The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-16
DEFAULTER TO BE
ARRA|GNEO TODAY
Defense Hopes for Delay With
Evident Purpose of Later
Pleading Not Guilty.
RUMORS OF A WHITEWASH
OFFICIALS SAY THE CASE WILL
BE PROSECUTED.

Ten o'clock this morning, in Judge
Bowman's court, is the time set yes
tarday for the arraignment of James
Christensen on the two charges against
him which accuse him of misappropri-
ating to his own use sums aggregating
more than $4,000 of the states funds
while treasurer of the state of Utah.
Mr. Christensen will be present in
court at that hour, accompanied by At
torney Samuel A. King, but it is still
a question whether he VIII be forced
10 enter a plea at that time. 1t is GER
tain that he will not enter plea I'M
less the court refuses to listen to
request on the part of the defense to
defer the proceedings TO the latter part
of the week. Just what excuse Will be
offered by Attorney King Tor delaying
the matter is not known. He does not
state definitely. Last night he was
asked:
will Mr.. Christensen plead not gull
ty when arraigned in the morning."
He replied: 1T is not certain that
he Will be compelled to plead either
one way or the other tomorrow. We
prefer to have further time before en-
tering a plea"
Will Make d Defense.
Whether the plea is entered today or
at some later time, it is quite certain
that the defense has fully planned to
plead not guilty eventually. If, as at
first it was stated, MIR. Christensen
confessed to taking the money illegal
~, before the state board of examiners
and his bondsmen. when first called
10 account for the shortage, the state
ments of his attorney since indicate
that the defense will be a reputation
of any such confession made, and the
claim will be that the man 'acknowl-
edged a mistake in his bookkeeping"
and at once, when his attention was
called to it, borrowed the money by
giving his property as security and
made good to the state for the full
amount of the shortage.
Within the last two days there have
been many comments regarding the
case, and some have expressed the view
that appearances pointed to an incli-
nation on the part of officials to white
wash" the matter.
Attorney King insists that il is not
necessary to ''whitewash"; that It would
be rank injustice to consider that his
client has committed any felony or 9TH
er crime. He maintains the money was
not emoezZled: that the shortage was
entirely due TO d mistake in keeping
the books
The county attorney and the attorney
general Indignantly disclaim any inten-
ton on the part of the prosecution to
do any embarrassing" They state
that the prosecution shall go on as in
a case against any other man, and
that the case will be tried entirely up
on its merits, notwithstanding the fact
that the money which MIR. Christensen
was found TO be short was made up
TO the state.
Checking Up Accounts.
Yesterday the work of fully inspect
ing and checking up the accounts of
Mr. Christensen while he was state
treasurer was begun in earnest by the
state auditor assisted by the state bank
examiner So far as the work has pro-
crossed no other shortages or irregular
tiles have been found, nor anything
of a suspicious nature revealed The
auditor and present state treasurer each
express the belief that the sums ac-
knowledsed by Mr.. Christensen to be (
short are all that will be found.
For the first time since his release
from the custody Of the sheriff. Mr.
Christensen was on the streets yester-
day. He left his home and came down
town. meeting and shaking hands and
ccnversing with many of his friends.
He declined, however, to talk over anv
features of the case against him with
anybody.
He stated that he was feeling much
better than for weeks and esDeciaf11-
since the charge had been brought
against him. He said that on advice of
his attorney he would not talk of his
trouble with any newspaper man IN
til later.
Attorney King. FOL him. said: when
we nave fully sifted the matter and
gone over ali the details. Mr.. Christian
sen will make a statement for publi- |
cation which will be given to each
newspaper man working on the case
and this statement will probably have
the effect of making clear many mat
tiers that now seem to be a trifIe Off
color
Friends and Near Friends.
The statement in one Of the local pa
pers, several times repeated of late. that
after his troubles had all been cleared
up Mr.. Christensen plans TO go to some
virgin soil, some place where he is NOT
known, and start life ali over again
caused considerable amusement for Mr.
Christensen, his attorney and some Of |
his friends yesterday.
Wen be mighty sorry to lose 1o,,
Jim. one friend remarked with a
smile.
Another said; Il don't know where
on earth you'd go. Jim. to find more |
friends than you have here"
That's just about what's the mat
ter with Jim now" put in another voice. /
IF all reports are true he wouldn't /
be in his present pickle if he had had
n few less friends. or persons he
thought were friends"
Mr.. Christensen did not reply. He
opened his mouth, bUt-perhaps he re-
membered the advice of his attorney To
keep mum.