The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-07
WILLIAMS DENIED
LONG KNOWLEDGE
or CONDITIONS
And He Would Not Say on the Stand
That There We're Shortages in the
Auditors Accounts, But Admitted
Accounts Were Not in Good Shape.

Accounts Were Not in Good Shape.
The respondent, Frank G. Williams,
was on the stand again in Washington
county court this morning in the case Of
State VS.. Williams, who as bank commits
sioner of the state is charged with NAL.
feasanee in Office through failure to re-
port alleged shortages in the auditor Of
accounts office when FL r. Graham was
auditor. The witness was cross. exam
ined by Attorney General Barber con-
cerning the items which appeared Jon a
paper which was put in evidence Monday
by the defense. This statement was
furnished by Deputy Auditor j. Z. Joslyn
and does not agree with the testimony Of
others in the same office.l The attorney
general inquired of the witness as to his
knowledge of the items on the paper.
Attorney General Barber tried Monday
afternoon to break down the testimony
which Williams had given concerning his
early life He asked many questions
relative to the methods OF bookkeeping
he employed while in the lumber bust
ness, and the witness testified that the
bookkeeper handled the books for the
most part. He also asked Williams ques-
tions relative to cases he may have had
when practicing law that bore upon the
collection department or bookkeeping.
The state apparently tried to show
that the respondent covered up some of
the facts relative to the accounting sys-
tenn in the auditors Office, but apparent
~ it developed nothing of material
worth. Several verbal tilts were in
dulged in between the respondent and
the attorney general, there being some
indication of acrimony, which caused the
spectators to crane their necks and smile.
Williams denied the statement of
Auditor Gates that he tWiiliams told
Gates that he had known of the alleged
shortage for some time. He repeated his
testimony Of Saturday when he said that
the first he knew Of the trouble was
when he found the red ink balances on
the present auditors books He dwelt
upon the statement that he knew moth
ing of the affair until he commenced his
investigation after finding the red ink
balance in March, 1918.
Missing specimens, identified when pre-
sented as evidence, took up some Of the
time yesterday afternoon. The state had
lost them and they were finally found
locked up in the clerks vault in the
courthouse.
Mr. Barber and the witness had con
siderable discussion relative to vouchers
when Mr.. Williams testified that some Of
the department vouchers were not sworn
to, and included the word receipt" to
which Mr.. Barber replied that he was
not inquiring about receipts but vouch-
ers Later Mr.. Williams testified that he
knew Of no irregularities in the accounts
! Of other state officers than the auditor
but he declined to testify that there were
any Irregularities in the auditors Office
when, in reply to MFR, Barber's question,
he stated he didn't know there was any
thing improper about them before or at
| the present time He admitted they
were not in good shape.
| An innocent looking voucher showing
that Mr. Graham had distributed $27 ,9Se
from the consolidated school fund on his
personal check was used to show the con.
tention of the defense all along that
large advances were made to the depart
ments