The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-17

IL udS Dccu D. pTdCLlCc lOI ocNoIo al
years to send out application blank,
two or three months In advance Of
the new year, testified W. r. Edwards
of the state examiners Office, first
witness for the state in its prosecu-
ion of an embezElement charge
against the secretary Of state Dur
ing November and December, 1916,
approximately 400 of these applica.
tions came back accompanied by q 50
fee In payment for the 1917 licenses
The secretary OF. states Office, ;depOs-
tied these checks, without serial num-
bers Identifying the licenses which
they covered, as a part Of Its 1910
business, testified Mr.. Edwards, and
this alleged deception was not detect.
ed by Warwick, Mitchell, Peet Co., he
testified, but the $1,000 which actQ.
ally anticipated 1917 business. Ed.
wards claims, was accepted by these
accountants as covering 1916 tags IT
which a record had been kept, and
in this way balance was struck, and
the accounts in the state secretary's
office squared. 49, ~. =.
Books and records. which are to
tOrm exhibits for the state arrived 4 !;
the court this morning by the dray-
load and in bushel baskets. Only six'
teen exhibits had been introduced up
to noon, and the examination o. Ed,
wards had only begun At the pres.
ent rate'it becomes apparent tilatI tho
itrial will consume at least a week,
and probably longer. Each exhibit Is
being carefully examined by each in
dividual juror at the request OF As
sistant Attorney General Brennan,
conducting the prosecution. ...
Edwards told Of finding that license
tage were issued two and three
months in advance of the year which
they covered. The fees, he stated,
covering these registrations, to the
number Of 400, deposited with the
state treasurer in November and De-
cember, 1916, were no identified by .
license number, as were those cover
ing business for the remainder OF
the year. -...
The entire morning was consumed
with the introduction and examination
of exhibits for the state, including
practically every book and ledger and
file included in the bookkeeping ma.
chinery OF the automobile registra'
tion department of the secretary OF
states office. Each was introduced
singly and identified with much min
uteness of detail Original nnd dupli-
cate typewriter records of deposits
made by the secretary of state with
the state treasurer from Noe. %, 1916,
on were produced. lens shown on the
depOsit slip for Nov. %, 1916, were
identified by numbers corresponding
with the tags for which the fees were
received.
DEPOSITS made on Dec. Is, 1916 are
recorded in the same manner as those
for Nov. %, except that serial number
of tags for which fees were received
are not indicated, and this mark OF
Identification does not reappear dur
ing the remainder of the year. When
the Warwick, Mitchell, Peet report
was made Dec. 81, 1916, the depart
ment was not charged with the 4W
1917 applications for which 1t had
received credit to the amount of about
I,ZUU III INC SCdtC JCdouiOi oAAoo'
thus balancing the books for 1916, SAID
Edwards. The witness then gave
specific instances by which he sought
to prove that there was deposited IN
November and December. 1916. and
credited to 1916 business fees for tags
which did not go out of the office un'
. til January, 1917.
The report of Warwick, Mitchell,
Peet Co. for the period ending Dec.
81 was introduced and offered In evi'
dence by the state This report dates
back to July 1. 1913.
July /, 1913, $1,74l was shown as
balance actually on hand In banks
where it had been deposited by the
secretary of state. Receipts for the
period were shown to be automobile
licenses, S4,624, totaling s253,275;
4,297 otorcycle tags, sl2.S91, and other
items making the total receipts for
the 3k year period $267.276.04. IN
which Warwick, Mitchell, Peet CO.
Smade no charge for Aug. 1917 receipts
but giving the secretary OF states OF
fee credit for the deposit OF these
1917 funds made prior to Dec. 81.
w. r. Edwards Of the state examln
er's office went on the stand as the
states first witness against Secretary
of State Thomas Hall this morning
and repeated the story he told ct the
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