Evening star., 1922-06-25
SMALL. ACQUITTED
OF FRAUD CHARGE
Pandemonium SWays Court
as Friends Pour In to
Grasp His Hand.
JURY OUT HOUR AND HALF
Defense Contended Official Never
Pro6ted From Bank-Trial
Lasted Nine Weeks.
JURY OUT HOUR AND HALF
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WAUKEGAN, ILL.,, June 24.-The
jury trying Gov. Len Small found him
jury was out one hour and thirty five
minutes.
Cheers that shook the rafters of
the ancient Lake county courthouse
greeted the verdict. Friends by
scores poured through the gates to
the bar inclosure, seeking to grasp
the governors hands. The flashlights
and for minutes pandemonium
reigned.
While the jury was celebrating the
governor. confident of acquittal, die
tated a statement to his private sec
retary. It said:
1.-THE verdict of not guilty is a re-
suit was always sure would follow
in the trial Of the case against me.
and this for the reason that I knew
there was no guilt.
"I was particularly desirous that
the people of the state of Illinois
should know fully and in detail each
and every transaction which was in
the hands of the persons who in
spired this prosecution.
"The people of Illinois have their
answer.
II will return to my Official duties,
and If these people who have been
seeking to destroy my usefulness will
take the verdict of this jury as a re-
pudiation Of their methods I will,
with the help of God, give to the peo-
pie of Illinois the best administration
I am capable. LEN SMALL" .
Started Year Ago.
The case against Gov. Small of Illi-
nois started nearly a year ago. when
the grand jury of Sangamon county
began an investigation at Spring
field, the capital, July 9 last. Eleven
days later Gov. Small, Lieut.. Gov.
Fred E. Sterling and Vernon Curtis,
banker of Grant Park. ILL.,, and
brother Of the late Senator Edward
Curtis, were indicted.
There were four indictments. The
three defendants were charged with
embezzling 100000. Gov. Small alone
was charged with embezzling $500, 900
during his term as state treasurer.
Lieut.. Gov. Sterling was charged with
embezzling 100000 while he was
state treasurer. The fourth indict-
ment charged the three jointly with
conspiracy and operating a confidence
game involving $2,00O,OO0 of state
money.
The case went to trial nine weeks
ago.
The essence of the states charges
was that the governor. while state
treasurer, conspired with Senator
Curtis to loan state funds to the
Chicago packers on >short-term notes
paying as high as 81 per cent inter-
est, Of which only 2 per cent was al
legged to have been paid to the state.
Bank Revived, Charge.
For the purposes of the alleged
conspiracy, the prosecution claimed,
Senator Curtis revived the name of
defunct private bank, the Grant
Park Bank, had So worth Of demand
and time certificates of deposit, de-
posit slips and stationery printed.
bought ledger and a rubber stamp
and began operations.
The governors defense, as outlined
in the closing arguments. was that
arrangements with Senator Curtis
were made when Chicago banks re-
fused to post collateral to secure state
deposits and objected to taking state
money ON demand certificates. It was
necessary, the defense argued, that
the state funds be in liquid securi-
ties, 80 that large sums could be
quickly obtained to meet expenses In
cident to wartime Preparations.
Not one cent OF the profits of the
Grant Park Bank ever went to the
governor. the defense contended.