Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-06
rs IN JAIL
. ON 4 LUNACY WRIT
Green Sentenced to Foe
Years; Mrs. BradStreetS
Trial Is Not Yet Settled
BY ED II. BRADLEY
(staR Correspondent Of The JournaD

on William B. Green, former vice
president of the Fairburn Banking
company, convicted Of embezzlement
of $4,000 of the banks funds. The
jury returned it's verdict at 8 o'clock
Friday night, having deliberated
about one hour. Green's counsel i'm
mediately moved for a new trial and
Judge John B. Hutchinson, Of the
Stone Mountain circuit, who pres1d-
ed over tho trial, set the hearing
on the motion for May %. The $780,
600 bond of the defendant, given at
the time or his indictment several
weeks ago, was renewed and as the
bond of $4,000 covering his 1ndlct-
ment on the charge Of arson, is still
in force, Green is under total bond
of $4,000.
Judge Hutchinson also signed an
order fixing August IL as the date
Of the trial of Mrs. Catherine Queen
On whom Green is alleged
to have lavished thousands Of dol
lars and who is charged with con-
spiracy in the embezZlement of the
banks funds.
Whether or not Mrs. Bradstreet
will be tried is problematical. At
torneys for the bank Saturday re-
fused to state that they would ask,
as reported, for the state to drop the
case against her. This, they said
was a matter for the solicitor and
the Judge to decide, and what steps
if any, the bank would take in the
matter would have to be left for the
future. They indicated that the po-
sition of the bank toward Mrs. Brad
street would depend largely on the
outcome of GREEN'S appeal for new
trial. They said, too, that the posi-
bility OF dropping Gren's trial on the
arson charge, which is also set for
the august term of court, will await
developments.
The trial Of the banker had last
ed five days. Friday was taken up
with arguments by counsel on both
sides and the case went to the jury
at $3.50 o'clock last night, although
the jurors did not begin their DELHI
erations until 8 o'clock, after they
had been given supper. There were
only a few spectators in the court
room when the jury announced the
verdict. Green sat surrounded by
lis attorneys, while near him were
his wife and his mother, Mrs. E. w
Green. Solicitor General George M.
Napier represented the state. The.
defendants mother Wept when the
verdict was read, but Green himself
showed no sign of emotion and his
face never lost it's expression of in
difference. His wife was apparently
unmoved as she tried to comfort
Green's mother, saying, "God will
take care of us; everything will come
out all right
Green Protests Innocence
II have nothing to say except that
they have convicted an innocent
man." declared Green, after the YER
dict had been announced. Attorney
Allen stated that every effort would
be made to secure new trial and
expressed his confidence that YER
dict of acqulttaI would eventually be
returned.
The crime for which Green was
convicted came to light last fall,
after the burning of the Fairburn
Banking company's banking house on
the night of October 9, 1919. Green
declared that while working on the
books of the bank at midnight, he
was held up by two masked robbers,
who tied him hand and foot, looted
the bank vault and then set fire to
the building, leaving him bound and
gagged on the floor. He said he
to escape and give the
alarm, but the building was prac-
tically consumed, together with
many of the banks papers and &C
count books.
Investigations set on foot by the
state bank examiner and the Off
GERS of the bank developed the fact
that there existed shortage of ap-
proximately 100000, including $685.
600 worth of Liberty bonds. Green
was arrested on October II along
with Mrs. Bradstreet, her husband
and their negro chauffeur, Robert
Ellison. The Bradstreets were TAX
en- into custody at the Georgian Ter
race hotel, where they had apart
ments. More than $4,000 worth Of
5ewelry, furs, wearing apparel, auto
mobiles and other property were seiz-
ed by the authorities and although
a portion Of it has been returned to
Mrs. Bradstreet, the greater part was
turned over to a. receiver who dis
posed OF it and turned the proceeds
over to the bank.
Green was charged with having
looted the bank to lavish gifts on
Mrs. Bradstreet through his infatua-
ton for the young woman. During
the trial Of the case much evidence
was introduced to show that the
banker was with her constantly, fur
nishing her with money to tho
amount of many thousands of dol.
lars. The trial was held at a spe.
clal term of the Campbell superior
court and sixty veniremen were
examined before a jury could be OBJ
tanned.
Tried for E7nbezzIen1ent
Green was tried only on the indict-
ment charging embezzlement, al
though there is another true bill
against him charging arson in the
burning Of the banking house, as the
state says, to conceal the evidences
of his defalcation. Whether this ar
son charge will be pressed has not
been indicated.
The state introduced voluminous
evidence to sustain it's charges, but
the defendant relied solely on his
own unsWofn statement to the Jury
and the argument of his counsel The
taking Of testimony was concluded
Thursday and four arguments to the
jury, two on each side of the case,
consumed all of Friday. Attorneys
Fl, A. Allen and George Westmore-
land spoke for the defense, while So
licitor General George M. Napier and
Attorney Reuben R. Arnold, special
counsel for the state, made the argu-
ments for the state. Judge Hutch
eson's charge to the jury covered the
law in the case and took forty