Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-17
LEGAL BATTLE
Is WACED In
RAMSTAD CASE
Trial of Poplar Banker Opens
Hardest Fought Trial of
Federal Court Term.

On charges of having given the
liabilities of the First National bank
of Poplar as 500, 900 when they should
have been $40 1000, in a report TO the
comptroller of currency, the trial OF
Otto Ramstad, former cashier of the
bank. was opened in federal court
Saturday in what has proved to be he
hardest fought case of the present
term.
Two cases are consolidated in the
trial now before the court. In addi-
ton to the charge in connection with
the report on bank liabilities, Ramstad
is accused of having made false en-
tries in his report relative to bills re-
ceivable and interest paid.
In the consolidated cases., Charles
r. Trinder, president of the Stock
mems National bank of Poplar and a
stockholder in the First National, and
Walter A. Vosbeck, vice president and
assistant cashier Of the First Ma
tional. we're co-defendants. The
charges were dismissed against these
| two, Trinder in the first case, and
Vosbeck in the second, on motion of
| the district attorney, because of in
sufficient evidence. Trinder had pre-
viously been tried and acquitted on
| two different counts
! Vosbeck u. S. Witness
Vosbeck- was the principal witness
Saturday against his former chief. He
testified as to the Poplar bank obtain
ing loans from two Minnesota banks,
| the first from the Midland National OF
J MinDeanOlis for $4,000, on q note
| secured by warrants and other collat-
eral; the second from the First Ma
! tional bank of st. Paul for some
| $4,000. A point that came up dur
! ing the testimony given by Vosbeck
was that at the time, the bank had
borrowed some two and a half times
the capital stock, / guess I'll have to
/ additional loans to carry it, or so Vos-
beck testified he told Ramstad.
And despite this enormous debt,
you mean to say that the bank needed
to borrow additional fundsF" asked
| District Attorney ]. L. Slattery.
Attorney George Hurd for the de-
tense objected to the use of the term
enormous" in referring to the debt
We'll, in view of the fact that the
| testimony has been that the loans were
two and a half times the amount OF
the ctpitaI stock, l guess I'll have to
override that objection said Judge
Bourquin.
II. d. Davis, cashier of the Midland
National bank of Minneapolis, test
fled as to the loan made by his bank
to the First National of Poplar.
G. NJ. Robbins. connected with the
First National of St. Paul, testified
along the same line in connection
with the loans made by the st. Paul
bank. Attorney Hurd indicated in his
cross-examination that the defense
nav hold that these transactions were
actua, sales of the collateral rather
than loans.
Copied Bank Report
Miss Amy Miller, a former employe
of the First National Of Poplar, test
fled az to the making of the copies
of the bank report from the office
original.
As the court adjourned Saturday to
reopen the case Monday morning
| Vosbeck was again on the stand and
the government had not yet completed
its case.
Monday had previous been set aside
by Judge Bourquin as law and motor
day and such motions and demurrers
as attorneys desire to bring before the
court will then be argued.