Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
JURY PANElLEO
IN WILLIAMS CASE
Indications Are That Graham
Will Be Brought Into Trial
of Bank Commissioner

Montpelier, Dec. 91,-The case of Frank
c. Williams, State bank commissioner.
accused of malfeasance in office, made
progress in Washington County Court
to-day
The jury was finally selected. Attorney
general made the opening statement for
the prosecution and State Auditor Benja
min Gates was called TO the witness
stand.
Attorney General Barber said the State
would endeavor to show by evidence that
Mr.. Williams was bank commissioner
from 1909 until the time of indictment;
that he has not performed his duties
under section 56S of the general laws in
making an audit of the records Of the
office and that he had failed to comply
with section 500 of the general laws by
not making a report of his findings to the
Legislature as provided in that section.
MIR. Barber further stated that he
would attempt to show: That the COM
missioner knew the laws; that he had
an open opportunity to audit the books
at all times; that he knew the amount
of salary and expenses of II. F. Graham
as auditor durinr the time Williams
was commissioner, that each and every
year excepting two. while Williams
large balance against Mr. Graham's &C
count; that Williams knew this; that
his attention was called to that fact !;
that for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1909, there was a balance against
Mr.. Graham of $3,03936 and for the
fiscal year ending June 80 1910,
s4,41644; that in the next year it in
creased S2O5.71, in the next year
SS,SS741 in the next year s1,645.16; that
In 1914 there was on June 30 credit
in favor OF Mr.. Graham of $401.74; that
on June 80, 1915 there was a credit in
favor of him of S5O744; that June 30,
1916, there was a balance against him
of $3.50.
Continuing Mr.. Barber said the state
would endeavor to show: that on April
H. 1915, Mr.. Graham drew an order
against the highway department
amounting to $1,000; that in November,
1915, he drew another on the highway
department like the other made pay
able to himself amounting to $1,000:
that no report was made on the
ances; that in 1876 Commissioner Will
lams made a statement that he had
made an audit and found the books cor
rect: that in September, 1916, Williams
started to audit the auditors book and
continued that work until the end of
ures on the books; that there was a
.otal of s14,O4232 balance against Mr..
Graham; that the $1,000 and $1,000 and
)1,S0O items should be added to that
NO STATEMENT BY DEFENSE
Counsel for the defense made no state
ment to the jury. The State inquired
as to this, claiming that is was custom
AIRY to do so, The court held that no
given time was set as to the time that
the defense shall explain its attitude in
defense and the presentation of evidence
commenced by the showing of the APP
pointments of Williams as bank commits
eioner
Benjamin Gates was placed on the
stand and started to testify relative to
keeping the accounts, but the defense
scored a point, for it held that under
the statute of limitation that no evidence
could be presented after that period had
been passed which would be in 1915 The
State offered to show the system of book
keeping preceding that time, which was
allowed, subject to the respondents ex-
ceptions.
Mr.. Gates testified as TO the records of
the office.
1t was plainly shown that the State in
tended to bring the Graham matter into
the case, at least as far as anything that
Williams had to do with the examina-
tons. The defense in Directing to this
claimed that Williams had no knowledge
of any Irregularities until the presen,
year and that therefore the State could
not go back of this knowledge. The
State brought out through the testimony
of j. r.. Joslyn that by order of Graham
a. balance of S3S.S7 was changed by vouch-
ers presented, into a credit in favor OF
GrahanJ amounting to sl,460 in 1912.
THE JURY
The jury was completed at noon II men
having been discharged from Sc vice be-
fore the attorneys selected the men who
will try the case. The jury made up
is composed of p. d. Banfll. retired resi-
dent of Cabot; ID. u. Blake of Woodbury.
who is employed as a laborer: w. III. Ber-
dan, retired, resident Of Waterbury, who
was q years member of the New Yorl,
Ore department, and who was Is years a
lieutenant of that department but for
about 10 years has Lived In Waterbury
George L. Blanchard, president of the
Capital Savings Bank & Trust company