The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-09

NOEtO O0KOL8 WIFI Ae6QeI 1VuO0s
and deposited 1t In Governor Lang
er'S account. s..-
Testimony that no BOOKS or records
showing Leader" profit and loss bal
ances exist.
Chaput continued his testimony
under cross.exslmination Is court
reconvened after the noon recess.
Lanier, In the morning, had asked
Chaput to produce cancelled checks
Of The Leader account.
Asked II he had brought them with
him, Chaput replied, Il called Sen
ator Erickson md he said he had
most Of them. sent Buttedahl (edi-
tor Of THE Leader") after them"
Buttedahl arrived and Ihorp inter.
jected, I'VE have some Of the checks
but before We turn them over We
want to know what Is going to be
done with them"
mo-" the court said, "the govern
ment will either introduce them into
/ evidence or return them"
We'll do that" Lanier said.
The questioning Of the witness
continued, with you stated that
Erickson told you he didn't have al
Of them"
Eyes, SIR"
Leader Records Lacking
Did you bring the records Of The
Leader with your"
II did the best I could" Chaput
replied, and said that he was having
statements Of the various operating
expenses Of the newspaper prepared.
| when you get them will you be In
. position to give m explanation Of
Leader expenditures accurately"
mo, I don't believe 80. can give
you . fairly good account of running
expenses but insofar a. the total ex-
penditures I'm not In position to
testify as to all the details"
do you understand that am ask
ing for the expenses Of The Leader
as q newspaper"
II haven't taken care Of al items.
Erickson had control Of the check
book and q lot Of incidental expenses
that ! couldn't account for"
The set Of books at THE Leader"
offices, he said, were mot very accur-
ate"
Where Is the book and who kept
it,"
Chaput replied, Its kept at the
office" He said Erickson sometimes
had it and sometime; others ct THE
Leader" office including himself had
charge Of 1t.
IRA like to have you produce those
books Of The Leader" Lanier said.
II don't believe ". have the books.
Those I referred to are books show
Ing the pledges Of state employees, the
amounts and the payments"
l No Account Of Salaries
rs there any book recording the
salary expenditures"
mo, there isn't" Chaput replied.
Il asked you to find out how much
Of the money in The Leader account
went to pay for the campaign Of the
sales tax to which you referred. Have
you that record? y
mo and I don't know that I can
produce 1t. Senator Erickson might
be able to-"
| Chaput said Erickson had charge
Of disbursement Of all funds from
The Leader" account which went to
pay the debts Of the Nonpartisan or
ganization. II had nothing to do with
that" he said.
| In some instances, he said, the
money was paid dir city to the per-
sons for their services on behalf Of
the organization, while In other cases
the money was paid to q person who
acted as distributing agent.
Money remaining after expenses Of
the sales tax campaign had been paid,
next came under IT, scrutiny Of La
nier. He asked what disposition was
made Of such balance.
II understood It was spe44t for the
organization. I don't know definite.
II q to each item. how 1t was spent, /"
Chaput replied. He then recalled one
instance Of . donation Of $500 +, che
Woman's Nonpartisan League Aux
Hilary.
! Chaput said he had q desk in the
governors office for q short time. and
also had an office In the Patterson
Hotel until the start Of publication Of
"Thc Leader"
did you have access to the bank
account OF The Leader ct the Bank
Of North Dakota7" Lanier asked.
THE only access I had was that
I'd enter moneys .'eceived on the
deposit sheet, ana deposit the cash
In the Bank Of North Dakota"
Never Had Cancelled Checks
How did you keep track Of the
money on t.eposit?"
THE only way I could tell how
much money was on deposit was by
the bank deposit book"
did you ever have any cancelled
checks?"
mo. they were never in my pos
session."
He explained Erickson worked At
the Bank Of North Dakota and Il a.
sumed he checked DIP on them" Cha
put said he took 1.-THE Leader" che,k
book with him to the governors office.
AT times" he said . book Of blank
checks, sigred by Erickson. was in
the governors office.
Chaput denied ever having seen the
governor fill In . blank check signed
by Erickson.
Don't you know what he did7"
asked Lanier.
NO." said Chaput.
"You know the governors hand
writing7"
| Eyes"
Stubs Of the checkbook.. were In
ChaputS desk In the governors Of
fice for . time, Chaput said, but later
they wers taken by Erickson.
Lanier called on the defense to
produce cancelled checks. He was
told . list was being prepared for
submission to him.
"You solicited McCfeady Of the
highway Department."
YA."
I'm the course Of your conversa-
ton nth him did he complain that
he wanted advertising credit instead