Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-01-28
THE GRAHAM TRIAL
Few People Attend Court Where Ex-
Governor Is on Trial for Larceny.

This is the second week of the
trial of Ex-Governor Horace F. Ora
ham of Craftsbury, in Washington
county court, on the charge of lar
Iceny and embezzlement of state funds
while he was state auditor from 1913
to 1917.
There is little public interest in the
trial judging from the number of peo-
pie who are in the court room at
Montpelier.
The state has been able to show
and the defense does not deny, the
drawing of the 149 orders claimed in
the Indictment and their passing
through the banks as claimed. There
was also the concession by Mr.. Ora
hams counsel, that the money cashed
on the orders of the State treasurer
was drawn by Mr.. Graham, and used
by him in his accounts. At no time,
however, did the respondent allow
the word personal" to be applied to
the phraseology which the State tried
to use in connection with it's presen-
tation of its evidence as intending to
show that Mr.. Graham had taken
funds that did not belong to him. Mr..
Graham in court although not on the
witness stand, spoke loudly enough
for the jury to hear, admitting that
he deposited the orders to his own
account.
The banks in which Mr.. Graham
had accounts were the White River
National bank of Bethel, The Citi-
zens Savings Bank of ST. Johnsbury,
and the National bank of Newnort.
Witnesses from these banks were on
the stand James F. McCarten of the
National bank in Newport testified
is to the accounts in that bank show
ng overdrafts scattered between
April 80, 1913, and January 1917, a
total of 10 of them ranging S1.o6 20
JS24.67. Some SO of the orders were
Tread and they were conceded except
| one which did not belong to that
bank and one which the State with
drew.
The account was not closed jan
I Iuary z, 1917 and there was DEPOSIT
: at that time amounting to S252.7O
Mr.. Barber asked the witness to read
the balance in favor of Mr.. Graham
back into December, which he did
showing a balance on hand at al
times The lowest that 1t appeared
at any time was December % when 1t
was S4170, while most of the time ii
ran over $3.50, and was as high at
one time as S4S8. There was a de-
posit on December 20 of S425 but Mr..
McCarten could not tell how it was
composed. There was deposit OF
$500 on December Ia, which was
, made up of one of the checks of $500
: on the Citizens bank and $500 on the
Bethel bank.
On the other hand, in the cross ex-
animation of State Treasurer Wal
ter F. Scott, counsel for Mr.. Graham
was able to show that state officials
often over draw their accounts.
Treasurer Scott testified tomethOds
r of paying state orders, sometimes IN
advance. These, however, were al
ways covered later by receipts. On
Z cross-examination, it developed that
in many instances sums We're drawn
= by officials in advance when the def
mite amount of the probable expense
was not known. He admitted OF
cross examination the fact that othe1
10 state officials had overdrawn account:
in certain departments, mentioning
the fact in one instance of refunt
= made by former Gov. Charles w
Gates of $4,000 while he was stat
L highway commissioner. 1t was moth
ING out of the ordinary for the audi
t, tor to draw considerable sums
himself in round numbers, maxim:
ID refunds later. Mr.. Scott said ther
was nothing unusual about the Gfa
c. ham orders in question. In the e&
ANIMATION of the present state auo
70 itor. BENJAMIN Gates, showed tina
in some years Mr.. Graham's accoun
W had been overdrawn, while IN othe
wears the state owed Mr.. Grahan
TX In 1913 there was an unvoucned 10
6 overdraft of S1643.16 while IN III
there was a balance owing Mr.. Grs
ir ham by the state of $401.74 and ]
1915 a balance due him OF S5Of. AZ
It, In 1916 there were. unvoucned Io
20 overdrafts of S2659.93-