Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-09-01
B|CKFORD CASE is UP AGAIN
ASK REHEARING OF EMBEZZlE
MENT CHARGES.
Former North Dakota Treasurer
Confident of Reversal of
Verdict.

| Washburn, N. D., Aug. 31.-Thurs.
day was set for hearing of the new
trial motion or for the sentencing of
e. l.. Bickford, the former treaurer of
| North Dakota convicted last June of
the embezZlement of $5465.
| In the June term it was brought out
that Bickford was the president of the
| First State bank of Bowbells at the
| time he took office, Jan. 4, 1909. His
brother was cashier and his wife vice
| president, these three being the only
stockholders. The bank was qualified
| as state depository for $4,000, hav-
| ing given bond for $4,000.
There were three items that made
| up the embezzlement charge. The
first was the Barnes county deal. In
March Bickford received $25,215.26
from Barnes county to pay a balance
due the state from Barnes county for
school fund collected in that county
as per a draft drawn by the state au-
ditOr and turned over to the state
treasurer for collection Bickford sent
the entire sum to his Bowbells bank
that month without making any record
of it in the books of the office, and
without taking any certificates or re-
ceipt from the bank. He did the same
with other collections from the Barnes
county treasurer giving the Bowbells
bank the use of $4,000 of state money
while the bank only paid interest on
$4,000 which the books showed was
there.
The second was the insurance
money. In October, 1909, Bickford
took $4,000 cash which was on de-
post with the state treasurer as Sc
curity for the Waseca Hail Insurance
company He turned this over to his
bank without making any record Or
taking any receipt for it.
Carried as Cash for Year.
Certain deposits or checks made up
the third item. Twenty thousand two
hundred and thirty dollars of state
money, in addition to the $4,000 al
ready there, was deposited in the Bow
bells bank shortly after Bickford went
in office. A certificate of deposit for
the amount lay in the cash drawer
and was carried as cash for over ayear.
Meanwhile the state drew no interest
on this amount. Other sums of money
were put in other banks on certificates
of deposit bearing interest, which were
carried as cash items and the interest
collected and retained by Bickford
In the trial each of these three
items was shown to be clearly defined
and separate from the other. The
claim the defense will make tomorrow
is that under the North Dakota law
it is not legal to try man on three
separate criminal oflenses at the same
time, alleging that, as matter of fact
the information does not allege three
different offenses, while there is only
one general charge.
Another point on which the defense
will make a fight is that on which the
verdict of guilty was returned. In
the process of the trial there was an
item admitted as evidence tending to
indicate motive in Bickford's part
relative to alleged crookedness in the
administration of the affairs of the
Office. This particular item was one
for little more than $54 and it is
the one on which the jury returned a
verdict of guilty.
Defendant Is Confident.
The defendant is confident that the
supreme court will reverse the lower
court and order abandoned all proceed
ings so far had. The motion for new
trial must first be arrested before
Judge Crawford and his denial of the
motion would send it to the higher
court.
Judge Crawford and his stenog-
rapher arrived from Dickinson, but
it is thought that a motion for a few
days adjournment will be made, on
account of some delay in the trans
scribing of the evidence.