Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-06-23
CRAWFORD CASE
IS CREATING A
BIC INTEREST
LEO kALAHAR, BANK ENAMIN
ER TELLS OF UNCONERlNG
SHORTAGE ITEM.
"Needed the Money"
Bank Cashier Said

Attorneys for both the state and
the defense are battling for every
possible advantage in the ease Of the
people agaisnt Alfred +. Crawford,
prominent resident Of Breckenridge,
and for a score of years the cashier
of the First State Bank of Brecken
ridge, who is charged with the en-
bezzlement Of funds from the insti
tuition.
Although starting last Thursday
the case did not really get under full
headway until Monday, as the final
days of last week were used in pick
ing a jury to hear the case. Both
prosecution and defense went over
the prospective jurors with a fine
tooth comb, before being satisfied
with the twelve men, who were final
ly chosen to hear the evidence to be
submitted by the various witnesses
to be called by both sides.
William A. Bahlke of this city, A.
Mccall of Ithaca, and Atty. Stone
also of Ithaca, who are representing
the defendant in the court started
legal skirmish Monday, but met with
little success. An attempt was made
to secure a continuance, which the
prosecution vigorously opposed. The
prosecution won this point and the
next two. An attempt was made to
get endorsement Of names on the in
formation, and then an attempt was
started to get the information
squashed.
Dr. Norman Morey, a Breckenridge
dentist, was called to the stand TO
tell about particular item of $4,000
on which the embezzlement warrant
is based Morey told of having bor-
rowed the money, giving $500
mortgage and collateral for $500 to
secure the loan. Mprey claimed that
when he paid the note, he received his
mortgage and collateral, but not the
note. Later he went to the bank for
the note, he stated, and was told-that
it had been sent to correspondent
bank but probably would be back in
few days. This was in October.
January 81 Leo Kalahar and Harry
Millard, bank examiners, arrived at
the bank to examine it, said. Leo Ka-
lahar on the stand. They discovered
shortage, and when Crawford was
confronted with it he produced the
Morey note to make up the amount.
His attention, Kalahar said, was di-
rected to the fact that the note was
stamped paid He claimed that Craw-
ford said that it had been stamped by
accident. Kalahar said that they
found that it had been paid confront
ed Crawford with the fact and then
he admitted that it had been paid, and
the money deposited to an account
that Crawford is said to have used in
his lumber leadings. The account
was overdrawn at the time. Craw-
ford, said kalahar, stated that it was
thus deposited because the account
needed the money.
Tuesday Kalahar was on the stand
practically the entire day. Orville
Colthorpe, one of the employees Of the
bank who had been interested in some
lumber deals with Crawford, was put
on the stand to identify the account
and to show their lumber deal
ings in which Cothorpe said he did
the work and Crawford furnished the
money.
Wednesday several witnesses were
called to the stand to show various
transactions.
1t was shown that Ernest Muscott
of Emerson township, had paid 81 GAO
on mortgage which he had assumed
and it was claimed that this money
had been deposited by Crawford, the
cashier Of the bank to his personal
account.
Another such transaction came un-
der the spotlight Wednesday. 1t was
testified that G. w. Robnette, a
farmer, had paid 1925 on mortgage
sending the money to the bank foi
payment. 1t was claimed that Craw.
ford also deposited this to his per.
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