Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-19
.GED BANKER
WALSH GUILTY
ON 81 COUNTS
ONE JUROR PLEADS IN VAIN
FOR DEFENDANT
DRAMATIC SCENE WITNESSED IN
COURT ROOM
Former President of Big Chicago In-
stItutlon Faces Heavy Sem
tence for MlsappIylng
Funds
By Associated Press.

BY ASSoclateu Etoss.
CHICAGO, Jan. 1s.-John r. Walsh,
former president of the Chicago National
hank which closed it's doors in Decem-
her 1905. was found guilty today on
ffty-four counts of the indictments
against him, charging misapplication OF
the banks funds.
The verdict was returned by jury
in the federal district court here. Walsh
was permitted to remain at liberty under
the bond furnished by him after the
Indictment had been returned against him
one year ago to a day, pending the hear
ing of arguments on January S on
motion by his counsel for new trial.
The penalty fixed by the statutes for
the offense of which the aged hnancler
was convicted is imprisonment Tor not
less than five years nor more than ten Tor
each count upon which his guilt was
found.
Dramatic Scene in Court
The reading was followed by scene
Intensely dramatic. When the jury was
polled at the request of Attorney John
r Miller of counsel for the defense El-
bert Palmer, juror from Harvard, lll.'
was overcome by emotion and Wept as
he signified his acquiescence in the hno-
ing He sat with head bowed upon his
hands during the preliminary proceeo-
ings and failed to rise to his feet as the
others had done to reply to the interro-
cation by the clerk, was thls' anu 10
this now your verdictY
A bailiff touched his arm when his turn
to answer came. He apparently had not
heard the question, and 1t was repeated
Palmer rose and stood unsteadily, with
ewes downcast and muttered something
unlntelligible to the court and attorneys
Under prompting by Judge Anderson the
iuror then replied with apparent effort
fba fpar pnlITSed down
cheeks "Yee, under the instructions as
[ understand them.
When the poll was completed Painef
was questioned further by the court at
the request Of Attorney Miller ana IN
answer to the question previously put to
him. replied;
n have to say yes"
Palmer Delayed Verdict
1t developed later that Palmer was
largely responsible for the long delibera-
fion of the Jury So insistent was he
that Walsh be acquitted that he forced
his fellow jurors TO take separate ballots
on every one of the, 150 counts in the
indictment.
''He is such an old man-over 70 years
is sad to have been the constant plea
of Palmer. He was technically guilty,
but none of his depositors lost, and what
is the use of sending an old man to
upon the other jurors time after ime
He is said to have wept at times .H me
Jury room as he begged the others 10
consider the age of the defendant and
have compassion.
walsh the subject of his compassion,
who sat at a table surrounded oy ms
ATTORNEYS. appeared less moved by the
result OF the long trial than almost any
hodv else concerned. He was imme-
diately surrounded by a score Of per-
sonal friends, who pressed forward TO
offer words of sympathy and encourage
ment. To these he made brief replies,
smiling family as he shook the prof.
fered HANDS.
Appealed to for an expression of opinion
as to the finding he said: THE fight has
Just begun. 1 have nothing further to
say"
Jury Out Thirty-six Hours
Almost Immediately he left the court
room. The verdict was the result Oh
nearly thirty-six hours deliberation on
the part of the jurors. After having re-
tired at p m. Thursday there was no
indication that decision was near until
o'clock this morning, when request
for pen and paper was followed by the
announcement that a verdict had been
reached. This, however, was all that
was positively known until the announce
ment was made in court.
The reading was followed by a mouoh
by Attorney Miller for new trial. Judge
Anderson granted permission for filing
of the motion, and said that the attorney
would be permitted to make the formal
application later, and that he would listen
to arguments on the same on January q.
Soon after the verdict had been an
nounced District Attorney Simms tele-
graphed the result of the trial to the
United States comptroller of the cur
rency, and received the following reply
from IT, P. Kane, acting comptroller
salutary warning that banking laws can
not be violated with impunity, no matter
what may be the size of the bank or
standing of a banker in the community"
The district attorney estimated that the
trial had cost the government 100000.
The district attorneys office was en-
gagged nearly year in preparing the case.