Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-14
OFFICERS OF
LOOTED BANK
GETNO MERCY
INCREASE BAIL OF BARTNETT
AND BROWN
COTTON SECURITIES SOLD TO
eouLDs, IS REPORT
Men Held Responsible for Wrecking
California Safe Deposit and Trust
Company Must Raise 100000
Each or Stay in Jail
Bv Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13.-Assistant
District Attorney William Hoff Cook, who
has been investigating the affairs of the
insolvent California Safe Deposit and
Trust company, declared today that he
believed the securities of the Cotton
estate, valued at $2O5,0OO which had been
deposited with the institution and whose
mysterious disappearance was revealed
by the failure of the bank, were sold to
the interests of George ]. Gould in New
York.
Walter j. Bartnett, director Of the
trust company and until he resigned
few days agoo general counsel and vice
president of Gould's new Western Pacific
railroad, was the special administrator
for the Cotton estate and deposited them
with the California Safe Deposit and
Trust company.
Bartnett, with j. Dalzel Brown, gen.
eral manager, and David F. Walker, pres
ident of the bank, are under arrest on the
charge of embezzlement as result of the
disappearance of the securities Brown is
in the city prison and Bartnett has been
at liberty on a DonQ Tor SiO,VVV.
Increases Bail of Both
Judge Dunno, in the superior court this
afternoon, upon request of District Attor-
ney Cook, raised the bail of Brown and
Bartnett from $4,000 to 100000.
Cook declared that evidence in his pos
session and information gained from
personal investigation of the affairs OF
the bank justified the raising of the bail
to 100000, the amount originally fixed by
Judge Dunno, but reduced to $4,000 upon
request of the defendants and with the
consent of the district attorney.
II believe there is not the slightest
doubt about the guilt of Brown and Bart
nett" said Cook to the court.
THAT'S sufficient-thats enough" quick
ly interposed Hiram w. Johnson. attorney
for Brown mo other evidence or tes-
tlmony is necessary. l presume, your
honor. that will close this inquiry. They
are guilty says the district attorney, he
added sarcastically.
your office is given to convicting people
before they are placed on trial., said "A.
A. Moore, jr., one of Bartnett lawyers
turning to Cook.
Judge Dunno held the district attorney
was not compelled to state his ground for
asking the bail to be increased, and
granted the request.
Brown Goes Back to Jail
Brown was returned to the city prison.
NOT being able to get a bond for $4,000,
he apparently did not think 1t worth while
irving to get one for the larger amount.
BARNETT accompanied by his wife and
two detectives, spent the entire afternoon
endeavoring to get bond for the ad-
ditional S125, 900. When the two defendants
came up for arraignment at 10 O'CLOCK TINS
morning Cook made his demand that the
l.u - ;noraased IInOn reuIleSt of Bart
nett action was deferred by the court
until o'clock, at which time the bail was
raised and the preliminary hearing set
for next Monday morning.
The intervening time was utilized by
Brown, who has been confined In the city
prison, in visiting his invalid wife at his
home and getting a new suit of clothes.
AS the banker came out of Judge
Dunne's court room in the Temple Sheriff.
Israel he was accosted in the corridor by
r. d. Shadbourne, heavy depositor In
the insolvent bank, who called him
"scoundrel" and a thief" who "ought to
be ashamed to look an honest man in the
face"
r, rtnett, in an interview, declared he
was innocent OF the removal OIL lne HISS
ing securities.
'The securities were sent by me to the
California Safe Deposit and Trust COM
pany from Washington" he said
81 have two receipts for them. One is
signed by j. Dalzell Brown, general man
ager, and James Coming, secretary. The
other, which is later one, is signed by
President David F. Walker and Mr.. Com
ming. Both have the seal of the corpora
tion on it, Aside from these receipts that
I have the express company has a re-
ceipt, given by the bank officials when the
securities were delivered.
'"The charge that the securities were
sold to Mr.. Gould is absolutely false.
had no part in their removal and no
knowledge of it. The securities were de-
posited with the California Safe Deposit
and Trust Company by order of the su-
rerior court of Santa Cruz. could not
have removed them If had desired with
out an order from the court"
Bartnett spent the afternoon at the
office of his attorneys and was busy tele-
phoning or friends whom he expected to
come to his assistance. He did not meet
with any success, however, as several OF
the people he sought were absent from
the city. rartnett then telephoned to
the security companies He was told that
the omoar.es would willingly furnish
him with the required bond for 100000,
provided he could furnish sufficient
amount of solid collateral as security.
This Bartnett was not in a position to
promise tonight, and sharply at O'Clock
the detectives notified him that he must
retllrn to t. jail.