Washington telegraph., 1853-02-02
The Martha Washington Case

are occupied with the report of this case,
which is now progressing at Columbus
The dying declaration Of young Mr. Filley,
the admissibility of which was ably discuss
cd for two or three days, vas received, and
makes mos. extraordinary disclosures We
copy n much Of the proceedings rs we can
find room for, and from which our readers
can form some opinion as TO the merits Of
this singular case. Memphis Wing.
Mr.. Filley's examination was resumed.
He said:
My son told me the history of the Mar
tha Washington case in July last. He came
to my house to make disclosures, but did not
have an opportunity. Iwrote his statement
ont, and he signed It, in which be made q
full disclosure
The paper was read amid the most breath
less silence. Ii is rs follows:
Dockaration Of y. =. Fiklcy, maRe lc-
fare his Fatlier, lrrittcn darn, ~ his
Fathcr and signed By himsey.
On the 22d day of July last, 1852. /,
Lucius l.. Filley, Of the city Of Cincinnati,
State Of Ohio, ID hereby certify that an
one Of the frm Of Pillcy x Chaplin, in said
city: that the said firm consisted Of l.. j.
Filiy and Rufus Chaplin. who-were known
as the actual active partners in the concern.
but that Amasa Chaplin and Lorenzo Chap
in were secret partners and lad an interest
in the concern jointly. Said firm were con-
nected in the business of manufacturing and
selling boots and shoes, and buying and sell
ing leather, hats and caps, that the said co-
partnership was commenced and III existence
in 1886 and 1851, and closed IN December.
1851. At the time Of closing we sold to
Lyman Cole
The Chapins made thc inventory, and
copied the same Ii amounted tD or was
called eighteen thousand dollars, and have
no doubt but that there was that amount in-
yentoried aud sold to Cole, which | supposed
about All The stock of bn0t~. and shoes W.
haG on hand. know nothing XII Cole on-
" by way OF Chaplin. and tad bareley seen
him until the Chapias sold out to him
They recommended him very highly to
me a. a man Of worth and high standing,
and learned nothing to the contrary until
told by Carpenter there was leather on hand
at the time of the sale to Cole, which might
amount TO three or four hundred sides Of
red sole leather Can't say whether or 10,
that was included in the bin Of sale to Cole
know of no white leather on hand
There we're 200 or 300 dozen sheepskins;
can't Sly whether they were sold to Cole or
not; | onl NJ gave my consent To the trade uf
Chaplin and Cole The firm was vastly IN
debt and consented to any disposition IL
the property they thought advisable I do
not know how much money the frm owed
Cole, that was generally managed by the
Chapins
The Chapins and Coles notes for the
property, amounted, I ,hculd think, TO -ix.
thousand br eight Thousand dollars. | was
taken aicE. and know nothing h1w th1 rn4.-
tar WA settled at alf. knew ufua asru.---
ments, ami never heard any thin. VI ship
/ ping goods or leather on Inc Martin wash
ing;on uniil | reached home an Wednesday
night, the .th of january, 1892. cn thr
ith Nj january went IN Ripley and Mays
Vile, collecting and returned VIII the niri-
of the Ith 10 my house 81 Sixth street. in
| Cincinnati.
About q O'Clock that tight, Lorenzo Chap
in came To my house and said they wanted
me at the store. Going down they told NE
they had shipped lot Of goods on the Mar
tha Washington
At the store found the Charins. Cole
and Cummings. They showed mc bills of
lading that had been recciptcd On the boat.
| said they had been buying leather. left
the store and Adams Chapin came out and
said he was going to Louisville.
Tie hintcl what was going On, but seem
al afraid to to tell me- Two " three DAYS
after the Martha Washington left, was in
the Office. standing by the desl; and the
Chapins handed me book, to copy OF the
weights Of the feathers which did, H. fhcv
called them OF ID me knew nothing
about the heather or weights, only a. they
read them of from a paper, purPor;iug to
have the weights on it.
Three Of the ChnpinF were then Standing
ut tile desk. Earl was nOt there, nor did
be call Of any leather to nlc during that
week After lad copied the bills they
then told me for the FIRST time what was 20
! ing On, and then said the man that exposed
them would ID shot down III lcss than four
hours. / made no reply, but have ever
stood in fear. The thoughts Of what was
implicated in. 50 affected me that the trou-
be threw me into q State Of wrctcaoiness
and used inc up.
Just before the boat was buried Rufus
told me and 50 did Lorenzo tba; the ealcu-
latiOn was to b1rn the M1rti.a Washington.
and no one that told il conli live lonr and
| that ii they were arrested others that were
n1, known would shoot them down. Said
Cole was the frst that got il up aud kis,auc
was "a much in It as any one, for he had the
largest Insurance Of any one. After the
boat was burned Adam Chnpin toll ma :haL