Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-12
ButterlUeck
Signed Many Notes
Continued from Pare One

OtYILCU INUILY NOteS
Continued from Paee One
companying mortgages, Scip asserted,
because General Harry c. Trexler. his
financial hacker, did not want him to
go on so many bonds for Butterwock.
and he allowed the latter to do the sign
ing for him. so Fritz" the generals =
bookkeeper, and the secretary to the
general. j. Thomas Schantz, could not
check up on him.
Seip declared he would prove But.
terweck and Sterner were so connected
in business way that they were part
1915 Butterweck' life was insured ut
the instance of Sterner for $50 900.
Sterner being the beneficiary. and that
there were two other policies payable
to Sterner. Sterner knew of these poll
cies then, he said. and had had them
ever since. even paying the last premium
of SOS with n check of the Trexler
Lumber Company. of which he is treas
urer, when Butterweck because bank
rupt. could not do so himself.
Seip then went into the details OF
the financial arrangements between
Butterweck the Citizens Trust Com
pany and Sterner. He declared Sterner
gave blanket mortgage for S136 900 to
the bank to cover many bonds accom-
panying Butterweck mortgages. that
Butterweck had signed with his name,
that he had settled in cash to the extent
Of $40 800 on bonds there. and made
up his mind to pay no more. I'm
short" declared Seip. this is an eff
fort on the part of Sterner to land But
terweck in Jail, and thereby avoid pay
ment to others Of sums Of money he lie.
gally owes
Dewalt Faces Inquiry
Investigation of the ethics of former
Congressman Arthur G. Dewalt in
serving as counhe for Sterner, will be
made by the Bar Association Of Lehigh
County.
Judge Groman announced from the
bench that he would order this inves-
tigation. after Asher Seip. of counsel
for the defense, declared that Dewalt,
at the last trial of Butterwcck in June.
sat near the table of counsel for the
defense. and today sits as counsel tor
the prosecution.
II feel ! have been attacked" De-
walt had shouted. at this shaft. Ster-
ner was on the witness stand at the
time.
Sterner took the stand this morning
and testified his signatures on two notes
We're forged.
At this point. Seip requested the
withdrawal Of juror. The request
was refused, but Judge Groman eau
toned the jurors TO pay no attention
to the settlement of the witness that the
signatT:e was forged. That, he said,
was for the jury to decide.
Counsel in Sharp Tilt
The next question of Mr.. Seip
aroused gale of laughter in the court
room. How much do you pay your
counset. Mr.. Dewalt?' he asked in
cross examination. J. Washington
Logue, Of counsel for Sterncr, and asso.
"iated with District Attorney Iobst in
the case, objected to the question. He
cited precedents declaring the ques.
tion immaterial. and said the validity
of the signature was the only question
involved. There is no authority in the
statutes of Pennsylvania. he said, for
such a question. the rules for cross ex-
animation holding the examiner down
to that which is brought out in the ex-
animation in chief. The Court. how
ever. sustained Mr.. Logues objection.
Continuous wrangling over techni-
calities between opposition counsel
marked today's session. So frequent
were Seip's objections, and so often
were they sustained, that Judge Gro
man, turning to former Congressman
Eewalt, associated in the case with
District Attorney Iobst, finally ex-
planned. We are trying this case
Technically, and all the rules Of evi-
dence will be carried out"
Bank President Testifes
Frederick Lichtenwalner, president
of the Citizens Trust Company, was
the first witness called. He identified
the two notes, upon which the case
hangs. One is for $1,000, the other for
$500.
After having identified the notes. Mr..
IiChtenwallner said he had received
them from Miss Kathryn Kramlich,
Buttcrweck $ secretary, in a sealed en- :
velope, and turned them over to Harvey
Erdman, note tel Ter Of his bank. Erd-
man. on the stand, identified the notes,
saying he received them January 3.
1921. After much wrangling with Mr..
Seip, Mr.. Dewalt finally succeeded in
getting an answer to one Of his cues =
tions, Seip's objection being overruled.
Did you place the name of Fred
Sterner on those notes." he asked.
No" answered Erdman.
Upon cross examination Erdman ad =
mtted the notes had left his hands for
some hours, and were during that time
accessible to other employees Of the bank
Judge Groman at this point emphasized
the point that the present case is one
Of forgery only. j. Thomas Schantz
private secretary to General Harry G.
Trexler, was next called, but withdrawn
without examination. as was Fred II
Sterner. whose signature is in dispute
Miss Helen Oberly, notary public,
whose signature is attached to most OF
Butterweck's mortgages, was mex,
called. Hundreds of these mortgages, il
is alleged, are worthless. as they are
alleged to be either duplicates Of valid
first liens on properties. or in reality
third, fourth, fifth. sixth and seventh
liens, instead of first liens, as Butter
week Is alleged to have represented
when he sold them to confiding people
in Allentown.
Miss Oberly identified her signature
and seal, also Butterweck's signature
and then was cross examined by Seip
She could not swear whether she
actually saw Butterweck sign certain
mortgages shown her, or whether she
took his acknowledgment over the tele-
phone. I.