Evening star., 1932-08-26
DUNCAN REFUND
CHECKS PROBED
IN SHORTAGE CASE
Prosecution Holds Court Rec
ordS Show No Such Bonds
as Were Listed.
DEFENSE UPHOLDS
MINGLING OF FUNDS
Counsel Declares Accused Former
Clerk Did Not Know of Short.
age of County Money.
By Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY Staff Correspondent of The Star.
ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, August 26.-Testimony in the
trial of former County Clerk William
H. Duncan on embezzlement charges
centered today around a $4,000 check
drawn by Duncan in favor of a man
identified only as William Melton.
The check was drawn on the account
In which Duncan kept county funds
and was signed by him as clerk. The
check bore the notation Refund"
Ralph E. Remington, deputy clerk of
the court, said he could find no record
OF any transaction between his Office
and Melton. The prosecution contends
the notation refund" was designed to
conceal the real purpose for which the
checK was drawn. Counsel for the COM
monWealth indicated they had learned
Melton'S identity, but said they did not
expect to make any effort to identify
him during this trial.
Defense Objects to Checks.
Testimony as to this and similar
checks was admitted over strenuous OBJ
Jectlcns OF defense counsel. They have
contended that Duncan properly mingled
county funds with his own money and
that he frequently drew checks for
private purposes en- the single account
IN which he kept both his own and the
pubic money. They insist he did not
know any shortage of county funds ex-
listed at any time prior to the audit.
Payroll Checks Involved.
The prosecution also introduced evi-
dence in an attempt to show Duncan
issued duplicate payroll checks made
payable to himself. Remington ex-
planned that the employees of the clerks
office were paid individually by checks
and that their individual checks were
then cashed for them at the clerks
office. On some occasions, he said,
there was not sufficient cash on hand
for this purpose and he would draw a
check and cash it so the employees could
receive their salaries in currency.
On September 80, 1929, Remington
said, he drew such a check fer S585.
This check was marked for pay roll
The prosecution then introduced in evi-
dence a check dated September 28,
1929, and signed by w. H. Duncan,
clerk, and made payable to w. H Dun
can. This check was also labeled pay
roll.'
The prosecution introduced four such
checks, aggregating s1,855. They con-
tend the money drawn by Duncan OH
these checks was never used for pay
roll purposes.
The check in favor of Melton was
drawn on February S. 1880.
On April 2, 1880, he drew a check
for $3.50 in favor of himself and marked
it refund Homes Bond" Another
check for $500 was marked refund
Lacey Bond" and another for $500
bore the notation refund to Henry
Bond" Remington also identified q
check for $500 marked Arlington Dis
trict." He said the clerks office han
died no Arlington district funds.
Will Cite Court Records.
The prosecution has announced it will
show that the court records contain no
reference to the bonds.
The prosecution also brought out that
all Of the checks apparently issued for
bond refunds were drawn by W. H.
Duncan, clerk, to the order of w. H.
Duncan and endorsed by w. H Duncan.
In no case did the name of the person
10 whom the refund presumably was
being made appear on the checks ex-
cept in the notation made by Duncan.
Duncan was said to have issued in
structions that all cancelled checks were
to be turned over to him when. sent
back by the banks on which they were
drawn.
The defendant is charged with en-
bezzling a check for $7,815 placed in his
custody by the Virginia State Highway
Commission during land condemna-
ton case.