The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-06-10
TRIAL OF
COL. MONROE EDWARDS,
FOR FORGERY
Court OF Oyer and Terminer.
Before Judge Kent and Aldermen Balls and Hatfield
FOURTH DA,


Or HE TRIAL OF THE CELEBRATED FiSASerx MON
NOE EpwARps.-JuNE 9.-The Court room was this morn
ing crowded it was and was with great diff
Guilty that the reporters could make their way even
sisted by the officers. who used their best endeavors to
order Colonel Edwards was brought into Court
O'Clock smiling ever but dressed rather diff
erently to what he has hitherto BEEN He had on black
dress coat usual but light vest and pair OF light
panaloons At about halcpast O'Clock his Honor
Judge Kent and the Aldermen having made their appear
hncc tho crier opened the Court with the usual oma
lies The Clerk then called the of the Jurors
and all Of them answe After waiting few moments
the District Attorney made his appearance, and Mr. Allen
Mn. JAMrEsoS-The teller of the Bank asked Cald.
well what denominations he would wish the 900 in
and he said notes of $1,000 and in notes Of $500
CrosSeramned by EAsETr-I came here see i'll could
recognize the prisoner went to the Tombs and in
room whers the Mayor and fifteen twenty per.
through. think you wero present. He was in part
Of the room. Near the corner l did not count the
have been some notes Of S00 but don't remember
Direct Eramination-By D"rn,cr ArronsEY--I immc-
all the persons being strangers to me.
Mr.. KIEcKHoErER calIsd-Eramined bY DnrRIcr
ArToRNEf.-Messrs. Brown Brothers Co. did not draw
any bills on William and James Brown & Co. in May,
BY EMsrErr.-The writing and signature of these bills
By DrsrRIcr ArroRSrr.-The true date that this bill
was drawn, was 3lst May 1893.
JUDGE kent must state most explicitly that all con-
versation with the Jury is strictly forbidden.
which must be enforced and no communication with
DsrRicr ArroRNEr-we rest our case here
JUDGE KESr-Gentemen will You open your case?
MI Ey.Rrs to the District Atorney-won't you let me
Mr. EMErr-You have had the inside all the time for
your 50 let him in
DISTRICT ATTORNEY (lauP hing)-Oh, yes come in.
MI EvARrs then addresse he court in speech of up
wards Of two hours. The following is the substance =
May please the Court and ysu gentlemen of the jury,
the evidence for the prosecution is closed for days
has had possession of your For nights has
ef dence sunk deeply into minds and had undisturb
ed possession thereof Though unavorabe impress
slons may have been made your mind, satisfied
he far
the power to examine and to silt the evidence which has
been presented You have had time perceive and to
wanting removed it will tumble readily to the
ground as il were less magnificent in its proportions
of the jury before ceedng defence of the prso-
ne to make allusion to the crcumsanal evidence
which go to prove he committed this crime in order
restore in that feeling of impartaliy sup
posed have rsgned in your minds when brought here
In the first place. with reference to the prisoners
character and position the learned counsel who opened
the case took occasion to mention the importance to the
community at large that the prisoner should be convicted
dsrusted another and the usual modes ransacng
business were not SAFE This is very true and in that
sense important to the community at large that the
true orger should be convicted regret however that
he did not inform you who the instigators this
and their agents. the deep pecuniary in
teres they have in result Gentlemen the conviction
the prisoner necessary to them preliminary evil
whether shall remain the property of the prisoner
or those individuals defauded by this forgery In
civil cases Brown Brothers Co. and Fletcher Aexan-
der Co. are the plaintiffs and Monroe Edwards is the
defendant and the other hand there pending in
which those parties defendants and Monroe Edwards
the plaintiff and is under Of this prosecution
that evidence has been introduced Of those are d.
recty interested in the recovery of the money whose
also an unusually large amount offered o reward for
the recovery OF the money. 1t isa per cenage the
amount. Twenty per cent offered on the amount of
money recovered, and just 20 far Brown Brothers &
Co and Fletcher Alexander Co. interested to one
fifth ofthat amount the agent interested in procuring
testimony which should convict the prisoner You vii
understand too that $4,000 i'll he great motive to
houses concerned. You, gentlemen Of the ;urv Know
that antage too has been taken Of the feeling which
s,rong N 1ne mere against the inhabitants Of
which the prisoner comes. He il connected with the
most respectable families in the West and should
those OF his counsel who will address you from his
tive State, familiar with his history He is the of
widowed mot her-the brother Of widowed sisterhe
is the sole support of the family, and you will conceive
how with moist and anxious eyes his distant family
its reuwh feelings as great and stretched to az great
extent the heart will bear without breaking Can you
gentlemen of the jury hesitate to do all in your power
important tSthe community at large so impor.
tant the prosecutors important to the agents Of those
prosecutors important to the prison or at the bar
and to his friends and connections, to give it a
patient examination with firm and unbiased
itself So much for the importance of the ITSELF
The learned gentleman then went to aude to the
difference in the resources Of the parties to the
and those for the defence showing how powerful were
their means Of obtaining evidence and how their wealth
in many instances to obtain evidence important him.
and stating that they had been followed watched with
in every thing they had undertaken He also alluded
TO the prejudice which had been excited by the public
iorger-he celebrated orgcr-or the notorious orger
and said that the prosecution had shown their object
ude Of charges and scattered over the whole country in
New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia. Richmond and
and their rnmhcations that it was almost impossible
TO bring evidence to meet them they had thought
BY the yigor OF their proceedings to dsarm the prise
the trouble and expense going through the
law Mr. Eyarts then said that of eight indictments
found they did not know till the morning they
Court which he be tried and proceeded to read
the counts of the ndctmsAt which alege that Monroe
Edw ards the letter purporng to be from Maunse
White Co to Brown Brothers Co.. in the first Ward of
the city Of New York and with u,tering and publishing
said letter with intent defraud After calling the at
tenton o! the jury to the evidence by which had been
attempted that this letter written by Monroe
Edwards, he on:-Ou this Indictment BY this evil
dence he is guilty YOU though he may have
been stepped in fraud and crime his cradle and il he
innocent of this fraud you are not 10 convict him Of
other crimes and then argue tina. be is guilty Of this
You must take the evidence this alone the
re p, Nn True give the people
Of thejury in cordancc with the provision Of the
law evidence Of e prisoners general character is to
whether he Is Of unbsnshed character prior 10 tho
crime With which he Is charged of the most degraded
permission consider who he prisoner al IN. bar IS and
what figure and part he play stage where he now
pos1t1on, prior to this
action Msnroe Edwards introduced In this civ in
1888 by two distinguished Southern men we'll known
this communiiy-ucneral Hunt, the Texan Ambasso5or
and Joseph NJ. White, OF Florida lilo was introiuce 10
this community un Of great wealth and
nmy, and as being engaged in important ncgoc aiions
lie salad for Europe and returned by way of TEXAS N
his plantation in Louisiana. From there he rpturncS
TO New York. and this time he became ncouain,cd
with Lewis Tappan, with whom he had some corrospon
dencs. which you have heard Of lie then went 10 En-.
rope returning in the spring of letl and arrived AZ a
by way o.thc West Indies, on the 9th july ISL
From the 9th july 1884, to the Sd October IssI nothing
was heard against him. his character position relations
TO his character being otherwise than good and no
SANDERS through the newspapers On the October
he arrested and the oodgate of public opinion have
poured forth volumes Of abuse and defamation ever since
II Is strong illustration OF the truth of the old adars
give dog bad name, and hang him. He had been
three months in the country, without q whisper being