The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-02
According to the Testimony
Brought Out in Trial of
the Williams Case
AUDITORS DATES
SHOW DISCREPANCY
Auditor Gates Asked Bank
Commissioner to Attend
to Graham Accounts

, again to-day in the trial of the case OF
state VS.. Bank Commissioner +. c. viii.
liams OF Newport, who is charged with
, malfeasancc in office in not reporting
] conditions in the auditors Office while
, Il. +, Graham was auditor. 1t was
brought out in cross examination that
! Mr. Gates had no personal knowledge Of
J what vouchers Graham presented to VIII
, ilams to cover expenditures of money.
/ He only knew as far AS the records
showed, and the defense make an effort
to show by Mr.. Gates that vouchers
might be moved.
The state objected to the question, de-
claring that from the question it was
apparent that the defense intended to
defend on the ground Of padded vouchers.
Considerable argument developed relative
to allowing the witness to express an
loplnion about the vouchers being placed
in the files or removed
The defense took an exception to the
ruling of the court in refusing the de-
tense the ! .ght to cross examine the wit
ness along the line he had pressed; and
when asked what he was trying TO show
the defending attorney said the question
explained itself Attorney General Bar.
ber interiected a remark relative TO the
conduct of the respondents case and !.
Ward Carver, attorney for the respond.
ent, advised the attorney general that
the defense needed no help from the
state in conducting its case.
Two files were presented, ono for Sl0O
and one for 500, in which there was a
discrepancy between the date of record.
ing on the daybook and ledger, as com.
pared with the record on the files. The
| files date was almost year later than
on the books. The same discrepancy ap-
peared relative TO $500 drawn to Graham
under date of July 10, 1912, and entered
on the ledger as Of July %, 1912, while
the files showed the recording occurred
May % 1918. On an order for $500 there
also appeared to be difference of several
months between the date on file and on
the records A similar difference was
noted in other instances.
An effort was made by the defense
this morning To show the looseness of the
system, which il employed In the audi.
tors Office, in making advances TO the
state offices: and Mr. Carver offered to
show through Mr.. Gates that it was the
system of the Office to make advances to
the state officials and that the practice
had prevailed for long time
When asked to explain further relative !
to the matter, he stated that he would |
offer TO show that very large sums of |
money are advanced on the appropria
tlons OF the departments to state officials |
and that IN the present regime as much |
as S300,000 has been advanced to state |
officers. He made an effort to present |
this as showing a practice long before |
Graham came into office
The state tried 10 prevent the intro. |
duction of that evidence, claiming ii had !
made no such effort. The defense ar
gued that the court had allowed the state
to present evidence showing that the
system Of making advances in Graham's
account had covered period before VIII
liams came into Office, and that now the
defense wanted to show that it was done
in other accounts, as well as Grahams.
Tire court took the matter under consid
GRAFTON during the noon hour, although
IL ruled against the defense relative to
the general scope of the matter; but it
ruled that certain parts of the system
were admissible. The state took exeep-
tions.
Mr. Gates testified that he learned in
1917 of the alleged shortage in the office
of the auditor and that Williams told
him about it early in 1918 when the con.
versation occurred between Joslyn and
Williams Mr.. Barber, in opposing the
asking of the questions relative to Mr.
Gates conversation with Williams. com
plimented Mr. Carver upon the adroitness
with which Carver put his questions,
which brought a smile over the faces of
those in the court room.
Auditor Gates Talked with Williams
About Graham Matter. c
Auditor Gates testified yesterday aft. {
crnoon that he conversed with Williams :
about the alleged shortage Of Mr. Ora. {
ham and that Williams told him that he e
had tried to have the matter adjusted :
and that he had written Graham about t
the matter. This first conversation took
place in March or April, 1918. He had |
heard Williams and Joslyn talking about d
.he matter in the vault and he went 4
here and asked Williams what he was 4
going to do about the account Williams :
.old him that the governor had promised !
% fix it and that he wanted the matter \
iXed up. Williams admitted having
of it preceding that time and 5
tated that he had talked to the governor t.
lbout the matter and that he had known G
ibout it for several years. B
The witness testified they had talked
bout it at times since then but he o
Gates could not tell just when they fl
lad talked about the accounts in gen a
raj way but not in detail; Williams cl
,romised to make an effort towards an
djustment and tWillisms) told the wit 81
less he had seen Graham about the mat b.
cr and had written him about It. b.
Considerable time was used up with b,
he discussion of the two items which rC
we're advanced to the highway depart. s.
nent, the one for 81 200 and the other H
or 81 500. Mr. Gates testified there was T
% way that he knew of in which the OF
ouchers could be filed showing a credit. W
ir Gates drew laugh from the specta- ci
ors and court officers. The court asked r.
lr. Gates relative to what appeared on 50
he orders named for the above sums. W
There had been great deal of arg1I.
leut between counsel relative to the pa M
ers being the best evidence and the FIJI
1urt was called upon to rule freuuently.) W
lr Gates replied that "the orders were ba
he best evidence, he believed" The or. tn
ers were introduced as evidence. Ipl
Mr.. Gates testified at some length upon nc
b details Of the orders He stated he nc