The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-18
ARGUMENTS IN LE|NER TRIAL TObE
MADE TODAY IN CRIMINAL COURT
FOR EIGHT HOURS YESTER-
DAY BY TIE STATE.
Vito of the Defendant on the Stand
"A Short Time-Lawyers ana
Court Confer.

An details for arguments in the case
OF Edward &. Lciner. charged with em-
bezz!rmcHt from the Brennan Lall"hc"
Dry Goods company. wcrn completed
last night. following Il two-hour session
Of the attorneys and Judge Alan II.
Robinson.
Arguments will begin at the conrcn-
Ing Of court this murninG. Attorney J.
Harold brennan. son OF the president OF
the plaintiff company. will argue the
case before the jury for tho state lie
Will be followed by Attorney J. Bernard
lIandlan. representing thu defendant.
while Prosecuting Attorney DAVID y.
Mckee will make the closing argument.
1t is understood that the arguments
will bo limited TO two hours for eitl!er
side; Mr.. brennan to speak an honr'
Mr.. uandlan TWO hours. and Mr.. Mexico
an hour. The Instructions 10 the jury
by the court promise 10 lm long.
The case has created unusual atter-
tio1, from the public and tho outcome
IL being awaited with considerable an
ticipation.
State Rests.
Tho state rested in the afternoon.
following a two days grilling of Letner
by the prosecution and defense, during
which he bore up we'll. with the oNcep-
,iun Of yesterday forenoon. when undrr
direct croSs-eXamination by special
counsel for the state. Attorney J. Harold
Brennan, he became somewhat confused
and made several contradictory stale
Ments.
Letncr confessed to tnklng in the
neiehhorhood OF 5000. but reserved the
right Of drawing on his account with
the same privilege as J. i. Brennan
Sr.. and I. \. Lallancc. Sr.. stating that
what he had taken WAS 40 more IMAM
an orcr-draft on the stock he had IN
tho company.
The books Of the Brcnnan-Lallance
dry goods company showed the totaI
losses Of the company to he S4%. T6?.9S'
vet not only the total capital stock hut
some $4,000, in addition to grand
total OF 100000 had been lost. Leincr
admitted This fact .but stated that ne
was unable IL account for the additional
$1,000, insisting. however that this
amount would be reduced by about So
600 IN uncollectablr bills. The remain
Ing $4,000 he could not give a salts
factory account for in accordance with
Attorney Breunans urgent demands.
His ovcr-draft on tho firm was only
S@o47.5Q. 1.eiuer claimed and added
that he had reduced it ut different
times by payments made into the treas
ury Of the company. On ono occasion
an insurance policy carried with the
Berkshire company WIS surrendered.
and the amount. $40. was paid on this
over-draf:. but Attorney Brennan pro-
duced statement from the insurance
company which showed that the amount
received by Leiner was only n little over
Sos. Flo admitted having become
mixed up in his accounts. and later
stated that an uncle Of Mrs. Leiner had
loaned him this s440, which he had paid
into the treasury.
The manner OF living OF tho defen-
dant was closely examined but At
torney Brennan evidenced an uncertain
~ that he could have gotten along on
what he received. and kept the automo-
bile UP. which he had purch ased with
the firms money. and presented his
wife with n diamond ring and also n
lavalllere. and still have been able TO
pay anything into tho firm on the over
drawn account
Mrs. Letner was placed on the stand
during the afternoon. but nothing be-
yond corrobatinS statements concerning
her personal bank account was taken