Evening star., 1933-03-26
BANKERS TESTIFY
At TRIAL OF BALL
Former Arlington Treasurer's
Accounts in Institutions
Subject of Examination.
BY a Stan Correspondent Of The Star

By Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ARLINGTON COURT HOUSE, Va.
March 25-Fgure after figure in thi,
trial of numbers, moved across the
record Of the trial Of E. Wade Ball
former treasurer Of Arlington County
today. as the Commonwealth of Vir-
ginia sought to show that the man who
had handled the accounts Of the county
had mishandled them.
The State concentrated its efforts on
trying to show that Ball. who Is on
trial for alleged failure to turn over
more than half q million dollars to the
State when he resigned In February
1882. chose the periods Of the closing
and opening of the county's fiscal year
to make his bank balances bulge with
funds, and brought several bankers
with original records to testify in an
effort to uphold its contention
Feeling its way carefully through the
maze Of figures with which the trial
has had to deal. the State. through
Assistant Attorney General Collins
Denny. jr.. the special prosecutor Of the
own language. "the knowledge Of the
treasurer. of the shortage of more than
half million dollars in the county's
funds" when he left ONCE on February
2e, 1892.
Bank Cashier Testifies.
Arthur Warfield, cashier Of the First
National Bank OF Alexandria. Va. was
the first Of the bankers placed on the
stand tn testify as to the fiscal year
end banking transactions Of the former
treasurer of Arlington County. He
testified. according to Depnv's own ex-
planation to the jurv. that Ball. in the
wears 1881. 1897 ard 1929, shortly be-
fore the end Of the fiscal years Of the
county which begin july l. drew on
one bank alone. the First National OF
Alexandria. total Of .000-$25, ,00C
each vear-in personal notes. trans
ferred them to the account of z. Wade
Ball. treasurer Of Arlington County
after first depositing them to his own
personal account in the bank. and Daid
them of with a total Of $73.000 In
checks Of F.. Wade Ball treasurer oi
Arlington County. and the remainder
in personal checks.
In each year, according to Warfield's
testimony. the personal notes nf the
former rountv treasurer furnished funds
t' go to the credit OF the county
t-essurv on1v to be paid Oh with
"hects of the county treasurer. as such
IN later months.
The somn sort II transo ctions we've
recited in the te-tinony Of George T.
Downham vice rresident of the Citi-
zenS National Bank Of Alexandria
while. by an agreement between counsel
further testimony by the ofiicials Of five
other banks was not offered after they
had identified and otherwise testified to
a great mass of banking transactions
between their banks and the former
county treasurer between the dates
August 81, 1927. and March .. 1882
The latter date ie the time when certi-
fled checks for all outstanding accounts
in Virginia banks Of the former treas
urer's office were presented for payment
while the new administrator Of the
treasurer's office took charge
May Take Another Week.
The case, which has occupied five full
days In the Arlington County Circuit
Court, before Judge Walter T. Nc
Carthy, is from present indications
likely to consume practically the entire
coming week, since the prosecution Is a
least two days away from completion
of its case. Monday, Prosecutor Denny
announced, Robert B. Jordan, stan
supervisor Of the cfice Of the Auditor
Of Accounts for the Commonwealth Of
Virginia, will resume the stand as prob
ably the most important witness IN the
presentation Of the States case.