Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-28
Nebraska
MANY TRIALS IN BANk CASE
Chamberlain Failure Causes Seem
ingly Endless Litigation.
SIX TRIALS FOR CASHrl
Books and Records of Failed Institu-
ton stolen from sheriff's Office
Two More Charges are
Pending.

TECUMsEH. Neb, Dec. 27.-(special)-
Almost a seemingless end Of litigation grew
out Of the failure Of the Chamberlain bank
ing house in this city in 1902. Charles NJ.
Chamberlain. the ex-cashler Of the failed
bank, has been through six trials since
he gave himself up to the law in 1906. The
following is a history Of the criminal cases
directed against and tried on amb
lain's behalf:
He was tried first in the Johnson county
district court in June, 1905, on an indict-
ment charging embezzlement. The verdict
was guilty. Judge Paul lessen OF Ne
braska City, who sat on the case, granted
a new trial on the charge Of misconduct
on the part Of certain jurymen.
The case was taken to Auburn on a
change Of venue and tried again late in
the fail Of the same year. Judge Good Of
Wahoo presided. The Judge took the case
out Of the hands Of the jury, but directing
a verdict Of acquittal.
In May. 1906, Chamberlain was tried on
an indictment charging embezzlement from
the bank in the sum of $4,000. This case
was also taken to Auburn on change Of
venue and was tried before Judge ]. B.
Raper Of Pawnee City. The jury found
the accused guilty and Judge Raper SEN
fenced him to five years in the peniten-
tiary. The case was taken to the supreme
court and that body reversed the decision
and remanded the case.
Bank Records are Stolen.
The books and files Of the failed bank,
which were very necessary to carrying on
the cases, were stolen from the court house
in Tecumseh one evening in October, 1905.
The TRrOrhu had haAp IN annthar ~
and mad been returned to Tecumseh by
express. The expressman left them at the
court house, but before they were placed
in the vault they were stolen. The books
and case they were shipped in weighed be-
tween 200 and 300 pounds.
The case last above mentioned was given
a second trial in Auburn in December, 1908,
before Judge L. M. Pemberton of Beatrice.
After celebrating for some thirty-six
hours the jury failed TO agree and was
throughout, 8 and G.
In November of his year Chamberlain
came up for trial on a change Of venue
to Beatrice, the charge being for having
received money in his bank after he knew
the same to be i%nsolvent- A deposit of Mrs.
P. S. Jones Of Tecumseh was the specific
ASAAN AAO ~ was NAOlF JAhSb loNA
Of Plattsmouth, and at the end Of the Sec
ond week a Juror became sick with typhoid
fever and the jury uas dismissed. The
case came right on for a second trial,
which lasted two weeks, and after the jury
had been out for twenty hours a verdict
Of ~aoquittal was brought in. 1t is claimed
this Jury stood six for conviction and six
for acquittal on the first ballot.
There are two charges still hanging over
Chamberlain. one other charge Of having
received money after he knew his bank
to be insolvent and the embezzlement case.
already twice tried. 1t is doubted by many
whether or not hey will ever be tried.
All sorts Of opinions are given as to the
cost Of this litigation to Johnson county
and a record Of the costs shows them to
be about $1,000, including the last trial.
The county lost an amount about this size
in the bank failure.