The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-28
Employe of Office Refused to
Count Cash in the Cash
Drawer
NO SHORTAGE WHEN THE OFFICE
WAS CHECKED OUT BY BR|GHTB|LL
Cancelled Drafts and Checks Are Be.
ing Produced and Identified By
Bank Officials and Former En-.
pl0yes Of the Treasurerss Office.


Bismarck, N. D.. Jan. 2S.-The SEQ.
ond day proceedings in the prelimin-
ary examination of G. l.. Bickford,
FORMER state treasurer, opened with
Senator j. E. Davis on the stand, fol.
lowed by State Auditor Brightbili and
Cashier Bowers Of the newly organ
lied Bowbells State bank. In his
testimony Auditor Brightbill declared
that at the time the Office was checked
out there was no shortage in the
funds. Powers brought the register
of the certificates Of deposit in the
Bowbells bank. Carl Jorgenson.
deputy state auditor, was called to the
stand at noon.
Clashes Frequent.
Frequent clashes between attorneys
over technical points of the law char
acterized the first day Of the pre-
liminary hearing Of G. L. Bickford.
The hearing is being held before
County Justice J. E. Perry. States
Attorney Smith and Assistant States
Attorney McCurdy are conducting the
prosecution, and D. G. Greenleaf Of
Minot, assisted by Theodore Koffel,
of the firm of Mines & Koffel, are ap-
pearing for the defense. At the re-
quest of the state and no objection
being interposed by the defendant
Chris H. Olsen was appointed stem.
ographer.
The state spent the afternoon in
| examining a number Of witnesses and
laying its foundation for the evidence
which is to follow. A large number
of books and cancelled checks were
also produced in court and will be
introduced as evidence.
Women on the Stand.
| The first witness called by the state
was Mrs. Ellen Mitchell, who has
been chief clerk in the state treasur-
er's Office for the past eight years,
and acted in that capacity during, the
incumbency of the defendant. During
her testimony the state introduced a
number of cancelled checks as ex-
hibits.
Exhibit A was draft No. $3.50 drawn
on the First National bank of Fargo
Nov. %. 1910.
Exhibit B was draft No. 5591 drawn
on the First National bank of Bis
marck on Nov. %, 1910.
Exhibit G was draft No. 5072 drawn
on the First State bank of Bowbells,
dated Sept. "a, 1910, for the sum of
$4,000.
Exhibits d to R comprised drafts
No. 4709 to 4723 inclusive, drawn on
the First National bank Of Bismarck,
dated Aug. 16, 1910.
Refused to Count Cash.
| During the course Of her testimony
Mrs. Mitchell brought out an alleged
conversation which she had had with
the defendant in which she called his
attention to the drafts Of exhibits B
and A and also referred to exhibit
C. and said that the drafts had been
issued and cash slips placed in the
cash drawer to cover the same. and
she had. after mentioning the fact to
him. said, Il don't want to count the
cash any more"
She also testified to a conversation
she had had with him over the long
distance telephone when Mr.. Bickford
was at Bowbells, in which she said
that there were government bonds
which had been received from the
Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance COM
pany of Waseca, Minn., at the First
National bank with draft Of $25, 900
for collection attached and she asked
him what she would do about the mat
ter. She stated to the court also that
Mr.. Bickford had told her to see At
torney General Miller.
Barnes County Deal.
Mrs. Mitchell was then excused
Temporarily from the witness stand,
and County Treasurer H. f. Halver-
son of Barnes county was summoned
to take the stand. He identified three
cancelled checks, No. 973 on the Bank
Of Valley City, No. 1903 on the First
National bank Of Valley City. and No.
4011 Of the American National bank
of Valley City. respectively, az being
checks he had sent to the state treas
urer's Office on April 6, 1910, to cover
the amount Of taxes collected by him
during the preceding month in behalf
Of the state. The checks were labelled
as plaintiffs exhibits !, 2 and 3. re.
spectively.
w. D. Austin, deputy state treasurer
during Mr.. Bickford's term Of ONCE,
was called to the stand. and was ques-
toned by the state concerning exhibit
G. Mr.. Austin said. however, that he
did not recall much of that transac-
tion. as he made out practically all
Of the checks of the Office and could
not recall any particular one. He
said upon being interrogated by the
states attorney that he thought that
he drew that particular check under
instructions received from G. l.. Bick-
| ford, and that as near as he could
remember Mr. Bickford had told him
to send $4,000 to the First State bank
Of Bowbells.
J. l.. Bell, vice president Of the