The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-14
LANCER TAKES
! DOCTOR TO SEE
EUGENE WALLA
Attorney General Declares Un-
less Clerk is Really Sick he
Must Appear Today
BANKERS PROTEST STATES
PROBING PRIVATE AFFAIRS
HALL BOUND OVER.

0A1I 6OONO OVcns
The state rested its case against
Hall this afternoon at 1856. Both
sides waived arguments and he
was bound over to district court.
The defense submitted no argu.
ments.
Declining to take Judge E.. T
Burke's word for it that his client, Eu
gene NJ Walla, was too i'll to appear
in court, Attorney General LANCER re
Questioned two physicians and paiC
q visit to the Walla home in connec
tiOn with Walla's attorney, declaring
that unless the doctors find that il
would jeopardize Walla's health, the
clerk in the automobile registration
department will be placed on the
stand this afternoon as a witness
against Secretary of State Hall.
The examination of Walla, who al
so is charged with EN- oezzlement OF
automobile registration funds, is set
for o'clock this afternoon. 1t is
not probable that the Hall hearing will
have been completed by that time, anu
even should Judge Burke's fears for
his clients health not be verified, it
Is very likely ne will not come into
court as defendant this afternoon.
When the state called upon J. l..
Bell, vice president OF the First Ma
tional bank, to produce record OF
all $500 items handled by his bank
from October 20 to November /, the
banker objected to this wholesale pro-
duction of the banks private conf.
Dental business In court. ."rhe, state
has no more right to ask a bank to
make public its confidential dealings
with it's clients than 1t would have
to make such demand on a lawyer or
DOCTOR" said Mr.. Eell. I'VE do not
know ourselves what private business
is involved In these transactions.
would not object to a private confer
ence with the 40 state to determine
whether any Of these items have a
bearing on this case, but l do not be.
lieve the state has right to demand
that we expose all Of our confidential
business for publication in the courts
and newspapers
'Mr. 'Stutsman. attorney for Hall
said: "The state hasSbrought a third of
Llie pOpuldLiOl o. Dul ltAeA LVuLLy All
here, and it has, fished around for
four days in an effort to find some
evidence that Tom Hall stole $4,000
from the state, and it hasn't produced
a single bit of evidence to date. 1t
might as we'll 60 on now and bring
in the rest of Burleigh county, but
l d0 not think it is just to the banks
to ask them to reveal all their trans.
actions because the state may, per-
haps, have something it wants to
prove against Alex Macdonald, for in
stance, or someone else whom it has
something against"
Justice Bleckreid Overrulcd Mr..
Bells objection, and record of $500
checks cashed during the period
named was produced and read None
OF them seemed to have any especial,
bearing on this case. After Jonn A.
Hranaln, cashier of the City National
bank, had made the same objection
and had been Overruled, he read a
record of similar items cashed by his
h""'' "nr'"" Eve neriOd E. v. Lahr,
cashier of the First Guaranty bank
s.-,o Collected ana was Overruled, and
instructed to present a record of the
banks dealing in $500 items this al
ternCOn.
f. o. Helstrom presented record
of transaction with the secretary of
state in which Mr.. Hall purchased
secondhand Maxwell car from the
Western Sales Co. Mr. Helstrom be.
lieved but was not certain that the
initial payment was made in cur
rency.
Eugene NJ. Walla, clerk in the auto
mobile registration department, in ap.
plying to the City National bank the
afternoon of Oct. 20 for a loan of
$1,000 fatty stated he wanted the
money because he was short, John A.
Graham, cashier. testified in the hear
ing of Secretary of State Thomas Hall
on the charge of embeZzlement Tues
day afternoon. Walla did not get the
loan.
The one important witness of the
day was H. E. Kilmer, travelling
agent in the automobile registration
department, who told of having been
called in from MinOt about Oct 22 by
Secretary OF StdIe f1dil, WIN Ioiu Hill
he (Kilmer), was sick and that he
should stay in for time. Business
had been good, testified kilmer, and
he had collected 80 dealers license
fees of S15 each in September and 43
in October. The greater part OF this
amount had been in currency.
He told of several conversations
with Hall relative to the shortage in
the automobile registration depart
ment and said it finally was agreed
that the witness should 60 to Frank
Mccormick and ask him to circulate
a petition pledging 10 to 20 friends
of the secretary of state to become
security for a note of $4,000. Chris.
Olson, secretary of the Automobile
Mutual Insurance Co., of which Hall
is president. had told Kilmer. the lat
ter testified. that Walla was short,
and that Walla would turn over
$500 equity in his home as security
for the loan, which will be paid oy
deducting certain amount each
month from Walla's salary.
Kilmer told of later visiting Walla
at his home and asking him whether