Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-13
Declares Green Noun tain Bank
Officers a Reckless Set
of People
CASES WE'RE WEAK, HOWEVER
In Defense Of Action on Part Of Lo-
cal Officials, 1t Should Be Borne in
Mind That Attorney General Was
Far From Confident That Evidence
Was Sufficient.

In communication to Des Moines
missal of the criminal cases against the
officers Of the Green Mountain Saw
ings bank, upon the payment in full OF
all claims outstanding against the
bank, including depositors, Auditor OF
State b. r. Carroll claims that at nc
time did he advise the dismissal OF the
cases.
In his communication Mr.. Carroll
says:
Il am glad to learn that the deposit
tors will receive the amount which
they had deposited with the bank, but
regard the officers of this institution
as being about as reckless a set of
people as have ever had to deal with
Their operations were not confined to
the Green Mountain bank alone.
Without ny criticism of the official
connected With this case. I must say
that mT own judgment Is, that assutn
ing th&t the charges could be sus-
tanned. Sthe prosecutions oIsn. ~ 1--we
been Maintained.
I'VE shave had too much tampering
with banks in the state already, and 1t
is my Judgment that persons who will
disregard the trust reposed in them by
depositors ought to suffer the penalty
of the law.
Il do not know whether the charges
against these people were such that
convictions could have been had or not.
and for that reason am not disposed
to pass criticism, but do wish to state
that I gave no encouragement to the
action that was taken,
Evidence Was insufficient.
Governor Elect Carroll thus takes q
stand before the public for law en-
forcement while the facts are as rep
resented by County Attorney Eyer
mayer that both the attorney general
and officials in the banking department
Of the auditors Office agreed with him
that the evidence in these cases was
weak in view OF certain statutes. TO
get the money back under the circum-
stances seemed wiser than to go skat-
ing into court on thin ice.
Particularly was this true in refer
ence to the cases agaist Edward L..
Collins and Miss Helen j. Edwards,
charging embezzlement. The perjury
charges against the banks OFFICIALS
were also lacking in important evil
dence, in the necessity of showing an
administration Of an oath. If the
ones most guilty, providing it were
established that there was wilful intent
to defraud, could not be successfully
prosecuted, it was the opinion of the
attorney general, his assistant, and the
county attorney, that it would avail the
state but little ito prosecute those
perhaps less guilty, who might have
shown, by their defense, to have been
urknowdngly the tools of Others, and
that while they technically violated the
law, the violation was not wilful Par
ticularly was this true If all the money
that was needed by the small depos-
itors were paid back, and all the court
and other costs satisfied.
State Auditor Carroll, probably feels
morally obligated. as governor elect of
Iowa, to take high ground in the ques-
ton of law enforcement and for that
reason SO declares himself. The con-
sultation on the part of the county at
torney was carried on largely with the
banking department of the state audi
tors office, and Mr., Egermayer de-
clares his step in dis1nissing the cases
was taken advisedly from that depart
ment.