New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-06-08
TRIAL OF MONROE EDWARDS.
Court Of Over and Terminer.
reported FOR The Trihunc. !


Court Of Oyer and Terminer.
Befo- Judge KENT and Aldermen Balls and H,rEIEI q
TUESDAY. June 49,
The Court Room wa. crowded TO suiocation a,
a very early hour this morning. and more excite
ment was manifest within and around il doors
than has attended any trial since that of the mrr-
dercr. Colt Considerable confusion prevailed, as
90 large a crowd had evidently not been expected,
and suitable police regulations had not been adopt
ed The prisoner looked on with a smile of APP
parent scorn and appeared quite indifferent To the
preparations for his trial. His distinguished
counsel came in at about halfpa 10. and attracted
universal attention. They are the following gen
tlemcn: Hon. THOMAS F. MARSHALL of Ken
,uckv and william EvARrs, J. PREscoTT HALL,
W. NJ PRIcE and ROBERT EMMETT, Esqs Of this
CITY, For the prosecution appeared JAMES
WplrrxG. the District Attorney. Hon. OGDEN
HoyrsAy. JOS c. HART, OLIVER VI. LowNpEs,
and G. +. ALLEN, Esqs. At no previous trial
which has taken place in this Cily for many years
has there been equal array of talest and
eloaucncc The trial promises to be OF unusual
interest.
the panel of Jurors read. Only II answered
out of 90 called; the Judge announced def-
cheney, and ordered that % additional Jurors be
summoned forthwith from the County at large I;
and in order to allow the Sheriff time to do this,
the Court took recess until o'clock, r. NJ.
O'Clock. p. NJ.
After dcluy Of half an hour in waiting for the
1 = IL. Doftb nal
was completed. The Jury then empanelled
as follows:
John SHINES, Levi Chapman, Lorraine Freeman John G.
coachman samuel d. Jackson, samne TUCKER Beojamin
x. Thesl. spencer stafford, John W Howe Richard J.
Bradford Roland Tinkbam, Anthony MohatL
The case was then opened for the Proseoation
by Joseph II. Allen. Esq. he began by saying
that the case now brought to the attention of the
Jury. was one of the most extraordinary torgcries
ever committed in any Country-extraordinar
both fer the boldncss with which it was achieved
the ability with which IT was eXecu'ed-tLe large
amount of money involved and the success with
whicl,it was attended. The papers forged were ct
character which related to the most intricate
branches Of Commercial operations, and was pre-
pared with consumma,e skill and address. Inc
prisoner is indicted for twotorgeres, each OF s9,-
600 The full capacities OF steam were put m r.
ouiSition bv the forger TO change his place from
dsv 10 dav for the purpose ot conceaIlng ms acts,
and he could not be expected to cave very clear
traces of his operations still there was sufficient
left to prove upon him the acts alleged The Jury
would probably recollcct that about year ago
several tQrgeres were oUmittcd IN various paris
of the Colntry--defrauding persons at this city
and in Louisville and in other parts OF the Union.
Whether this belonged TO the grand scheme or not
we cannot say but one thing will be remarked as
Il. A.
Edward. was arrested the master spirit seemed to
have lett tie sage, and the public ear was PANIED
with no more announcements OF these great tor
gcries All tina, followed were the mere ordinary
occurrences of every day.
The hrst circumstance To which We shall call at
tenrion j, the following: The firm in New. Orleans
of Maun.ell. White & Co in Jsly last received
letter signed Hugh S. Hill, stating that he had
iust become the owner of extensive plantations IN
Arkansas and desiring business connections with
them. Thi, letter wa. answered on the oath OF
July, and .undr, suggestions made in II were car
ried out: but no replywas received from Mr.. Hill.
Here tbs. whole matter, much to their surprise,
was dropped. b. this means, you will see, that
the signature of Naunsel, White Il Co. was OBJ
tanned. as also the kind Of paper on which they
wrote. and their general style Of business ceres
pondence.
Here Mr. Hill leaves the stage and J. Z. Cald-
well enters and the grand performance begins.
You oil know the firm of Brown. Brothers x Co.,
of this city IL is usual for their confidential clerk.
Mr. kiechkoeier. to be at the Office before either
member of the firm, and to receive The letters from
the Po.r-otfce clerk. On the 22d Of August lS4l,
he found in the morning upon his desk letter
post marked New-Orleans, addressed to Brown.
Brothers & Co.. from Maunsell, White < Co., at
New-Oreans IL recommended their friend }. 7.
Caldwell to their confidence, &c. and seemed 10
ts a regular commercial letter. Ii authorized
Caldwell TO draw on them tor a sum oil money not
exceeding 100000, and the 27th ct August
Brown Brothers < Co received letter post
marked at Alexandria, written BY J. L. Caldwell,
dated August -, 1871, in which he refers 10 the
letter of Maunsell, White & Co, and states that
the illness of his brother has prevented him from
calling upon them. He wishes to raise - or ~
thousand dollar. and asks them TO advance II on
the cotton he has with Maunsell, White Co. or
TO negotiate two bills Of exchange which ne en-
closes for 49, 900 each. He also cncloses an OF
der signed by himself on Maunsell, "hIte Co.,
10 hold all his cotton in their hands SUBJECT 'ot
order of Brown. Brother. Co
On the oath Of August. Brown. Brothers Co.
wrote to Maun.en, White x Co, stating thar they
have adop,s1 the arrangements suggested IN their
letter. and enclosing the bills and order they mad
received from Caldwell Ga the same day they
bought Baltimore and Virginia funds. and sent to
Caldwell, as he had desired, at Alexandra. ID c.
These funds amounted to $24,505 49. The mat
ter seemed thus closed