The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-12-27
Chief Witness Is Gruened In
Hall ENLIGHTENMENT Hearing

Bismarck, Dec. 2o.-Charges that
Secretary of State Thomas Hall had
used money from the auco re gistra-
ton fund to purchase cattle; to help
finance his acnpaign at the last cleo
ton; to lobby for an insurance bill
before the last session Of the legisla-
ture and for other personal uses were
made by Eugene M. Walla, former
chief clerk of the motor vehicle de-
partment, testifying today at the trial
of Thomas Hall on charge of en-
bezzlement. Mr.. Walla is under ar
rest and awaiting trial. for completely
in the same crime.
After Mr.. Walla had told his story
of how Secretary Of State Hall had
made it practice of using the mon
ey of the automobile registration
fund for his own personal use by
placing checks and slips in the cash
drawer. He was submitted to a
gruelling cross-eXamination by the
defense during which his entire past
was brought to light and during the
course of which he admitted having
been short in his accounts with a for
mer employer, the McCu]loch- Mud
gett company Of Jamestown. He I'D
mitted coming to Bismarck to work
in the Office Of the sac:e'a1y Of state
in 1918 owing approximately S2,375,
much Of which had been laid back at
this time.
Emphatically he denied, under
DISCRIMINATION, that he had been
promised nlunity for taking the stand
against Thomas Hall and that he had
benefited any from the shortage in
the account Of his department. He
also denied on questioning by attor-
ney for the defense that he had told
Attorney Stutsman, one of Mr.. Halls
lawyers, of any plan to trap Attor-
ney General William LANCER, Thomas
Hall or Governor Lynn J. Frazier in
to his home with secret witnesses to
get evidence against any Of them. He
also denied having admitted to State
Examiner J. R. Waters that he took
any of themoney which was short in
his department.
During the course of the cross ex-
animation Of Mr.. Walla, the defense
introduced and had admitted as evil
dence notes, checks and leaves of the
ledger of the McCulloch- Mudgett
company of jamestown as proof of
Walla's record in connection with
that company. With the leaves of
the company's ledger in his hands,
Walla was questioned by attorney for
the defense concerning an alleged
false entry made by Mr.. Walla to
cover up shortage in his account
with the McCullough-M udgett COM
pany. Walla admitted that the en-
try had been made in his handwriting
and that he had used some of the
con1pany's money for his own person.
al use
Taking the stand shortly before 10
o'clock this morning, Mr.. Walla told
story of the history of the auto
registration department from the
time he entered it as a clerk up until
, the time of his arrest on a charge Of
embezzlement, connecting Mr.. Hall
with many specific instances when he
secured money from the auto fund by
placing checks, or slips Of credit in
the drawer. Some of these slips and
checks, Mr.. Walla stated, remained
in the safe for eight and nine months
without redemption.
In June, 1917, Mr.. Walla swore,
there were checks and slips of Mr.
Halls in the cash drawer to the
amount Of approximately $4,000. At
this time, after Mr.. Hall had removed
the slips of credit to his own Office, he
wentintoMr. Halls office while Mr..
Hall was out and took from a drawer
in his desk the checks and slips and
made memorandum of them. This
memorandum was admitted into the
evidence. The witness also testified
that at the close Of 1916 there were
approximately $500 of Mr.. Halls
slips and checks in the safe which
had been held for seven or eight
months. At the close Of 1916, Walla
said in his testimony that there was
between ST 200 and 81 400 of Mr..
Halls slips and checks on hand which
had not been taken up by him.
"Can you say whether this practice
of taking cash out Of the drawer and
putting slips and checks in was con-
tinued throughout the year 1917, ask
ed Assistant Attorney General Bren-
nan.
ut was" testified Mr.. Walla.
DO you recall the amount of Mr..
Halls checks and slips in the till
around June 1917" questioned the
prosecutor.
81 don't recall the exact amount"
replied Mr.. Walla, "but it was around
SO, 1000" I"
The witness went on to relate, in
answer to Mr.. Brennan's questions,
specific instances in which Mr.. Hall
came to him with demands for money
from the auto registration fund. He
mentioned as some Of these instances
the purchase of 13 calves and heifers,
the financing of his last political cam
paign and the expense Mr. Hall was
under lobbying for an insurance bill
at the last session Of the legislature
He also stated that Mr.. Hall came to
him for money on two different &C.
casions.
TEN WITNESSES LAY BLAME
ON HALLS CLERK
Bismarck, Dec. 21.-Ten witnesses
from jamestown took the stand late
this afternoon in defense of Secre-
tary of State Thomas Hall, on trial
on a charge of embezzling $4,000 OF
the states registration fund and tes-