Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-10-09

Cranston said the question was: Did
John F. Godding know-no, fear
that the bank was insolveat" lie
laid stress on the variou, outhur st.
against Goddirg by the spectators ::
the course of the trial. know ycu
will not be influenced by these dem.
onstration, in this courtroom, where
sutn things should not oc,nr." said
but by your sense Of right ans
Nr 'ng.
Those who make these d.nnn.-r.
:ions come and go. You may meet
'hem today or tomorrow. this week
or next. yet they will pass away. But
with your conscience there must be
a reckoning until the last day Of your
life"
Cranston likened "sick bank" to
4 SICK man-always thinking he is 60
ing to get we'll He figured that the
Fenton dry land. after paying out
S63, 900. which he considered necessary
to complete the improvements. would
return Sa4s.ooo. and that the Shelton
notes were amply secured by the land
Granting a $4,000 deficiency in small
notes of the bank and Expert Spen-
GERS deficiency of $4,000 in bank as
sets. Cranston figured that Godding's 8
ranch and coal lands would pay out
Attorney Stevenson's plea was the
last one for Godding. 1t opened the
afternoon session. He said that he
was not surprised at the demonstra-
tions against Godding in the court
room-that it was natural that dissat-
isfaction should exist among depos-
loss to Godding's patrons must not
hn eaL st,eN hxy
jury
Stevenson charged that organized
effort was afoot to depreciate the as
sets of the bank. so that they could
be bought in for S or 10 cents on the
dollar.
After reviewing how Godding had
become involved in the crash of 1895
following the boom days in the Ar
kansas valley. and how he had turn
cd over the "oid Godding homestead"
in Weld county to the bank. Steven
son confessed that no excuse was
sought for the false entries on the
banks books.
They should have been kept more
openly and honestly" he said. "Now.
Godding is not here seeking to hide
behind anybody. but he had nothing
to do with the kceping Of the books"
The way the Dells bonds were car
ricd on the books was not good bank
ing. Stevenson admitted. but he ar
gued that no dishonesty had been
shown.
The panic was held up before the
jury as an excuse for the bank going
to the wall.
Stevenson thought it shameful for
the state 20 put on the witness stand
men who were forced to bclittlc them
selves by tcstifying that they had no
property with which to secure their
notes.
"Don't send Godding to the peniten-
tiary because he made mistakes"
Stevenson concluded.
District Attorney White made the
traced the course of the. Fcnton loan.
and said:
"And vet Mr.. Godding. the defend
ant at the bar, says to you that al
though he became suspicious Of this
paper three years before he didn't
know that this bank was inso1vcnt"
The distric: attorney rcverting to 4
simile by Cranston cartier in the day,
cried:
when Goddirg knew that the bot
tom was ont Of his bank. that his
banking ship was in the waters Of in
soIvcncv he didn't act as an honest
man. He said to the people: Bring
on vour money"
Mr.. Goddiny was a director Of this
bank" the district attorney eSclaim-
ed. "Ycs. he directed the money of
the depositors from the vaults into
his own pocEcts.-
Did Godding take $1,000 of the
Seo.eSI OF the Dells bonds and give
the dcpositors the rest, No. sir. he
took the whole amount. although he
testified tina, forty-fivc of tho seventy
bonds belonged to the hank"
II was remarkable thino. White
said. referring to the coal land deal.
for an individual to sell his own prop
crty to himself as trustee and pay for
IL ont Of his trust funds.
White pointed out that the inter
est on the $4,000 false charge to the
Bankers National would amount to
more than $4,000 If compounded. but
not Il cent OF interest ever was paid
on Goiding's purrortcd $4,000 note,
he said.
bank iailed:" the district attorney de
naricd.
Goddirg testified that $4,000 of the
DclIs bonds went into the bank to
settle his indebtedness. but White
pointed out that on the date Of the
transaction Gnddinc was credited
with $4,000. instead OF having his
notes taken Up.
And so It went for three hours
White hammcring homo tic evidence
of Godding's peculiar banking meth.
ods until $50 o'clock. when the case
was given to the jury.
1t took only one ballot to reach the
verdict. II was taken about 6:so
o'clock Before that hour the jury
pa.scd 'hc time between getting tn,
case until sroper in clcctirr a fore
wan. William Norm was selected
The verdict was I've. the jury. find