickman, J. E. Turner, B. P. Tingle, John Johns, J. B. Mace, Tram Jones. J. E. Hyche, F. P. Alexander, T. s. Atkins and James Copeland
 indictment Read to Jury.
 All the witnesses in the case were sworn in, but were not put under tho rule Attorney Lee Bradley, for the gov ernment. read the indictment to the Jury charging Alexander R. Chisolm with mis- approprating $1OO,O0O of the funds of the First National bank The indictment contained forty-seven counts and was not read in full. by consent of the defense, only the various sections being read in which the counts were different.
 Captain White spoke for the defense, saying that he would not deny that the defendant took the money. He claimed, however, that in doing so he labored un- der an insane delusion and was not re- sponsble for his acts. He further said that the evidence would show that the defendant had not used the money for himself but had replaced in the bank all of his profits by his transactions. This, he said, showed that it was not the in- tention of the defendant to defraud but was the result of "delusion of gran deur"
 Harding Is First Witness.
 President w. P. G. Harding, of the First National ban-A, was the first wit ness called He testified that he had been a resident of Birmingham for twen- ty-one years and mad been president of the First National bank for five years. He reviewed Chisolm's connection with the bank, saying that he entered the service of the bank in 1901 and had served in various capacities, being finally pro- mo.ed to the position of paying teller in 1905.
 Mr. Harding explained the duties of the paving deller and his relations to the of ficials and employees of the bank, show ing to the jury by means of blue prints and photographs the position of the bank vault and the compartments occupied by the tellers and bookkeepers as they existed in July, 1906.
 The cash books of the bank were ex- hibited and MT. Harding showed how they were kept and the manner of balane- ing the accounts of the paying teller each day. A - MT. Harding said that Chisolm had a master key to the inner vault, but he could not open all the compartments for keeping the money without one of the keys which another employe held. He said that Chisolm handled daily from to 6 per cent of the banks total assets, which was from s500,0O0 to SSOo,oo0 in cash and checks.
 Explains Change Tickets.
 In giving the details by which the shortage was covered up, even from the bank examiners, MT. Harding explained the enlarge tickets" which were shown to have been made by Chisolm on differ ent occasions. These charge tickets, he said, were equivalent to certificates of de- posit, but paying teller had no authority to make them out without the signature of one of the bank officials.
 MT. Harding told of Chisoim's vacation which began on July 31, 1906. He first | learned that a shortage existed on Au- gust !. On counting the cash there was | found on hand that day $694 20, when there should hvae been s7s4,22s.2O. The deficit was found to exist in the reserve box, which was found to contain only s25 600 in currency and $25ooo in gold | instead of a total of $l50,0oo
 The return of Chisolm on the morning | of August 13 was detailed very graph. cally by MT. Harding. and the meeting at the office of MT. Percy in the Firsi | National bank building at o'clock ir | the morning was related In full. There | Chisolm was confronted by the bank of | dcials and when the letters and docu