Evening star., 1922-03-05
LEN SMALL TRIAL
OPENS TOMORROW
Nationwide Attention At
tracted Because of Charges
of EmbezzIement.
Bv the Sssociated press

BY the Associated Press.
WAUKEGAN. ILL.,. March 4.-For the
first time in the history of Illinois its
chief executive will go on trial dur
ing his term Of office in the court
house here Monday.
Not since the impeachment and re-
moval of William Sulzer from the
governoTship of New York in 1913
has the governor of any American
state faced charges so serious or
which have attracted the widespread at
tention as those pending against Len
Small. twenty eighth Governor of 1lli-
nois. and his fellow defendants. Lieut.
Gov. Fred E. Sterling and Vernon
Curtis. banker of Grant Park. Ill.
Two Others Indicted.
In Illinois 1O4 years of statehood
only two other governors have ever
each of the previous cases the court
dismissed the charges without trial
because of their trivial nature.
Although Gov. Small and Messrs:
Sterling and Curtis are charged joint
ly with conspiracy to defraud the
state through embezzlement of funds
from the state treasury during the
terms Of Mr.. Small and Mr.. Curtis as
state treasurer, only the governor
will go on trial here Monday: Mf.
u
Lake county from Sangamon county
with that of the governor. was grant
ed a separate trial by Judge Claire Z.
Edwards, presiding in circuit court
here. Lieut-Gov. Sterling did not ask
for a change of venue and his case
is still pending in the Sagamon coun-
ty circuit court at Springfield.
Originally there were four indict-
ments against Messrs. Small. .Ster-
ling and Curtis. three Of which In
volved the governor, but only one
the conspiracy case-remains.
:. Charged With EmbeszlinE..
One. indictment. charging the three
was -quashed by Judge Edwards be-
cause of technical errors. The court
also quashed several counts in the
conspiracy Indictment. which remains
to- be tried, and a charge of OPP
Grating confidence game. The
trial on an indictment charging en-
bezzlement of 100000 during his
term as state treasurer. but the state
objected to trying this case first. and
when the Judge insisted c. Fred Nor
timer, states attorney of SangamOn
county, dismissed the Indictment.
The fourth indictment, which was
never brought to Waukegan, charged
Mr.. Sterling with embezzling 100000.
The conspiracy indictment charges
the two former treasurers with en-
tering into a conspiracy with Mr..
Curtis to defraud the state out of
large sums due it as interest. Curtis
owned the charter of the Grant Park
Bank. former private banking in
stitution, which, the state alleges.
absolutely ceased to function as a
bank afrer 1906."- Grant Park is town
Of 600 population in Kankakee county.
few miles from Gov. Smalrs home.
To this private bank, the state
claims, Mr.. Small and Mr.. Curtis
the former as state treasurer in 1917
is and the the latter in 1919, 20
other security than Mr.. Curtis GER
tificate of deposit The money was
then loaned to four Chicago packing
companies, Armours, Swifts. Morris
and the Cudahy Packing Compan ny,
on short-term notes paying from 5
to per cent interest. of which, it is
claimed, mot more than per cent"
was turned into the state treasury.
Amount Involved Unknown.
The bill of particulars filed by the
state claims the total profits in the
alleged conspiracy are. unknown, be-
of the records of the treasurer's
office then his terms expired and be.
cause part of the books or Swift &
Co. "have not yet been found" The
state charges the three defendants,
with the late Senator Edward Curtis.
non Curtis, kept s535.00o of state
fupds ...for their personal and pri.
vate property and the property OF
others unknown" in addition to the
SUM- of interest retained.
GOV. Small and Lieut.. Gov. Sternng
treasurer's Office. the state says: one
accounting for q so-called vault
fund, which was lent to banks
throughout the state, and the other.
known as the safe fund covering
money placed in the Grant Park BANK:
particulars alleges, the funds in the
Grant Park Bank alone earned $ss4,,
06628 in interest, while the total
amount Of interest, discounts and
profits accounted FOR by MT. small
from all funds in his charge was only
Park Transactions alone exceeded the
total of all interest accounted Tor, by
the governor by -$474,056.1S, the bill
alleges.
funds in the Grant PARK X sank san,x curing ~
cess @ of $s1S, 1891" claiming the ex-
act total is unknown because the
swift & Co. books have not been
found. The bill claims MI. Sterling
failed to turn over TO 3.ds.s tne state at
least $345,634.15 Of the interest earned
on the packers loans.
Bank Had Use Of Millions.
Duripp Mr. Small's term as treas
urer the Grant Park Bank Is said to
have had the Gse Of $17.s1s;50o. while
in Mr.. Sterling's tw6-year term $11.-
55o, 900. was placed IN the pretended
and fictitious bank.
when Edward A. Miller, present