The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-19
CROLL STILL
ON STAND IN
SMALL CASE
Defense Objections to Ar.
mour Loan Data Are
Overruled.

/
! Associated Press) - Memoranda
of loans made to Armour & Co., by
the late Senator Edward c. Curtis,
7 former banker at Grant Park, ILL.,,
occupied the attention of court,
counsel and jury as the trial OF
Governor Len Small, charged with
| conspiracy to defraud the state,
swung into the close of its fourth
week today.
To the mass of documentary evi-
dence laid before the jury over the
vigorous objections of the defense
yesterday, the prosecution To-Day
added more data which tney de-
clared form the links connecting
the packer loans with the allegeo
conspiracy between Governor
Small. Lieutenant Governor Fred
E. Sterling, the late Senator Cur :
tbs, and his brother, Vernon Cur
tbs.
Frederick W. Croll, vice presi-
dent and treasurer of Armour q
Co., whose testimony and identlh-
cation of cancelled notes, drafts
and other mementoes of the Curtis
transactions consumed the greater
part of yesterdays session, was
still on the stand this morning. His
assistant, Arthur Crosby, was
among the waiting witnesses.
Photo Copies Are Used.
1t was the interest on these loans
to the packers that the prosecution
contends went to the pockets OF the
alleged conspirators, who with
drew public funds from the safe
account in the state treasury and
loaned the money through the
agency of the Grant Park bank" /"
the legality of which is one of the
issues in1the case which has as a
BACKGROUND the bitter factionalism
of Republican politics in Illinois.
Assistant A t t or n ey Generai
James H. Wilkerson conducted the
examination of the witness. Large
Photographic copies Of pages from
Armour & Co records were intro
duced in evidence. Defense coun-
sci today, as yesterday, lnterposed
frequent objections to the admls-
sion of documents.
An agreement was finally made
for the prosecution to use the pho
tographic copies in examination OF
the witnesses and the defense was
promised the opportunity later OF
comparing the copies with the or
iginal records in the Armour off,
! ces.
Edwards Sustains State.
Continuing the defense argument
that there is no authority in the
law for the admission Of the large
mass of Armour records, Alexan-
der F. Beaubien of the governors
counsel read from supreme court
reports from cases in which mem
oranda of a third party were ex-
cIuded from records of trials. TAX
ing up the argument, Charles c..
LeForgee, chief of the defense
counsel, contended that entries
made in Armour records were some
thing over which none of the al
legged conspirators had control and
were therefore not comp9@lt.
Judge Edwards, listening intent
ly to the argument, finally over
ruled the defense objection, assert
ing that the cases cited were not
applicable to the situation in the
governors case.
With tables covered with docu-
mentary evidence which the prose-
cution offered, Mr.. LeForgee took
up cross-examination of Mr.. Croll
shortly before the noon recess.
The witness testified that he had
never seen Governor Small until
he saw him in court for the first
time yesterday.
Loan Cards Destroyed.
Mr.. Croll, on cross-examination,
said that the cards of original en-
try of the Curtis loans were de-
stroyed as late as September, 1921.
Governor Small was indicted in
July, 1921.
Destruction of the cards, Mr..
Croll said, yesterday and again to-
day, was made in pursuance of GUS
tom after the data was transferred
to book records and after the notes
were paid.
Governor Small was absent from
the court room a considerable part
of the morning session. This was
at variance with his usual custom
during the trial as he has invariably
watched the proceedings closely
Mr. Croll said that he passed over
transactions involving millions of
dollars as a mere incident in con-
nection with his affairs as vice
president and treasurer of Armours
He said on cross-examination that
there were few red letter" days
in his life, days which left an ex-
ceptional imprint upon his memory.
Most of Armour & Co. notes are
sold by discounting. the witness