Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-12-02
BANK WRECKER
BEFORE JURY
FEDERAL OFFICERS TAKE PRE-.
CAUTIONS TO PREVENT AL
LENS STORY LEAKING OUT.
TELLS JURY MISREPRESENTATION
BEGAN 20 YEARS AGO, 1T
is SAID.

La Crosse, Wis, Nov. 28.-With the
possibility that there would be sensa-
tional revelations which might wreck
the regulations of other men and
cause further prosecutions for viola
tons of the federal banking laws,
Phil Allen, Jr,, under sentence of ten
years at the United States penitenti-
airy at Leavenworth, Kan, for en-
bezzlement which caused the failure
of the First National bank Of Mineral
Point OF which he was vice resident,
was called to the witness stand in the
grand jury room yesterday.
When Allen was taken to the grand
jury room, the excellent precautions
to prevent his story leaking out uni.
: the expected indictments had been re
turned and arrest made, were evident.
! Officers were stationed where they
could prevent any person from ap-
preaching near the grand jury room
! and thus possibly hear any loud
/ spoken words coming from within and
other attaches were stationed else
where and were busy trying to keep
! reporters and others from any gossip
/ about the sensational stories expected
from Allen, which might jeopardtze
! the chances OF bringing all the guilty
/ ones, if there should be any, to JUS
tice.
District Attorney Gordon, Deputy
| Marshal AppIeby, the bank examiner
/ and his assistants refused to discuss
/ the case. No witnesses were regis
/ tered at the hotels and the deputy
marshal refused to permit any person
to approach the prisoner on the way
from the Jail to the courtroom.
What other persons, if any, will be
/ implicated in the defaIcatiOns, fOrgeT-
/ les and other Offenses to which Allen
has pleaded guilty or whether he will
shoulder all the responsibility for TIL
unlawful acts which resulted in en-
btzzIement and misrepresentation o.
funds aggregating close to half d
million dollars, is a matter which will
not be dtvuIged until the grand jury
has concluded its deliberations, hand
ed down its final indictments and ad-
iowncd, which may not occur until
the last of this week.
When Allen appeared in court he
looked shaky and his heretofore con
fdent manner seemed to have desert
ed him. He was pale and tired and
leaned Oh the arm Of the deputy mar
shall
Barring Allen, the other witnesses
in the Mineral Point case viii all be
| government experts who are working
On the bank books, some at Mineral
Point and others at Washington.
There are no Mineral Point residents
here as witnesses,
1t is understood the shortage viii
be found to be much larger than $685.
GOO, heretofore stated as the figure,
and that even the new sum named
will fall within The amount because it
will not include the embezzlement
over which the United States has no
jurisdiction. The entire sum missing,
including that covered by federal and
state charge, is closely estimated at
100000.
! Allen arrived at La Clt8sse Friday
might without a cent. When he left
the Jail at Madison he uaceived from
the turnkey $50 which had been
, taken from him at the time of his ar
rest. Reasoning that he would soon
! have little need of money and that
! the change in mis- living until he
I had reached the age of Is and that
! thereafter the mead of it was remote,
he desired to be Il game sport TO the
! last and invited the party of four TO
sine with him The check was $3.50
/ which Allen paid with So bill and
/ te grandly handed to the astonished
waiter a 5O-cent tip and when on the
/ t2ain he gave his last dime for a mag
azine which he read AT intervals on
dee wa" to La Crosse.
Starts Years Ago.
] Tif4t the transportation of funds
/ Of the Mineral Point ffarIk .starbsd with
/ 100000 twenty years ago is said to
have been the substance of the story
which ALLEN started to tell the grand
/ jury.
| lit is said that Aliens decision to
gmr e testimony came after he failed to
dBtain bail and when lit became taui-
tlezat that none would come to his as
sistssnce in fighting the charges. He
| felt fzeenly his loneliness I'M the Matsi
on fail. where none except his wife
and attorney visited him. VromaE