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MRS. VAN ALSTINE'S FIRST GRIEVANCE IS BEING A WITNESS. THE MISSOURI LAW IS READ Counsel For Defendant Would Show Statutes Were Complied WithWitnesses Lean Forward and Listen to Every Word. St. Louis, Nov. 12.-"Up to this time I have nothing to complain of in my transactions with Mr. Lewis," said Mrs. Mary C. Van Alstine, a witness for the government, upon cross-examination Monday forenoon in the trial of E. G. Lewis in the United States district court. Mrs. Van Alstine, who said her home was at Richfield, Summit county, Ohio, was a stockholder to the extent of $16 in the People's United States bank, which Lewis organized. She testified that after the bank went into a receiver's hands she received in exchange for her stock, from Lewis, a trustee's note for $16, payable in three years, with interest payable semi-annually at 5 per cent. She testified that so far the interest payments had been met. "Then," asks Attorney O'Brien for the defense, "up to this time you nothing nothing to complain of in the matter. The witness hesitated, but after the question had been repeated twice, she replied, with considerable emphasis: "No, I have not." She said she had come to St. Louis as a witness and had turned over certain letters and papers to the governd ment at the solicitation of the postoffice inspectors. b Mrs. Van Alstine, who is about 45 years old, said she was a dressmaker. Jury to See State Law. C The importance which counsel for t the defense attaches to the manner in c which the People's United States bank was organized and how it was conductt ed during its brief career was indicated early Monday. Shepard Barclay, representing Lewo is, told Judge Carland, in arguing for t permission to read certain sections of t the Missouri banking law to the jury, t that it was the purpose of the defense a to show that everything in connection u with the bank was entírely regular under the law. He wished especially, t he said to bring to the attention of a the jury that section referring to the b powers of the secretary of state. S Judge Carland, who had interrupted the reading, permitted Mr. Barclay to proceed, although, he said, it would p not be within the province of the jury to decide whether Lewis' bank has been organized in accordance with the law of the state. la At the opening of court Monday 3 morning United States District Attor0 ney Blodgett requested that all with nesses in: the cases against Lewis othS er than the one now on trial be exS cused for another week. It became apV parent that the government expects a the present case to last at least a W week longer. The witnesses first ree, ported at the opening of the Lewis t] trial last Tuesday and then were exc cused until Monday morning of this week. in b Miss A. C. Penninan of Albion, N. Y., in testified that she and her sister inIX vested $500 each in the Lewis bank tl and had recovered 85 per cent. The government still has a large c number of witnesses available for use 0 in the trial of E. G. Lewis on a charge B of using the mails to defraud before B Judge Carland in the United States district court. B B Many of these are women, 20 to 25 a of whom, seated together in the court ra room, were highly interested spectaa tors of the proceedings in the case last week. It S Not infrequently one of them W would rise in her place and lean as far th forward as possible in her eagerness to catch the words of a witness. p
