Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-06-13
ACCUSED BANK
OFFICERS READY
'TOFACE music.
Justice to Move Swiftly
in Local Case.
PROGRESS IN PEOPLES
STATE BANK TANGLE

\
< p. m. Tuesday-C. III. BasfOrd
arrested on larceny charge.
3 a. m. Wednesday,. A. Clark
and J. Harold Pugh return to
s. Lancaster with District Attorney
Geo. B. ClementSOn.
X s a. m. Wednesday-Pu and
Clark arrested on embezzlement
charge.
4 D. m. Friday-C. III. BasfOrd i
held to now pending term of cir
cult court on charge of embezZle-
& ment. Bail set at $4,000. Bail =
provided by AdOlph Vesperman,
So. Lancaster farmer.
p. m. Friday-Pugh and Clark
held to now pending term OF !
circuit court ON embezzlement
x charge. Bail set at $4,000. Pugh
bail provided by S. w. DOOlittIe.
* Clark bail provided by Lambert
GrOenier and JOS. Godfrey.
8 a. m. Monday-Pugh and
x Clark enter People State Bank to )
assist Examiner Edwards in
= Strengthening out tangle.
4 y =
The above is a concise statement OF
the events of the past week surround
ing the Peoples State Bank suspen-
sion.
District Attorney Clementson in his
statement elsewhere, fully covers the
methods used in getting in touch with
Pugh and Clark and their return &c
Lancaster.
The two defendants who summarily
ran away Saturday week ago re-
turned with Mr.. Clementson Wednes-
day morning. They remained in the
sheriff's custody until Saturday when
bail was provided for them.
While all three cases are set fol
the present session of court, on this
week, it is considered unlikely that
the Basford case will go to trial al
once although Special Prosecutor
Carthew expresses a willingness tC
try the case Immediately. S. H. Tay-
lor has been retained as counsel by
Mr.. Basford.
1t is said on good authority that
both Pugh and Clark see the folly Of
their leaving Lancaster. They de-
cline to state where they spent their
time in Chicago. The boys got in
touch with Mr. Clementson Tuesday
through a Chicago intermediary. Mr.
Clementson and Sheriff Edge went tc
Chicago that night and after some
negotiation next day the district at
torney saw the men personally
Touching letters from home asking
both young men to come back anC
face the music" no doubt had a good
deal to do with their final determine.
ton to come peaceably.
Examiner Edwards has made nc
exact statement as to the probable
amount of defalcations and any state
ment made as to a specific shortage
is untrue Mr. Edwards says it will
take some time to get at the bottom
and determine the true losses wheth.
er large or small. The authorities
are not optimistic as to there being
no defalcations. In fact the opposite
is inferred. Mr.. Edwards has NJ
opinion to express at present as to ar
actual condition of affairs in the
bank.
Pugh and Clark by their willing,
ness to come back have helped mat
tiers appreciably and their offer tC
enter the bank and assist the exam
liner in every way possible will doubt
less be accepted. Just what will hap
pen after the wind-up is up to the au-
thorities. 1t is said that both young
men agree to abide by the result o.
the official findings without an at
tempt to fight the case. This means
they will take their medicine"
The penalty for embezzlement is
from one to twenty years, in the dis
erection of the court. All facts includ.
ing any mitigating circumstances, il
any exist, are laid before tria
Judge. In cases of this kind NJ
recommendation is made. The cour1
decides the case upon the facts an(
evidence and sets the penalty.
To date street talk surrounding tht
case has been at the ratio of sixteer
to one Sixteen parts gossip am
rumor to one part fact.
1t might be further said that to date
while the state has reason to believe
that defalcations have occurred NJ
case exists as yet. 1t is up to the
state to prove the guilt of the banf
Officials and until this is done NJ
basis of prosecution is apparent. Pool
judgment in making loans, acceptance
of dead-beat paper, ETC., does not con
stitute criminal offense or moral tur
pitude, although such acts would
wreck any bank. The acceptance o
deposits without making proper credi
upon the bank books, the utterance o
forged notes, the disposal of notes
etc., properly belonging to other PEG
ple, the taking of bank funds for per
sonal use-these are some of the Of