The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-22
WALLA DID LAY
TRAPS ASSERTS
W. H. STUTSMAN
Counsel for Defense Takes Wit
ness Stand to Tell Of
Conferences.
HALL DID NOT TAP THE TILL
Attorney Testifies Clerk Stated
That Chief Was Not
Guilty. r.

Guilty.
Thomas Hall, secretary of state, this
afternoon took the stand in his OWE
defense, sketching briefly, in response
to questions from counsel, his boy
hood days. his early experiences IN
railroading and newspaper work, and
his entry into state politics when he
came to Bismarck to accept the posi-
of secretary to the North Dakota
state railway commission. Counsels
direct examination was designed to
bring out a difference between the
mode of living of the Halls and Wal
las, and to prove that the former, on
$3.50 the month, have lived muc;l
more simply than the latter on 500
to $3.50.
Eugene M. Walla did state that he
intended to lay trap for Governor
Frazier and for Attorney General
LANCER, by enticing them to his home
and there getting the goods on them"
in the presence of concealed witness
es; Eugene Walla did say that the
governor had some mysterious inter-
est in the prosecution of Thomas Hall,
and he did say that Attorney General
William Langer limited at immunity
for Walla,, saying "Tom Hall is the
man we're AFTER today testified Atty
w. H. Stutsman of Mandan, vice presi.
dent of the Merchants National bank,
former chairman of the North Dakota
railway commission, and chief Of
counsel for the secretary Of state.
Stutsman testified as to a confer.
ence he had. had with Walla a few
days after the double arrest. when
Walla had called up Mrs. Hall and
asked to see the secretary of state,
whom Stutsman persuaded against his
will to accompany him (Stutsman) to
the Walla home. There Stutsman
conferred with Walla in private, while
the seeretayy. of tstate talked with Mrs
Walla IN another room.
"Walla told me that Mr., Hall had
taken no money out Of the cash
drawer and that no one had access to
the cash drawer but Walla. Walla said
lie had cashed some. checks for Mr.
Hall and had also taken slips for
amounts with which the secretary OF
state had been accommodated and
that these had gone through.
"Mr. Walla said people had been
coming to him continually from the
attorney generals office, telling him
he had better get the goods on Tom,
or Tom would get the goods on him.
and that Tom was preparing to double
cross him. He said the attorney gen.
etal had had him in the sweat box
for two days and that he was on the
verge Of nervous collapse and didn't
know how much longer he could stand
it. 1t had come to him, he said, that
II he would get the goods on Hall he
(Walla) would be let off with misde-
meanor charge.
That Secret Drawer.
"Then Walla told me about secret
drawer in his Office onl wondered
whether he couldn't get $500, slip It
in there, have Bank Examiner Wa
ters find it, and let on that 1t hal been
there all the time. Cen. also was 60
ing to trap LANCER. I've got scheme
he said. When these people from the
attorney generals Office come 10 liie
for an answer, l will refuse u have
anything to do with them and "'ll m
sist that the governor, who's interest
ed in this prosecution, and the attor-
ney general come themselves. Then
we'll have some concealed witnesses
and we'll trap them int; making some
admissions and get the goods On
them
Il told Gene I didn't know much
about the governor, but rather doubt.
ed that he would walk into such a
trap, and that did know Bill LANCER
very we'll and was quit, sure he
wouldn't be caught that way
Questioned as to Halls standing in
the community Stutsman declared j;
always had been good. As tu his cred.
it with Stutsman's bank, the witness
said it was limited only by the statu
tory restrictions as to the amount
which may be loaned an individu n
borrower. Stutsman stated tha.. n
owed Mrs. Hall $4,000 and was in po
sition to pay her whenever she asked
for the money, and he said that the
) Halls owned three quarters OF lano
west of the river, at least on quarter
of which he knew to be clear.
Immunity Bath.
Stutsman told of a conversation with
Judge E. T. Burke, counsel for Walla
a day or two before the close OF the
preliminary hearing, in which Eurkt
informed him that Gene was going OF
the stand and testify against Hall anc
take an immunity bath and that the1
the state could not use his own evl
dence against him. Burke said Walis
would testify that Hall mad taker
some of the money, and Stu,sma1 pre-
nounced it a dam lie," and informed
Burke that he had the goods OF
Walla" and would be glad of chance
to get Walla on the stand.
Charles A. Holiday, who is In bust
ness with Walla at Baldwin, testified
that Walla had told him Of plans t.
T. a