The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-01
From The Boston Rthertory.
REPORT OF THE TRIAL.

commonwealth v. Treasurer SKINNER.
The supreme court, now holden in the
town by Judge Parker, was occupied several
days last week in the trial of the causes of
the commonwealth Us. the bondsmen of the
late treasurer Skinner. These causes were
conducted by the Solicitor General for the
commonwealth and by MIR. Morton, Mr.
Dexter, Mr.. Blake and Mr. Story for the
surcties.-ln the case against the estate OF
the late treasurer motion vas made for
continuance, by Mr.. Dana, enc of the adj +.
Ininistrators, upon the ground, that there is
large demand against the estates, made
by the United States for 6Ir. SINNERS de-
faults i'S his tate office Of marshal Of this
district; and that Tie United STATES haze
Ghrior claim utlon the hroherty (Which Aas
6een attached tn this suis for Tie security
Of the commonwealth. 1t will doubtless be
great addition to the pride and plea
sure of those gentlemen particularly his
suretIeS,) who thrust an honest man out of
Office, aud put swindier in his place that
at the time they delivered the keys Of the
treasury to this swindier, he had actually
defrauded the United States to the aa.ornt
OF between seven and eight thousand dol
lars!
The bonds both fer the first and second
year of Mr. SINNERS appointment as trea-
surer, were put in st,it yord-r IF the late
Governor and council--in the actions pon
the bond tor the hrst year, the sureties plead
ed performance of all the conditions of
the bond-To this plea the Solicitor Genera!
replied. that during that year. Mr. Skinner
received upwards of sixty eight thousand
dollars In tue bank bills OF the Boston and
Union bAhk. which he had wasted and III
lawfully disposed OF To his ownuse 10 this
replication there WAS rejoindcr, that he
dld not waste the notes or convert them to
his own use.--Upon this Issue one Of the eau
ses was submitted to the jury, and upon the
testimony OF the officers OF the banks and of
the treasury, the facts both OF receiving and
of wasting this property were fully proved !;
and the jury after a short conference agreed
upon verdict i'll favor OF the common
wealth.
lin the actions upon the bond, for the Sc
cond year of Mr.. Skinner's treasurysliip,
the sureties also pleaded a performance of
all the conditions OF the bond-1owhich the
Solicitor General replied, that ut the time
Mr.. Skinner went out of Office, there was Il
balance due the government, from him as
treasurer, OF II $40 dollars, which he had
never paid, over to lis sucCcssor-Upon
this fact, (Which was proved by the gentle
men who adjusted the balance IN Mr. Skin.
ner's presence,) issue was joined And as
there was no pretence that this balance had
been paid, the jury gave verdict in favor
vi thS COnmOnW Sal-n, without leaving ~ cir
seats. The forfeiture ofbO,h bonds is ei,;.er
found by the jury, or Confessed by the sure
ties III all the actions against the sureties =
and they will be heard in chancery, for TIE
purpose of liquiddtiug the sums to be reco
vered by the government upon both bonds
and also upon another question interesting
only to the sureties, viz: how much shall
he recovered upon the first, and how much
upon the second bond--'The sureties upon
the second bond VII! contend. that as the
Chief of the money was embezzeled during
the hrst year, the sureties upon the bond fol
that year ought 30 bear the loss.
In thc trial upon the first bond, it was
proved that from JIly 1906, to May 1907
MIR Skinner had dra VIII checks IN favor oil
hs SOFA Tomson ). Skinner, jr. in rouad
sums from one a. ave Thousand dollars, upof
Ihe Boston and ChiOn Banks 10 tie amougl
q, u so 90 That these checks were paid
70 young skinner, in the bills of the Boston
and Union OdnGs----.that, not dollar Of thi,
immense SON was ever received into, Oi
paid cut Oh thc treasury that all the dc
Islands upon the treasury during that year
repaid IN country pank bills, exCeptin,
q tcw sums nat exceeding 800, that no &C
count either Of the checks or Of The monel
AesSiFSu p.,OH .-cm appeared eitheg ia .Ir