The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-06-23
The Bedford Case IS Being Tried.

States Attorney Smith made the opening
statement for the state In which he explatned
INTRODUCED He stated thatit would 30 shown
that whom the defense was. to turn tho state
funds over to his successor in Office on JAMS,
sum sum 81 sfs sso ri i II and II that iae7 scs Ills smount 10
certain socalled ceEtiticates q. deposit on tie
Boyhelis State bank, sggregating this Amonnt;
Of 500, ASH was brought. about and how the
f %1dsz T 81 1 rs aiifsssnt g acts cts during Snd I! lis sIS two {
money BY the defendant being about Feb. 8,
1903, almost the beginning Of his term OF Office ;
that 1t would be shown that tho defendant con.
S Siste m%. snis sG% OF money OF st q bis s ewH Tss sn dpafss
drawn by the state auditor o. the treasurer OF
Barnes county and that the defendant was
able to 50 manipulate these funds because OF
i Barnes a's county sin IL milling y his s's monthly state:
ments with the state; that it be shown that
the treasurer OF Barnes county when sending
county, ut the same time sent his draft for the
amount shown to be due the state;, that the
regular method Of making the monthly state
state and the state was for each county treas.
urer to- send in the statement to the state
auditor showing the money. due the state from
d dis So WRst sna called ms q STATE ssss sud isols9d dr sSu On
shown to be due from his county and this
To XSu Sat. ss t sasnsa ey Sbo By xso s1d s sssss e sSGisef ts ss
same from the different county treasurers;
that the treasurer of Barnes county did not
wait to be so draw on but made his remit
bis state auditors draft on the treasurer Of
Barnes county Just the same as he did on the
other county treasurers altho the money called
hoon maid and that the eknko auditor wnnI6
then turn over tafis. state auditors draft on
barnes county TO the state treasurer G. L.
Bedford expecting of course that the same
money had already been received by him for
the same; that the defendant instead Of can.
ceiling these state auditors drafts on Barnes
amount Of cash called for by them and put
them in the cash drawer and carried them as
cash and would at the same time take an equal
Sa9f Il 3 e Els sa sRa 9r 9se ts a9d saf fS. aFs Eve n sod So So
gated the. sum which II was claimed' The
defendant had embezzled; that it would also
posted by the Waseca Farmers Mutual Hail
defendant to his wi use; that the certificates
he defendant vented rs successei 70 accept e
would be shown that this wasn't q matter OF
simply placing agg nc more En- money IN the Est state .f. DE- {:
would be shown that it was a clear, deliberate
intent to steal.
George A: Bangs, attorney. for the defense.
made 8 statement that they will prove
that g. L. Bickford had never used to his own
advantage q single dollar Of the money in the
office Of the state. treasurer; that there was no
embezzlement Of none whatever; that the
carelessness and negligence of the bookkeepers.
in the state treasurers Office and the Office OF
the Barnes county treasurer, caused mistakes
to be made; that the Barnes county treasurer's
drafts were sent to the Bowbells State Bank
for ~safekeeping until the monthly statement
would be put on the books.
When the first draft of s25,216.22 from the
treasurer Of Barnes county. was received from
the state auditor 1t was placed under special
repositories because of the fact that all the
state depositories were full. It could not be
placed under general repositories as the state
auditor had not sent in the monthly statement
Of this county treasurer to show whore the
different funds belonged. Bickford bought
drafts at the First State Bank of Bowbells to
cover each check from Barnes county that was
sent in ahead of time. These were left in the
cash drawer and we're the same as cash. as the
cash for them lay in the Bowbells bank.
Tit following state witnesses have been OF.
amined:
John Andrews, deputy secretary of state;
Mrs. Ellen Mitchell, chief clerk in the treas.
office; Carl. O. Jorgenson, deputy state
II. L. Halverson, treasurer of Barnes
Z. Buckstin, assistant cashier Of tho
First National Bank of Fargo; Leonard Bell
of the. First National Bank of
Bismarck and Cashier Fossum of the Fist Ma.
tional Bank of Flaxton.