The San Francisco call., 1909-09-18
TESTIMONY SHOWS
METHODS WERE LAX
More Evidence of Faulty Book
Keeping During Bantel's
Administration
Trial OF ]. c. Tonlalty Indicates
That Business Was Done
in Loose Fashion

Testimony pointing in many respects
to the employment of lax methods in
the handling of public funds in the
treasurer's Office under Treasurer
Bantel was introduced yesterday in
Judge Lawlor's court by both the
prosecution and defense in the case of
former Chief Book Keeper James C.
Iomalty. who is accused of falsifying
entries to cover shortages in funds.
Frank B. Lorigan, whose cross ex-
animation and redirect examin-
ation We're concluded yesterday
declared under fire of questions that
II he gave Tomalty a wrong total for
entry IN the general ledger at the close
or any days business he would cor
rect it by a deduction or addition to
the total in his own books the day fol-
lowing, in order that the balance should
coincide with the actual cash balance.
Lorlgai admitted to Assistant District
Attorney Harrison that he was very
friendly to Tomalty, that he had called
on him in jail since his arrest, that he
had endeavored to secure bail for him
and that his two sons had sat with
Tomalty while he was testifying
Thursday.
CARELESS METHODS
David Davis. former chief deputy
under Bantel, was recalled to the
stand. He was shown four bail de-
mands which were stamped and paid
in the .treasurer's Office April 16. 1906,
and which he was forced to admit were
not audited and delivered from the aud
itor's Office until the following day
April II. He acquiesced in the ex-
planation suggested by Harrison that
Cashier O'Connor of the treasurer's
department had failed to change the
date of his filing stamp.
Attorney Choynski of the defense
followed this up by inquiring if de-
mands had been paid at certain times
which had not been audited and the
witness admitted that such was the
case. He said that he knew of such
things happening by mistake but that
the cashier was charged up with such
amounts and protected himself later
by having the mistake reetified or the
demands audited.
THE CASH TAILED
c. B. Perkins, at present chief dep
uty under Treasurer McDougald, tes-
titled that the money in the office was
counted January s, 1906. and again
January 8, 1908, when administration
changes were made, and that the cash
tailed exactly with the amount on
hand as shown by the books in both
the treasurers and the auditors
office. On the occasion of the latter
count, he said, the cash in one sack
was few dollars short and Bantel
made good the amount out of his
pocket. Then, when a further check
was made against the books the cash
on hand was found to be 50 cents in
excess of what it should be and this
amount was returned. The counting
had been actually done. he said, and
the amount not estimated by weight.
ALLEGED FALSE ENTRY
Benjamin e. Wentworth, assistant
deputy auditor, identified a cash book
showing an entry in the auditors ac-
counts of April II, 1906, of sos pur-
porting to have been reported by
Tomalty as paid out that date. This
item. according to the theory of the
prosecution, consists of s605 taken
from one of Tomalty's books, together
with s100 from another account. and it
is on the S605 item that it is alleged
that Tomalty prefixed the figure So
to make the entry of s5,605 to cover a
$4,000 shortage.
Other witnesses who testified yester-
day were John f. Glynn, William III.
Stansbury and Major Hugh I. Slime,
all former employees of the treasurer's
office. The case will be continued at
$50 o'clock Monday morning.