People v. Glazier

124 N.W. 582, 159 Mich. 528, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 686
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 3, 1910
DocketDocket No. 83
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 124 N.W. 582 (People v. Glazier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Glazier, 124 N.W. 582, 159 Mich. 528, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 686 (Mich. 1910).

Opinion

Blair, J.

Respondent was indicted upon presentment by a grand jury, charging him in 31 counts with violations of section 11612 of the Compiled Laws. All of the counts of the indictment are in the same form, except that some of them charge respondent, as State treasurer, with knowingly and unlawfully appropriating, at different times, to his own use, different sums belonging to the State, and in his custody as State treasurer. Certain counts charge the appropriations to be to the use of the Chelsea Savings Bank, while other counts allege an appropriation to the use of himself and the Chelsea Savings Bank jointly.

At the close of the testimony the prosecution elected to go to the jury upon the 10 counts, alleging, with proper variations of time and amount, as in the ninth count:

“ That on, to wit, the day and year aforesaid, at, to wit, the city of Lansing, in the county of Ingham aforesaid, the said Frank P. Glazier, so holding the office of State treasurer as aforesaid, did knowingly, unlawfully, and feloniously appropriate to the use of the Chelsea Savings Bank, a body corporate under the laws of the State of Michigan, a large sum of money, to wit, the sum of $12,213.15, of the value of $50 and upwards, to wit, of the value of $12,213.15, the property of and belonging to the said State of Michigan, which had been received and was then held by him in his official capacity aforesaid as State treasurer of the State of Michigan, contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the people of the State of Michigan.”

During his entire term of office as State treasurer, from January 1, 1905, till January 20, 1908, when he resigned, respondent was president, director, principal stockholder, chairman of the discount committee, and active manager of the Chelsea Savings Bank of Chelsea, a village of some 2,000 inhabitants. The capital stock of the bank was increased from $60,000 to $100,000 on December 28, 1905. For many years prior to 1905 the bank had been a State depository of public funds. Soon after January 1, 1905, and again soon after January 1, 1907, respondent [531]*531entered into contracts with the bank, signed by himself as State treasurer, on the one hand, and as president of the bank, on the other hand, providing for the deposit of State moneys in said bank. In clause 2 of the contracts the bank agreed to reimburse and pay the respondent, as State treasurer, all such sums as might be deposited by him in said bank, whenever called for,” and to pay interest on daily balances, not to exceed 3 per cent. The interest actually paid was If per cent. The respondent also took from said bank various surety bonds aggregating $200,000, to secure performance of the contracts, such bonds being approved, as required by law, by the State treasurer, auditor general, and secretary of State. The bank was closed by the State banking department on December 2, 1907, at which time the balance of State moneys on deposit was $685,587.79, and the affairs of the bank passed into the hands of a receiver.

The remittances of the deposits were made by check or draft, except in the case of the $23,000 deposit of November 13, 1907, in which case $3,000 of such deposit was in currency. The checks or drafts were of two classes: One class being drawn upon various Detroit banks, and being in each instance signed by the deputy State treasurer, and the other class being miscellaneous checks or drafts drawn to the State treasurer or other State officers for taxes and other demands due the State, which found their way into the State treasury, and which were in turn indorsed over to the Chelsea Savings Bank. The former class were checks drawn by the deputy State treasurer upon other. State depositories, while the latter class were mere private checks or drafts which had been received by the State and made payable to the Chelsea Savings Bank by indorsement. Since the receiver has had charge of the affairs of the Chelsea Savings Bank he has repaid to the State, upon account of the State funds deposited in the bank, two dividends, one on May 6, 1908, of $205,745.34, and another on October 21, 1908, of $70,879.77. There has also been paid to the [532]*532State by one of the bonding companies, upon the bond of the Chelsea Savings Bank as a State depository, the sum of $50,000. The affairs of the Chelsea Savings Bank were still in the hands of a receiver at the time of the trial.

The respondent was the owner of 668 of the shares of stock, or a little more than two-thirds of the entire capital stock of the bank, and thereby empowered to elect the entire directorate of the bank, and entitled to two-thirds of the profits of the business. He was also the president and principal owner of the Glazier Stove Company, an extensive manufacturing institution, and was interested in other business enterprises which necessitated the borrowing of large sums of money. The evidence demonstrates that he was not using the public moneys with sole reference to the public interests, but largely for the support of his banking business and in aid of the other institutions in which he was interested. Respondent was financially interested in the Ann Arbor News Publishing Company, the Blanchard Wool Company, and the Chelsea Grain & Produce Company. Through Martin J. Walkenhut, as agent, he was engaged in the business of buying wool on his own account. During 1906 and 1907 he practically rebuilt and greatly extended the stove plant, and constructed a large office building in Ann Arbor, costing, complete, about $165,000. He spent about $30,000 on the Blodgett Terrace in Detroit, and built an expensive cottage at Cavanaugh Lake, near Chelsea.

The board of directors of the bank took no action requesting the deposit of State moneys in the bank, and the cashier testified that he did not know how they came to be deposited. The deputy State treasurer testified that the deposits were made by direction of respondent, either verbally or over the telephone. On January 9, 1906, the following persons were elected directors, viz.: F. P. Glazier, William J. Knapp, William P. Schenck, V. D. Hindelang, J. W. Schenck, Fred Wedemeyer, Adam Eppler, H. I. Stimson, Theodore E. Wood. At a meet[533]*533ing of the board of directors, April 9, 1906, the following occurred:

“ Motion made that loans to the extent of 80 per cent, of capital and surplus be extended to the Chelsea Grain & Produce Company, Glazier Stove Company, and such other firms as the president thought best to extend loans. No further business; the meeting adjourned.”

At the annual meeting of January 8, 1907, F. P. Glazier, William J. Knapp, William P. Schenck, Adam Eppler, H. I. Stimson, Theodore E. Wood, J. W. Schenck were elected directors. At the meeting of the board of directors, January 14, 1907, the following occurred :

“ Motion made that loans to the extent of 80 per cent, of the capital and surplus be extended to the Glazier Stove Company, Chelsea Grain & Produce Company, and such other firms as the president thought best to loan to. Carried.”

At the directors’ meeting of April 15, 1907, the following occurred:

“A motion was made by director Knapp, supported by Director Stimson, that Mrs. Henrietta M. Glazier be extended loans to 80 per cent, of the capital and surplus. Carried unanimously. A motion was made by Director Knapp, and supported by Director J. W. Schenck, that Harold P. Glazier be extended loans to 80 per cent, of the capital and surplus. Carried unanimously.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Patricia Jones
453 N.W.2d 293 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1990)
People v. Mast
337 N.W.2d 619 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1983)
People v. Kalbfleisch
207 N.W.2d 428 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1973)
Mohrmann v. Fry
254 N.W. 153 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1933)
Lawrence v. American Surety Co.
249 N.W. 3 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1933)
People v. Maki
223 N.W. 70 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1929)
Ford v. Kalamazoo Circuit Judge
158 N.W. 841 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1916)
People v. Kennedy
142 N.W. 771 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1913)
People v. Quider
137 N.W. 546 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1912)
State v. Boone
118 P. 46 (Washington Supreme Court, 1911)
People v. Loomis
126 N.W. 985 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1910)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 N.W. 582, 159 Mich. 528, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-glazier-mich-1910.