The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-23
CASE or BURRELL
FIRST TO Be HEARD
Trial OF True Reformers' Bank
Officers Under Way in
Hastings Court.
STRONG PLEA BY DEFENSE
Barksdale Swcars Deposits Were
Accepted When Banks Con-
dition Was Known.

ing the jury box, the trial of the Of
! iicers indicted for wrecking the Saw
! ings Bank. of the Grand Fountain.
{ United Order of True Reformers. be-
gan yesterday in the Hastings Court
| 1t is the purpose to try each de-
/ PENDANT separately. ana in view of
( this fact Judge l.. II Wells express
cd the belief that tho trials will con-
sumo at least four weeks. unless
! some thing unforeseen happens
w. T. Burrel one OF the directors,
/ jointly indicted with j {. Robertson
/ W. l.. Taylor and Edward Ellis. Jr..
was arraigncd yesterday Several
witnesses We're examined. but at the
hour of adjournment. o'clock. little
evidence had been submitted to the
Jury. State Bank Examiner G. C.
/ Barksdale was on tho stand when
court was adjourned untn IL o'clock
! this morning.
Call nm the Real CuIprIt.
In opening the case Attorney H. NJ
Smith, Jr. OF the defense, stated that
ii was the purpose OF himself and
his associate counsel. Richard T..
/ Byrd 10 prove that the men under
/ Indictment were being made scapc-
goats to shield other persons who
should bear the burden OF the banks
COLLAPSE. He Condemned Reuben 7.
Ill., cashier also under Indictment.
but who escaped. and has successfully
eludcd arrest for about eighteen
months. I'M is accused OF stealing
a out 100000 OF the banks funds,
while the others are held on the
charges OF accepting and permitting
! to be accepted deposits after they. as
officers knew the institution 10 be
insolvent
The specific charge against Burroll
is that nc knowingly permitted de-
post of 5000 to be received from T. C.
/ Tinslcy on October %, 1910, when he
knew the dag before that the bank
was not solvent
/ In leading up to this point Mr.. Smith
I explained many INTRICATE workings OF
| the True Reformcrs He said that It
was organized more than thirty years
ago. and prospered to such an extent
! that It's founders formed many cub
sidiary institutions. each under Il
/ separate charter. but always governed
/ by the Grand Fountain The bank
/ was one of these, he said. as we'll as "a
string Of grocery stores ii hotel and
an Industrial and mercantile branch.
! lie said that the Grand Fountain had
| bought tremendous amount OF real
estate in cities not only In Virginia,
| but In many other States. and that It
was paid for out of the funds OF the
! bank. and being dominated by the
| Grand Fountain. the directors and Of
| fcers OF tho bank We're powcrless to
stop payment He cited many in
stances where money had been spent
which in no way redoundcd to the
! benefit of the order. OF any of its
| branches of enterprise. and tended
only to break the bank.
| 1t Will be the intention Of the de-
| Tense to prove this and attempt TO
show that tho men now on trial did
not have knowledge of the true state
! of affairs
Bank Examiner Tcstinc-.
On the witness stand MIR. Barssdale
said that he began an examination of
tho bank on October IS. 1910. and CON
| cluded II on October IL on the day
before he started he told Burrcli that
it was his opinion that the bank was
/ hopelcssly insolvent or completely
! broke.
Burrcl was dunfoundcd, he said.
and hastily calling meeting Of the
directors. 1t was agreed that there
must be some mistake. Mr.. Barks-
dale had told them OF unusually large
shortages in the individual accounts.
The directors then asked If they would
be permitted TO have accountants go
over their books. Mr. Barksdale
agreed The banks experts completed
their work on October "a, ana found
practically the same result as Mr.
AT that time there was no law per-
hitting a bank examiner to close the
doors OF a bank which he found in
solvent. The examiner told Burrell
i and his associates that he would at
|, once report the matter to the State
Corporation Commission. and added
that 1t was n felony to knowingly re-
ceive deposits after IT YHs known that
q bank was insolvent.
The bank was opened the following
day after 1t was certain that It was
hopelessly involved. and IT was then
that the officers are said to have re-
ceived the deposit from Tinsley.
Mr. Barksdale will resume his tes-
timony when court opens this morn
ing.
Great Crowd mt Court.
Numerous details of work at the
bank were supplied by William VIII
son. colored. ono of the bookkeepers
: and assistant teller. He said the bank
was not closed until October &c, the
day on which Hill disappeared
r. T. Wilson, clerk of the Corpora
ton Commission, also testified. lie
merely submitted the last report OF
the affairs of the bank to esta bli st
the identity of the officers at the time
OF the failure.
The negro population Of Richmond
lis deeply Interested in the trial. and
; when the case was called the court
, room was filed with colored specta'
] tors. many of whom came from out OF
! town.
The prosecution is being conduct
ed by Commemorative Attorney Mini
tree Folkes, assisted by Andrew Jack
son Montague and r. Lynch Montague
who have been retained by depositors
The Jurors hearing the case are q:
follows:
iii A. l.. Straus, Jr.. A. l. Davis. j. w
Gibbons, II. E. Gregory. Leon Ruskell
III III. Barefoot. Hamilton White, ]. fl
Il Nolde, John It. Heint2, Meyer Green
tree, Raphael Levy and w 2. Law
d ton, Jr.
orhpo EMpI OYER