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at least a big part of the five hundred thousand dollars he had loaned him, and which
Cowperwood had been actually using for his, Stener's benefit, and to refuse him in addition the
money that was actually due him for an authorized purchase of city loan. Was Cowperwood
guilty as an agent in any of these transactions? Not in the least. Was there any suit pending to
make him return the five hundred thousand dollars of city money involved in his present failure?
Not at all. It was simply a case of wild, silly panic on the part of George W. Stener, and a strong
desire on the part of the Republican party leaders, once they discovered what the situation was,
to find some one outside of Stener, the party treasurer, upon whom they could blame the
shortage in the treasury. You heard what Mr. Cowperwood testified to here in this case to-
day--that he went to Mr. Stener to forfend against any possible action of this kind in the first
place. And it was because of this very warning that Mr. Stener became wildly excited, lost his
head, and wanted Mr. Cowperwood to return him all his money, all the five hundred thousand
dollars he had loaned him at two and one-half per cent. Isn't that silly financial business at the
best? Wasn't that a fine time to try to call a perfectly legal loan?
"But now to return to this particular check of sixty thousand dollars. When Mr. Cowperwood
called that last afternoon before he failed, Mr. Stener testified that he told him that he couldn't
have any more money, that it was impossible, and that then Mr. Cowperwood went out into his
general office and without his knowledge or consent persuaded his chief clerk and secretary,
Mr. Albert Stires, to give him a check for sixty thousand dollars, to which he was not entitled and
on which he, Stener, would have stopped payment if he had known.
"What nonsense! Why didn't he know? The books were there, open to him. Mr. Stires told him
the first thing the next morning. Mr. Cowperwood thought nothing of it, for he was entitled to it,
and could collect it in any court of law having jurisdiction in such cases, failure or no failure. It is
silly for Mr. Stener to say he would have stopped payment. Such a claim was probably an after-
thought of the next morning after he had talked with his friends, the politicians, and was all a
part, a trick, a trap, to provide the Republican party with a scapegoat at this time. Nothing more
and nothing less; and you may be sure no one knew it better than the people who were most
anxious to see Mr. Cowperwood convicted."
Steger paused and looked significantly at Shannon.
"Gentlemen of the jury [he finally concluded, quietly and earnestly], you are going to find, when
you think it over in the jury-room this evening, that this charge of larceny and larceny as bailee,
and embezzlement of a check for sixty thousand dollars, which are contained in this indictment,
and which represent nothing more than the eager effort of the district attorney to word this one
act in such a way that it will look like a crime, represents nothing more than the excited
imagination of a lot of political refugees who are anxious to protect their own skirts at the
expense of Mr. Cowperwood, and who care for nothing--honor, fair play, or anything else, so
long as they are let off scot-free. They don't want the Republicans of Pennsylvania to think too ill
of the Republican party management and control in this city. They want to protect George W.
Stener as much as possible and to make a political scapegoat of my client. It can't be done, and
it won't be done. As honorable, intelligent men you won't permit it to be done. And I think with
that thought I can safely leave you."
Steger suddenly turned from the jury-box and walked to his seat beside Cowperwood, while
Shannon arose, calm, forceful, vigorous, much younger.
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