The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-12
STATE FAILS TO
PROVE THAT HALL
WAS BORROWER
Chief Clerk in Secretary of
States Office Denies That
She Ever Made Loan
HIBBS HEARD HALL WAS
IN TROUBLE; CAsHED IN
Important Developments Promised
for this Afternoon on-Lyngstad
Again on Stand

Little headway was made in tho
preliminary examination of Thomas
Hall, secretary OF state, charged
with the embezzlement of automobile
registration funds, this morning. Miss
i Ma Jel AmiOt, who has served as sten-
ographer and chief clerk to Mr.. Hall
for the last eight years, while he was
secretary to the railway commission
and later as secretary OF state, de-
MED that she had ever loaned Mr..
Hall any money or that she had been
asked to loan him money.
Dr.. C. G. Hibbs testified he had
learned through newspaper reports
that Mr.. Hall was in trouble; quoted
G. H. Olson as saying in a conversa-
ton that things looked tough and
new things were turning up right
along" and that he, Hibbs, suggested
that it was up to the fellows to take
care of HalP' and that he offered Or
son $50 for the secretary OF state.
HibJs declared he offered financial
assistance not because he believed
Hall guilty but because he was GER
tain that he was moi guilty and that
there are plenty Of other people III
Bismarck willing to bet their life OF
Tom Hail." se.g
lynQstad Recalled.
j. 0. Lyngstad, deputy state treas
I.urer, was recalled to the stand just
! before adjournment was taken a,
noon. The lateness of the train on
which w. H. Stutsman, attorney TO
Mr.. Hall. came foyer from Mandar
resulted in little being accomplished
this morning. .a.n aIi3 u.
Mason Makes Prediction. .,tu
1t is reported that N. A. Mason, sec
retary to the governor, and who has
charge of Sunday school class In
the Methodist Episcopal church, used
the Hall case as a ."horriblei example
f&rtfe little boys who make up his
class, yesterday, and advised them
to watch developments at the capitol
during the next few days, as some
thing equally as big and bad would
break very soon. Capitol folk art
wondering where lightning next will
strike.
Declaring the effort of the state
to place Eugene NJ. Walla, clerk In
the automobile registration depart
ment, on the stand Saturday after
noon in the hearing of Secretary OF
State Thomas Hall, an invasion OF
the constitutional rights of his client
Judge f. r. Burke advised the court
that he would resort to habeas cor
pus if necessary to prevent the state
to carry out its intention of "obtain,
ing indirectly what the attorney gen
eral admitted could not be obtained
directly"
Police Magistrate Bleckreid, after
| overruling Judge Burke's objection
gave him until Monday morning to
present further arguments in support
of his claims, or to prepare to rescue
his client from the witness stand
through a writ of habeas corpus.
Charges Unfairness.
! ut would be manifestly unfair to
put Mr.. Walla on the stand now, a
week ahead of the date on which he
is to be heard on the same charge
He is under arrest charged with an
offense similar to Mr.. Halls. The
moment he goes on the stand he is
placed on trial He would be forced
TO disclose his defense week ahead
of the time set
! Assistant Attorney General Bren
! nan said: The state is trying tC
be fair and to play no favorites. Had
Mr.. Walla's hearing been set first
We would have called Mr.. Hall to the
stand, and we intend to call Mr.. Hal
when Mr. Walla is heard. objection
may be made only by Mr.. Walla him
self in response to question which
he can show would tend to incrimin
ate him. The state insists that Mr.
| Walla be called We intend to ge
at the exact truth in this case, nc
matter whom it may hurt in the
end"
| Balances Carried Over.
The state devoted it's examination
during the afternoon to lines by which
it sought to offer further proof tha
currency was not deposited as were
checks and drafts received by thu
registration department but was al
lowed to accumulate until there wa:
daily balance on hand and carried
over from month to month of $4,00j
to $S,C0N. October %, w. c. Ed
wards, deputy state examiner. testi
fed he found there should have beer
a balance on hand of s4,217.35 at thu
close of business October %. On thu
23rd he casually mentioned this fac
to Mr. Walla. who stated that there
should he a balance of about $4,00
and advised Edwards, according to thu
latter's tertimony, to "just figure it!
! there for the present" Edwards die
not then count the cash. October 2
he again put the matter up to Walla
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