The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-12-16
PARRISH TRIAL
BEGETS INTEREST
Sensational Features De-
veloped at Start.
DAMAGING TESTIMONY GIVEN
Against Former OwensbOro
Bank 0fficial-Pathetic
Stories Tod.

The trnl of James II. Parrish
charged with receiving money on de-
post in the Owensboro Savings Bank
and Trust Company, of which he was
President when TIE bank was insol-
vent, has been in progress at Halves
willie, KY, the past week.
There are three Republicans and
nine Democrats on the jury. Five
belong to no church, two are Baptists
two are Methpdists, two are Cumber-
land Pnesbyterians and one is a Cath
Ollie. The accused, having long been
the chief pillar of the Baptist church
in Greensboro and the founder of The
Third Baptist church, the largest con-
gregaticn and the one having the fin
est auditorium in the State, the
church affihation of the jury is con-
siderth important.
The opening features OF the tria
were If the most interesting and SEN
sational character.
County Attorney c. NJ. Finn, of Ow-
Nensboro, who is very active in assist
ing Prosecuting Attorney Ben D. Rim
60 in the prosecution, made TIE open
ing statsment to the jury, telling wha'
the Commonwealth would prove. He
gave a recital of his proof expectan-
cies, that exceeded the stories already
published. He declared In strongest
terms TRAIT TIE bank was insoluent on
April 10, 1908, and long before, and
that tie fact was WILL known to
James H. Parrish, its president For
weeks. he said, tire bank had closed
at night with less than 1900 cash In
it's vaults or safe, though its books
showed 81 900 900 of liabilities, as de-
posts by the people.
TEE law permitted loans OF only a
certain amount to one man, but this
had been violated repeatedly by pres
ident Parrish, WHO had allowed his
several brothers to borrow indiscrimi-
nately and they we've all insolvent
said Mr.. Finn The law required re-
ports to be made ct the banks con-
'dition at frequent intervals and In or
der to make good showing In tfese
reports the notes of men who had
been adjudged bankrupt fer several
years were counted as valuabla as
sets, and large amounts Of cash
wrapped securely tad been borrow
ed temporarily from other Greensboro
banks and carried to his bank and
hdld in 1t only long enough to be
counted as assets of the bank and then
returned with, tie wrapping unbroken.
James H. Paris and +. s. Ander-
son, Of the Daiess County Bank and
Trust Company, which had soon after-
ward failed, had used each others
papers for thousands as cash assets to
make a good showing in the required
reports.
Mr.. Finn went into detailed enum
GRAFTON of the many corporations, min
ing and manufacturing, promoted by
Mr.. Parrish and i'm which he was
stakeholder, director and officer and
to which he had loaned without secur-
sity very large sums of money, and 1t
was a most remarkable circumstance
that not a single one of all these
enterprises with which Mr.. Parrish
had been connected had escaped bank
ruptcy.
The first witness was DR.. Ben L..
Bruner, Secretary Of State, who show
ed and read articles and amended ar
ticles of incorporation and also the
reports of the bank Immediately pre-
.ceeding is failure.
l.. Courtney, formerly OF Ovens
boro, but now Of Louisville, was next
examined. He was receiving teller
Of the failed bank. He gave facts as
TO the Indebtedness of himself and
two brohhars to the bank for borrowed
money in the sum OF $4,000. though
he had ns property and he did not
know what they had. He said J. H.
Parrish had told him when to receive
and when to refuse deposits. The
Martin deposit on which this indict-
ment is based was received before the
order to refuse deposits had been
given by Mr.. Parrish
William II. Martin testified as to
ibe particular deposit of t1sO made