The Washington herald., 1908-01-19

Chicago. Jan. B.-John r. Walsh is
fighting still He began fighting with
the world when he landed in Chicago in
lsi9. a lad of thirteen, from ireland. He
fought the newsboys that tried to drive
him from his ramshaclIle stand on Dear
born street. And in the end he made
them seek other locations
He fought with his first business part
ner when they started a new store. finally
driving him out. He entered politics and
finance as the years passed, and those
who got in his path he crushed.
To-day, after a jury that for the mo-
ment has heard the testimony OF how he,
as the financial and political despot OF
Chicago, wrecked the Chicago National
Bank, the Equitable Trust Company and
the Home Savings Bank. returned YER
dict finding him guilty on ifty-four OF
the $50 indictments. he met the decision
with a smile and Give up? Why, this
fight has just begun"
One juror for more than thirty hours
baffied with the others for a verdict of
aequittal In the end the mental strain
and loss of sleep broke his viii and he
voted with the others for conviction.
When this man. Ebert Palmer, by
name. and farmer near Harvard, H.
was compelled to stand up in the poll
of jury and tell the court that he con
CURED in the verdict, there We're tears in
his eyes, and the court could scarcely
hear his voice.
But Walsh? His face may have been
trihe pale, but in his eyes was the same
antagOnistic glare, and of all the throng
in the courtroom he was perhaps the
coolest
One Juror DemurFed.
His attorneys. led by John S Miller.
caught at the straw of the jurors hesita-
ton, and Judge Anderson finally had 10
have Palmer answer "a direct question
from him before they could be satisfied:
but Walsh took little interest. These
were details and details always annoyed
him That was the way throughout the
trial
The government had gone minutely into
his acts-the use Of 100000 after another
from the vaults for the exploitation Of
the railroad enterprises that were only a
part of the dream that Walsh had
dreamed.
He had looked over the valley of
the Mississippi. and he had builded in
his minds eye an empire OF steel that
should be greater than that Of a Hill
or a Hartman.
The governments attorneys showed
the jury the processes Of the memOr-
andum notes for hundreds OF thousands
at a time. the notes signed with other
mems names, the hundred and one de-
vices for using the money intrusted 10
his banks by depositors.
Every step of the way the battery
of legal talent employed by Walsh
contested with them. But when he
took the stand he admitted 1t all. II
was for the banks best interests. For
the country's best interests he said.
and would say no more. They could
believe him. or they could think him
a Napoleon of crookedness. but to all
appearances he caEed not. He would
stand by the ideas he had fought for
and fall with them if necessary.
The motion Tor a new trial viii De
argued January 2S Walsh expects to
win If not he will appeal If he
should lose the appeal he viii figure
out some other cause for fighting. But
go 10 prison2
To himself he may have admitted
the possibility, but TO others he does
not even confess it is possible,
Assured of Victory.
District Attorney Sims and Assistants
Dobbins and Chnds are elated over their
victory. They think the verdict will
stand. If it does. the law provides that
there shall he a penalty OF from five 10
ten years. This may apply concurrently
for all the counts, or il may be made
longer with $40 years as the extreme
limit
Judge Anderson will decide that after
he has ruled on the application for re-
hearing The testimony against Walsh
showed that he had used S. 100000 of the
money of his banks in promoting the
Southern Indiana, the Southern Illonois,
and several other railroads.
The crash came in 1905 when the Chi
cago Clearing House Association took
over the s., 100000 assets of the three
banks and agreed to meet all the deposi-
tors losses. Because none of them lost
il was contended that Walsh should so
free.
He is an old man. past seventy Pal
mer cOntended. "and / do not think it's
right
Palmer's hesitation in saying he con-
CURED in the verdict viii probably be
Uart in the aDDIicatiOu for a new trial