New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-03
THE GREAT GOLD DrSr sH1NDLE.

The examination in this case was resumed yesterday
afternoon, at the City Hal Police Court. The court
room was crowded to excess, a large number of the
persons present being witnesses for the parties accused
Mr. Spencer raid he held in his hand the confession
Of Mr. BenE~T OF the witnesses a-sin- Hodges stating
tina; he had been The State P,ln He wished 20 introduce IL
70 show tie character Of the evidence brought . mPe
Hodges in this alleged conspiracy HI, def- sa. that Il
. conspiracy exiOrT money from Hodge,
M WIN. Branch was then sworn n witness Tor Dir.
HOdgey-I know Mr. Hodges. and also Nh TsJ1r BY ssat so
Mr. bradford prrs@ut Mr. Hodres place Of business
ton occurred in the front oor the back o
there until Taylor e Mr. H. isrs said 20 Mr Taylor, e"
would nothing do with that gold ii you, unr..
aud climate business your "
M Taylor walked Utmost immediately n~sy nothing else was
said he a there about five minutes.
CrseIaninedI real estate agents have M ohce;so
sometimes not think Taylor not in the small back room
before this conversation have just related occurred; vac
the back Office when heard this conyer.aon he.srs Taylor
Hodges standing the that leads 70 the back
ooe DOthng occurred between them TO give me 10 UNDERSTAND
heard spoken between the parties that there was
nothing said | know Hodges. handwriting. Here The
Hodge. gave the mysteou. parties for Mr. Taylor think
thai vac Mr. H,dses' hs1d"Ins csn say that eyer E
could single him Mr. Bradford in the off after tins
con- erssou and think day; Nj Hedges sitting
in his chair the Office the time Mr. Taylor called
when he left It aud the do no. think anything NOR
could have ben spoken between Mr. Hodge. and M Taylor
mus; have heard knew nothing about the gold dust until
hen; cannot positively ssy what day thi, was
Mr.. JOIN Hope was then brought forward, but Mr..
Brncer 10 show that the whole piracy against
NJ Hodges. but he venured say that such
in existence and that be could not be produced.
Judge stuart vOuchcd to the exisieIce of such
and recommended that he should BE- sent for which was
MIR. John Hope sworn-Was at the Office of
Mr. Hodges and with a souced nat resembling Mr
Radcfe come there MI Hodges told me that there
who had gold dust to sell and asked whether thought
there wa. anything made BY told him
buy gold dust from strangers and would not buy large
Judgment have great doubt o ever seeing
Radcliffe at Hodges only judge by hi. dress believe
went clerk Of Mr. Beebe establishment in Wall street aud
asked rim whether he able judge the value OF gold
dust be said he and MIN sample 10 Try with acid
Bradford remember hearing Taylor being sindled win gold
shortly after occurred and said that would bet II
person who had been here with the gold dust; asked
Mr. TAYLOR If been swnded as had been stated and he
cred that he he denied knew Of one apple alton
ford to Mr TAYLOR" signed BY Mr. Hodges the aer hand
writing the rst knew Of the swinde upon MI Taylor was
when saw it in the newspapers
Mr.. Bellnger, surnaned the Reverend, from some
parts he had acted the scheme here hered into the
citing hot discussion among the opposing counsel as to ms com
potency witness He was placed upon the stand and te'i
ed-Iwss in The State Prison in 1854 money the cause Of
taking me there Dismissed as incompetent
j. :. Bradford was next sworn-Decned to answer
any regard his connection with this case DIR
CLafeid then asked that his testimony be stricken out
judge Stuart said it was too late for him to put up
that plea having to details in this case andhe
must now stand by them, commit contempt OF
Cont, or perjury.
Mr. Clinton here rose, and said that Mr.. Bradford
told him the manner in which he had been dragooned
into making an affidavit in this case. He Mr.. Brad
forl occupied the anomalous position Of party and
at the same time witness in the case, and there was
no power in existence to make him answer question
which might tend to criminatc him.
The position was acceded to by Mr.. Chatfeld; but
Judge Stuart said that Mr.. Bradford the first
person who disclosed the swindle to the police, and
insisted that he was not dragOOned into the course he
had taken.
Mr. Clinton answered that Bradford had made an
affidavit directly contrary to the facts he stated to
Observation-Disclosures Ca penter, fearing, from what
was told him. that he would go directly to the State
Priso. if he did not do So There parties in the
Court room, he said who could threw light upon
this point.
Mr.. Bradfords testimony then ordered to be
stricken out.
Mr.. Spencer read an extract Of the law establishing
the point that Mr. RadclG was not to be witness.
TIE only evidence then remaining was that Of Mr..
Taylor.
MIR. Radcf here whispered anxously into the ear
Of his counsel that he had sold nothing than real
eodto Mr.. Taylor, having sold only the specimen on
the night referred to-which fact the counsel (llr.
Spencer stated.
$1,000 49,
of Mr. Tayors desiring to make money in an illegal
manner was not sufficient to excupate the accused;
and as there was no gold TO obtain in illegal man
ner, it was impossible for Mr.. Taylor to commit any
illegal act. The bogus policeman arresting MIR. Tsy-
lor only few minutes after leaving Bradford and
Radclff at the saloon, and the connection through
out, gave evidence of a preconcerted scheme OF
swindling.
Mr. Chatfield answered that Mr.. Taylor knew at
the time of the purchase of the gold dust that he
was not to come in possession of it in legal man.
ner and it was therefore impossible to prefer charge
Of false pretenses. All these facts went to show, Mr.
Chatfeld said, that Mr.. Taylor, in an attempt to
cheat Others got cheated himself and, finding that
he had been duped, prefers charge of robbery. Mr.
| Taylor intended to keep the property which he
thought to be stolen, and committed other crimes in
| the case which showed himself the complainant to
| be the most guilty party concerned The charge OF
| false pretense was therefore not admissible.
Judge Welsh said that the law against false pre-
lenses was made to protect honest men and not prison
birds and swinders in their schemes, aud dismissed
| the case