Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
COMM R WILLIAMS
TRIAL IS BEGUN
Attorneys Battle Over Jurymcn
Small Attendance in Court
RoOr1

MONTPELIER Dec. 3O.-The trial of
Frank G.. williams. charged with NAL
feasance in Office by neg1ecting to per-
form the duties laid down by the
statutes commenced in Washington
county court at two O'Clock this after
noon.
Tho State was represented by II. a.
Barber and Il. Il. Davis. and Mr.. Will
Jams was represented by Frank Plum =
ley and J. Ward Carver, while Edward
Cook Of Lyndcnv.lle sat back at one
side listenlDg to the case, There was
not a large attendance during the aft
ernoon. most OF which was given to tho
selection OF a jury. The respondent
waived the reading oe the indictmen.
and the State appea-ed agreeable TO
that. but the court, after conference de-
cided hat the rcsultr course would be
followed and the seven counts in the
indictment wer~ read.
Sixteen ir"ymen were called this
afternoon, two being disqualified be-
cause they had '"rmed an opinion.
These were V. y '"crs OF Barre and
L. b. Adams Of "shneld while two
were challenged. g. r. Ping OF Mont
pelier and John Haley of Barro town,
so that the jury was not completed, al
though the - then in the box were
feps together during the night.
Tuesday morning the effort to secure
n jury will be continued.
The counts upon which Mr.. williams
is charged with nalfeasance arc:
That he failed TO make examination of
the books provided by statute for the
fiscal year ending JUNE 80 1916
That he failed to make Export TO the
legislature of 1917 relative to the records
+ Tor hte year ending June 80, 1916
Tlnt h. foi InI ,ert,
lature the fact we'll known to him that
II. f. Graham had without lawful right
withdrawn and distracted from the
State treasurer funds, involving 800 900
in periods ending June 50, 1910, 1872 and
1914.
That he also knew of fraudulent orders
80 which Mr.. Graham obtained $4,000 in
ID ending June 30. 1916.
fifth count is similar to the third
1g that it covers a different
ending June 10, 1910, 1912 and
sixth count resembles the fourth
excepting taking a different phase of the
$1,000 alleged shortage.
The seventh count involves the failure
to report his knowledge to the Legisla-
ture
The Graham case came into promi-
ncICe at lle very DtSl1lHlUB VI lHe SeleC-
ton of jurymen. Mr.. Berdan of Water
bury was selected and then V. E. Ayers
Of Barre was disqualified on the grounds
that he had an opinion as to the alleged
shortage when Mr.. Graham was auditor
and that it would take evidence to re-
move that The respondents counsel
stated that it believed the man disqual-
flied. The State objected, claiming it did
not rely upon whether there was a short
age in the Office in presenting it's case,
contending that the fact that there was
was not shortage had little bearing.
but that the Safes claim was that the
respondent failed to report his findings
to make an audit when it should have
been done.
Il. Is. Adams, the next juryman, was dis
qualified for the same reason as Mr.
Ayers. The work of examination of the
witnesses was slow, because individual
examination took place. While the clerk
was reading the indictment against Mr.
Williams he remained standing back of
the table, leaning a part of the time
against it, and at the end he promptly
pleaded not guilty to the charge
1t required about Is minutes to read the
Indictment.