The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-15
WILLIAM LOR|MER } PLACED ON TRIAL IN CRIMINAL COURT
Listens to a Sensational Re cital of His Alleged Fi- nanciaI. Misd0ings-Is a
 Former U. $. Senator

Chicago, March 14-William Lorimer, whose seat in the United States Senate was declared vacant on the ground that it was the result of a political crime, to- day listened to a recital of his alleged financial misdoings.
 The recital was by William H. Holly, assistant states attorney, who told a jury In the criminal court that the de- fendant was charged with conspiracy and enlbezzlement in connection with the fail ure of the La Sale Street Trust and Savings bank in Chicago two years ago.
 MT. Lorimer remained imperturbable throughout the denunciation. He ap- peared little changed since the days when Illinois called him the "Blond Boss' and a legislature, alleged to have been cor rupted, sent him to the upper house at Washington.
 MT, Holly said that testimony which was not adduced at the trial of c. B. Mun- day, senior vice president of the bank, who was convicted on similar charges, would be introduced.
 THE DEFENSE
 Lorimers defense it is said, will be based largely on the contention that MT. Lorimer although president of the insti- tuition, trusted the business to MT. Mun- day and was himself absent much of the time.
 MT. Holly said that two months after the formation of the bank Alderman Michael Kenna of the First ward. who is widely known as 'rHinky Dink." polit- 1f Io,+l ', John Coughlin, was appealed to do his banking with the Lorimer- -Munday house. The appeal was based largely, MT. Holly said, on the statement that the bank was not member of the clearing house association and that consequently the financial affairs of its customers were secret.
 MT. Lorimer started the La Sale Street National bank in 1910 when he was in the United States Senate, MT. Holly said.
 "We shall contend'' said MT. Holly, that MT. Lorimer was in a position to influence the national bank examiner There was large amount of bad paper in the bank. The owners were political friends of the then senator Bank off, ficials made no effort to get rid of this paper. but instead the bank changed it's charter from the national to the state form and became the La Sale Street Trust and Savings bank''
 MT. Holly said that the first act of conspiracy was committed in making this transformation. He said that MT. Lori mer and associates, although without that amount of money on deposit. gave notes for an aggregate of s1,250,000 to the La Salle bank In return MT. Lorimer received a cashiers check for $1.250, ,O0O, which he deposited with the Central Trust company and the latter sent that much currency to the new state bank.
 NOT A CENT PAID IN
 Not a cent was paid in" said Mir. Holly, ''but when the state bank exam iner came he found the capital stock, this self same $1,25o,OO0, on hand. The examiner counted the money, gave his approval and departed. Then the money was sent back to the Central Trust com pany.''
 Albert Fink, attorney for MT. Lorimer interrupted to ask if Mr. Holly thought that Charles G. Dawes, president of the Central Trust company, and former comptroller of the currency, was party to the conspiracy.
 ''The jury can decide whether he was . party to the conspiracy or was simply victinlized by MT. Lorimer.' replied MT. Holly.
 The prosecutor went into detail of loans made by the La Sale bank to en- terrrises of MT. Lorimer, MT. Munday and Harry W. Huttig, the cashier.
 When the bank failed June Il, 1914, the prosecutor said that of the outstanding loans of over $s,OOO.0OO, g, 100000 had been loaned to enterprises of the three officers named.