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　the　defendant　is　guilty　on　one　count　or　the　other；　or　on　two　or　three　of　the　counts；　or　on　all　four；　just　as　you　see　fit　and　properor；　to　put　it　in　a　better　way；　as　the　evidence　warrants。　　Larceny；　as　you　may　or　may　not　know；　is　the　act　of　taking　away　the　goods　or　chattels　of　another　without　his　knowledge　or　consent；　and　embezzlement　is　the　fraudulent　appropriation　to　one's　own　use　of　what　is　intrusted　to　one's　care　and　management；　especially　money。　　Larceny　as　bailee；　on　the　other　hand；　is　simply　a　more　definite　form　of　larceny　wherein　one　fixes　the　act　of　carrying　away　the　goods　of　another　without　his　knowledge　or　consent　on　the　person　to　whom　the　goods　were　delivered　in　trust　that　is；　the　agent　or　bailee。　　Embezzlement　on　a　check；　which　constitutes　the　fourth　charge；　is　simply　a　more　definite　form　of　fixing　charge　number　two　in　an　exact　way　and　signifies　appropriating　the　money　on　a　check　given　for　a　certain　definite　purpose。　　All　of　these　charges；　as　you　can　see；　gentlemen；　are　in　a　way　synonymous。　　They　overlap　and　overlay　each　other。　　The　people；　through　their　representative；　the　district　attorney；　contend　that　Mr。　Cowperwood；　the　defendant　here；　is　guilty　of　all　four　charges。　　So　now；　gentlemen；　we　will　proceed　to　the　history　of　this　crime；　which　proves　to　me　as　an　individual　that　this　defendant　has　one　of　the　most　subtle　and　dangerous　minds　of　the　criminal　financier　type；　and　we　hope　by　witnesses　to　prove　that　to　you；　also。〃

Shannon；　because　the　rules　of　evidence　and　court　procedure　here　admitted　of　no　interruption　of　the　prosecution　in　presenting　a　case；　then　went　on　to　describe　from　his　own　point　of　view　how　Cowperwood　had　first　met　Stener；　how　he　had　wormed　himself　into　his　confidence；　how　little　financial　knowledge　Stener　had；　and　so　forth；　coming　down　finally　to　the　day　the　check　for　sixty　thousand　dollars　was　given　Cowperwood；　how　Stener；　as　treasurer；　claimed　that　he　knew　nothing　of　its　delivery；　which　constituted　the　base　of　the　charge　of　larceny；　how　Cowperwood；　having　it；　misappropriated　the　certificates　supposed　to　have　been　purchased　for　the　sinking…fund；　if　they　were　purchased　at　allall　of　which　Shannon　said　constituted　the　crimes　with　which　the　defendant　was　charged；　and　of　which　he　was　unquestionably　guilty。

〃We　have　direct　and　positive　evidence　of　all　that　we　have　thus　far　contended；　gentlemen；〃　Mr。　Shannon　concluded　violently。　　〃This　is　not　a　matter　of　hearsay　or　theory；　but　of　fact。　　You　will　be　shown　by　direct　testimony　which　cannot　be　shaken　just　how　it　was　done。　　If；　after　you　have　heard　all　this；　you　still　think　this　man　is　innocentthat　he　did　not　commit　the　crimes　with　which　he　is　chargedit　is　your　business　to　acquit　him。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　you　think　the　witnesses　whom　we　shall　put　on　the　stand　are　telling　the　truth；　then　it　is　your　business　to　convict　him；　to　find　a　verdict　for　the　people　as　against　the　defendant。　　I　thank　you　for　your　attention。〃

The　jurors　stirred　comfortably　and　took　positions　of　ease；　in　which　they　thought　they　were　to　rest　for　the　time；　but　their　idle　comfort　was　of　short　duration　for　Shannon　now　called　out　the　name　of　George　W。　Stener；　who　came　hurrying　forward　very　pale；　very　flaccid；　very　tired…looking。　　His　eyes；　as　he　took　his　seat　in　the　witness…chair；　laying　his　hand　on　the　Bible　and　swearing　to　tell　the　truth；　roved　in　a　restless；　nervous　manner。

His　voice　was　a　little　weak　as　he　started　to　give　his　testimony。　He　told　first　how　he　had　met　Cowperwood　in　the　early　months　of　1866he　could　not　remember　the　exact　day；　it　was　during　his　first　term　as　city　treasurerhe　had　been　elected　to　the　office　in　the　fall　of　1864。　　He　had　been　troubled　about　the　condition　of　city　loan；　which　was　below　par；　and　which　could　not　be　sold　by　the　city　legally　at　anything　but　par。　　Cowperwood　had　been　recommended　to　him　by　some　oneMr。　Strobik；　he　believed；　though　he　couldn't　be　sure。　　It　was　the　custom　of　city　treasurers　to　employ　brokers；　or　a　broker；　in　a　crisis　of　this　kind；　and　he　was　merely　following　what　had　been　the　custom。　　He　went　on　to　describe；　under　steady　promptings　and　questions　from　the　incisive　mind　of　Shannon；　just　what　the　nature　of　this　first　conversation　washe　remembered　it　fairly　well；　how　Mr。　Cowperwood　had　said　he　thought　he　could　do　what　was　wanted；　how　he　had　gone　away　and　drawn　up　a　plan　or　thought　one　out；　and　how　he　had　returned　and　laid　it　before　Stener。　　Under　Shannon's　skillful　guidance　Stener　elucidated　just　what　this　scheme　waswhich　wasn't　exactly　so　flattering　to　the　honesty　of　men　in　general　as　it　was　a　testimonial　to　their　subtlety　and　skill。

After　much　discussion　of　Stener's　and　Cowperwood's　relations　the　story　finally　got　down　to　the　preceding　October；　when　by　reason　of　companionship；　long　business　understanding；　mutually　prosperous　relationship；　etc。；　the　place　bad　been　reached　where；　it　was　explained；　Cowperwood　was　not　only　handling　several　millions　of　city　loan　annually；　buying　and　selling　for　the　city　and　trading　in　it　generally；　but　in　the　bargain　had　secured　one　five　hundred　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　city　money　at　an　exceedingly　low　rate　of　interest；　which　was　being　invested　for　himself　and　Stener　in　profitable　street…car　ventures　of　one　kind　and　another。　　Stener　was　not　anxious　to　be　altogether　clear　on　this　point；　but　Shannon；　seeing　that　he　was　later　to　prosecute　Stener　himself　for　this　very　crime　of　embezzlement；　and　that　Steger　would　soon　follow　in　cross…examination；　was　not　willing　to　let　him　be　hazy。　　Shannon　wanted　to　fix　Cowperwood　in　the　minds　of　the　jury　as　a　clever；　tricky　person；　and　by　degrees　he　certainly　managed　to　indicate　a　very　subtle…minded　man。　　Occasionally；　as　one　sharp　point　after　another　of　Cowperwood's　skill　was　brought　out　and　made　moderately　clear；　one　juror　or　another　turned　to　look　at　Cowperwood。　　And　he　noting　this　and　in　order　to　impress　them　all　as　favorably　as　possible　merely　gazed　Stenerward　with　a　steady　air　of　intelligence　and　comprehension。

The　examination　now　came　down　to　the　matter　of　the　particular　check　for　sixty　thousand　dollars　which　Albert　Stires　had　handed　Cowperwood　on　the　afternoonlateof　October　9；　1871。　　Shannon　showed　Stener　the　check　itself。　　Had　he　ever　seen　it？　Yes。　　Where？　In　the　office　of　District　Attorney　Pettie　on　October　20th；　or　thereabouts　last。　Was　that　the　first　time　he　had　seen　it？　Yes。　　Had　he　ever　heard　about　it　before　then？　Yes。　　When？　On　October　10th　last。　　Would　he　kindly　tell　the　jury　in　his　own　way　just　how　and　under　what　circumstances　he　first　heard　of　it　then？　Stener　twisted　uncomfortably　in　his　chair。　　It　was　a　hard　thing　to　do。　　It　was　not　a　pleasant　commentary　on　his　own　character　and　degree　of　moral　stamina；　to　say　the　least。　　However；　he　cleared　his　throat　again　and　began　a　description　of　that　small　but　bitter　section　of　his　life's　drama　in　which　Cowperwood；　finding　himself　in　a　tight　place　and　about　to　fail；　had　come　to　him　at　his　office　and　demanded　that　he　loan　him　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　more　in　one　lump　sum。

There　was　considerable　bickering　just　at　this　point　between　Steger　and　Shannon；　for　the　former　was　very　anxious　to　make　it　appear　that　Stener　was　lying　out　of　the　whole　cloth　about　this。　　Steger　got　in　his　objection　at　this　point；　and　created　a　considerable　diversion　from　the　main　theme；　because　Stener　kept　saying　he　〃thought〃　or　he　〃believed。〃

〃Object！〃　shouted　Steger；　repeatedly。　　〃I　move　that　that　be　stricken　from　the　record　as　incompetent；　irrelevant；　and　immaterial。　The　witness　is　not　allowed　to　say　what　he　thinks；　and　the　prosecution　knows　it　very　well。〃

〃Your　honor；〃　insisted　Shannon；　〃I　am　doing　the　best　I　can　to　have　the　witness　tell　a　plain；　straightforward　story；　and　I　think　that　it　is　obvious　that　he　is　doing　so。〃

〃Object！〃　reiterated　Steger；　vociferously。　　〃Your　honor；　I　insist　that　the　district　attorney　has　no　right　to　prejudice　the　minds　of　the　jury　by　flattering　estimates　of　the　sincerity　of　the　witness。　What　he　thinks　of　the　witness　and　his　sincerity　is　of　no　importance　in　this　case。　　I　must　ask　that　your　honor　caution　him　plainly　in　this　matter。〃

〃Objection　sustained；〃　declared　Judge　Payderson；　〃the　prosecution　will　please　be　more　explicit〃；　and　Shannon　went　on　with　his　case。

Stener's　testimony；　in　one　respect；　was　most　important；　for　it　made　plain　what　Cowperwood　did　not　want　brought　outnamely；　that　he　and　Stener　had　had　a　dispute　before　this；　that　Stener　had　distinctly　told　Cowperwood　that　he　would　not　loan　him　any　more　money；　that　Cowperwood　had　told　Stener；　on　the　day　before　he　secured　this　check；　and　again　on　that　very　day；　that　he　was　in　a　very　desperate　situation　financially；　and　that　if　he　were　not　assisted　to　the　extent　of　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　he　would　fail；　and　that　then　both　he　and　Stener　would　be　ruined。　　On　the　morning　of　this　day；　according　to　Stener；　he　had　sent　Cowperwood　a　letter　ordering　him　to　cease　purchasing　city　loan　certificates　for　the　sinking…fund。　　It　was　after　their　conversation　on　the　same　afternoon　that　Cowperwood　surreptitiously　secured　the　check　for　sixty　thousand　dollars　from　Albert　Stires　without　his　（Stener's）　knowledge；　and　it　was　subsequent　to　this　latter　again　that　Stener；　sending　Albert　to　demand　the　return　of　the　check；　was　refused；　though　the　next　day　at　five　o