The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-07
WILLIAMS UNDER
HOT EXAMINATION
Attorney General Tries to
Break Respondents
Testimony
EVIDENCE is
NEARLY ALL IN
Governor Graham is in Montpelier, But
it is Understood He Will Refuse to
Be a Witness in Present case-Yes-
terday's Evidence.
terday's Evidence.
[ Especial to The Rcformcr.)

MONTPELIER, Jan. Z .
1t looks now as if all the evidence in
the case against Bank Commissioner
Frank C. Williams would be in by late
this afternoon or tomorrow morning At
noon the defense was about completed
and il was understood that the state
had but small amount OF evidence to
introduce in rebuttal.
The greater part of this morning was
devoted to continuation of the cross
examination of the respondent by At
torney General Barber, who tried siren
nously to break down the testimony of
the bank commissioner as to the time he
discovered the Graham shortage At
the end of this attempt attorneys for
the respondent professed TO be much
pleased with the showing he had made.
There was a hot debate between coun-
sci when the respondents attorneys
made an effort TO introduce reports
made by Auditor Graham to show that
it was the practice TO make advances
to all departments. Judge Stanton
ruled against the introduction of these
reports but in SO doing said that all the
reports contained that bore on the case
already was in evidence.
Governor Graham is here, but it is
understood he viii stand on his con
stitutional rights and refuse to testify
in the Williams trial.
There was but little testimony of i'm
portance Yesterday afternoon The de
Tense gave way TO the 'eross-examina-
a.. II pa-e
Der made a determined endeavor to
break down the testimony which Mr.
Williams gave. Mr.. Barber eross-eN-
Williams gave. Mr. Barber cross-ques-
toned the witness as to his early life,
entering into details which appeared
simply to prolong the time and to bring
out no important facts. Then he asked
Mr. Williams many questions relative
TO the methods of bookkeeping when he
was in the lumber business, to which
the respondent testified that the book
/ keeper handled the books for the most
parf. He also asked Mr.. Williams rela-
| tive to cases he may have had when
| practicing law that bore up upon the
| collection department or bookkeeping.
| The state tried to show that the wit
ness covered up some of the evidence
relative to the accounting system IN the
auditors IS Office, but apparently de-
veloped nothing of material WORTH Sew
eral tiffs of language between the re-
spondent and attorney, both of which
| showed inclination towards anger, ap-
peared and both became sarcastic at
times TO the amusement of the spec.
| tators.
/ Mr.. Williams denied the statement
of Auditor Gates that he told Gates
| that he had known of the shortage fol
some time He repeated his testimony
of Saturday, when he said that he frs'
knew of the trouble when the red inf
balances were found on the present au
| ditor IS books, dwelling upon the state
ment that he knew nothing of the at
fair until he commenced his investiga
tion after finding the red ink balance
in March, 1915 Missing specimens
identified as evidence took little tim'
Monday afternoon. The state had then
last and they were found in the clerk Z
Office