New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-18
State Expert Says Ac'
counts Were Juggled to
Cover Losses.
ACCUSED MERCHANT
MAY NOT TESTIFY
Fight Over Totals That
Showed $685. $40 Debt in
Mass of Books.


Geneseo. y. Y. Nov 17.-Over the
continuous and vigorous protests OF
Henry Siegel's lawyers. who were on
their feet most of the time, fighting
every inch Of the way, the prosecution
succeeded "a getting IN evidence
against him to-day the expert teSu-
monv which showed IN definite
amounts Just how he overstated assets
and underestimate liabilities IN the
false financial statement Of February l.,
1913.
10 is toward this climax that the
prosecution has been steadily working
ever since the trial opened. storing a
great volume OF apparently confused
and incomprchensible figures. Inc ruI-
ing Of the judge to-day, IN allowing IN
evidence the expert analysis OF these
hCures by certified accountant, show
ING IN grand totals just what the whole
mass means. occurred like the breaking
Of dam. and the rush OF figures into
the record seemed TO overwhelm the
defence.
These totals were presented by John
Flint. Of West q Flint, of 30 Pine St,
New York. Mr. Flint and his corps OF
assistants have been working on the
tons of books and hundreds OF thou
sands Of figures in the accounts OF the
various SIEGE enterprises ever since
January. l9O4-frSt for the receivers
who took the bankrupt concerns over,
and later Tor the District Attorney
Office.
Expert Details Conditions.
He sat In the witness chair to-day
much like a medical expert, explaining
I'm careful scientific detail the condi-
lions he had found
lie testified that in the credit state
ment of February I, 1913. for the Four
teeuth street Store the value of mer-
chandise was given at S96I12l Is,
whereas the actual value, rs revealed
nv the inventory statements, was S6S4,-
IS2 26. This was. he said, an Oyerstate-
mept Of this class Of assets of $751;
33S g..
That the cash was given az $ll9,-
Sli6L whereas the actual condition
was cash 10 the amount Of SSS,5o0 81.
an overstatemcnt Of this asset Of $780,
-33 SIS.
That outstanding accounts were given
in the credit statement as Sl5N,6sl 90.
whereas thc actual outstanding &c
counts were Sl12Ol4 %, making an
overstatemert Of this asset Of So
6179G. or total 0verstatemert m
these three classes Of assets Of 1852
-50l4.
Mr.. Flint further testified that he
found in the credit statement under
liabilities. bills payable entered at
S3QO 600 whereas the actual conditions
showed bills payable OF S725.5Oo 50, or
au uuderstatement Of TINS class or Ira
biHty of S335 500 so.
Thai accounts payable were stated al
S325.26O 81. whereas the actual amount
was S4S1.4e9 ~. an understatement IN
this instance Of S156.239.
Bares Liability Page.
That other liabilities undiscosed
were. TO II. Siegel G Co.. bankers,
S2--.221 IS: 20 the Merchants Express
COMPANY. another Siegel enterprise,
S1Ot .l35 20. TO the SimpsOn-C Crawford
Company. S5Sl.15i ., and outstanding
checks. s4-@0S J6.
This would make total under
statement 90 liabilities OF Sl.5O0,57S IS.
or q total discrepancy in the final re-
suit. taking overstated assets and
understated liabilities together. of ST.
>60.329 o.. This would mean that. after
charging the SLIT. ISIS 81 called for a.
capital the store would be in debt
S6e2. SfO57. instead Of being clear Of
debt. a indicated in the alleged false
statement.
The way for Mr. Flint's appearance
ON the stand was prepared by the eX-
animation as witnesses for the prose-
cution. of three men and TWO women