The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-21
CUMMINS CONVICTED
OF THEFT CHARGE
Was Accused of Taking $4,000 From
Nineteenth Ward Bank in New
York City-Jury Was Out
Five Hours.

New York, Nov. 2l.-William J. Cum
Minis, the former Tennessee promoter
and recent directing head of the Car
negie Trust company, was found gull
ty yesterday of the theft of $4,000
from the Nineteenth Ward bank by the
jury before which he has been on trial
for the past five weeks lie was re-
manded to the Tombs prison until Fri
day, when his counsel will be given
the privilege of making such motions as
he may decide before sentence is pro-
nounced.
Cummins seemed stunned by the YER
dict. His attitude in the court room
and on the stand during the trial was
one of apparent assurance and cheer
fulness as was that of his friends. Aft
er the verdict was announced the pris-
oner remained standing in an evident
daze as Judge Davis began TO thank the
jury for their careful attention to the
case. When told by court attendant
that he might sit down, he said huskily
"thank you, sir, thank you" and sank
heavily into his chair.
When his pedigree was taken the con-
victed bankers replies were scarcely
audible but before he was led from tie
court room he seemed TO have recovered
some of his composure and his brother,
George j. Cummins, his former secrc
tary, NJ j. Lyman, and his brother-in-
law, Watkins Crockett Of whom the lat
ter gave damaging evidence against him
during the trial were more yisibly at
fected than the prisoner as they shook
his hand. At the Tombs, however, Cum
minis broke down and sobbed.
at is not myself that | am thinking
about-there are Others" be said, as he
sat weeping on bench in the warden's
pen Then rising to his feet he cX-
claimed fiercely; "The fight is just be-
ginning. feel have done nothing wrong
and j am confident that if | was con
fronted with the same circumstances
again | would do the same thing"
The jurymen retired at 1890 o'clock
and were out five hours. Before their
verdict was reached they had read to
them before the court that part Of the
testimony in which it was brought out
that several different men had refused
to take charge of the matters which
were to be cared for by the trust fund
put up with the Carnegie Trust corr
pany by the Nineteenth Ward bank and
the Van Norden Trust company, $40
600 of which Cummins now stands con
victed of stealing.
The principal witness against Cum
minis was Bradley Martin, jr., vice presi-
dent Of the Nineteenth Ward bank, who
testified that the loans put up by that
institution and the Van Norden Trust
company had been turned over to the
Carnegie Trust company under a trust
agreement by which the money was TO
be used to retire Van Norden, Nine
teenth Ward bank and Twelfth Ward
hank stocks held as collateral in loans,
The state held that Cummins had Sl40,-
600 of this fsnd checked TO himself and
that he used it to bolster up the finances
of his various industrial companies in
the South, which the state attorney
referred to as paper" companies.
The penalty for Cummins' offense Il
an indeterminate term of from five to
ten years as the maximum sentence.
Cummins is so years old and has wife
and married daughter.