The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-07-14

~
ed in Montreal; am forty-four years
old have been acting as accountant
for Mr. Meeker, broker in Montreal,
since the month Of July 1864 in the
Exchange Building, st. Sacrament St
When ! joined Mr. Meeker ! found
among his customers, the three broth
ers Payne. The next day after
Joined 1Ieeker, they and Mr.. NJ went
into a Joint wheat operation in Mil
waukee. The eldest was Sterling
d., next George b., and the youngest
was Hezekiah Payne; they were then in
the habit of buying and selling gold
in New York, and consequently were
in the habit of coming to the office
every day, and sometimes several
times day. The papers shown to
me are in my handwriting. Mr.
Bailey puts them into the case
made out both Of these statements;
first appears to be dated and was
made November IS sG4, and gives
result of the spcculations ia wheat.
Hezekiah Payne had wheat transac-
tons at the end of july or tho first OF
August see by abstract that ON the
29th of July, lac paid $500; his share
was 9127 bushels of wheat was sold
on November 5 and Is, 1864 Apart
from the paper, recollect the wheat
transaction. The other paper shows
Hezekiah's DEALING in gold. the other
brothers were interested in similar
transactions. but the accounts were
kept with them individuals. This
1 gold was held from August until No
yember, 1861 IA the meanwhile, tel
/ egralns were sent to New York in re-
gard to it. Thore we've only two tram
sactions in The gold matters, VIZ; the
purchase and the sale On the 18th
day of October, 1864, l was in Montre-
al, but heard nothing Of the St Al
bans raid. On the morning OF the
goth, heard of il in the Office, when
some one brought in an Extra, giving
an account Of it. The three Paynes
and other customers came into the Of
I fee in the morning, because we re-
ceiyed reports as soon as the gold
board opened. The Pavues were
nearly always there in the morning.
The account of this raid occasioned
much conversation and joking about
who committed it. Parties enquirod
Of one another, where were you last
night = Mere you ut st. Adams last
night p | remember distinctly that
the three brothers Payne were in the
Office that morning while the conycrsa-
( ton was going on, This must have
been between nine and ten o'clock, on
4 the morning Of October 10th. | had
been il the habit of seeing Payne ov-
( cry day until lie went to the West; up
to the date OF my making oat the nc
counts | know | saw him every day.
/ From St. Lawrence Hall to Meeker's
Office is about as far as from here
10 the fremont House-and about the
same distance, only little further
have known Nr Meeker about three
years since. For two years no has
been in business as q broker and a
general commission agent Both ab-
I suacts were made out from Mr.. Meek
er's books.
Cross-erantlied By lL. Baaey-I
should not be able to fix upon the Goth
day of October as the day Hezckiah
Payne was in Meokers Office, but for
/ the conversation / have described
would not be positive about the time
of their being in the Office, except that
it was shortly after ! went into the Of
fee that morning; cannot say who ar
rived first, the Paynes or l. They us
ually came there together, but l
I don remember how it was that day
or how long they stayed / was oc-
cupied in my business, and might have
taken part iii the jocular conversation.
The question was often asked that day
where were you last night ? were you
at ST Adams p Whether asked OF
( the Payne brothers, | cannot state,
such conversation was had in THEN
presence. Persons expressed their as
constituent; cannot recollect anything
that the Paynes said on that day; and
but for hearing of the arrest of the
Paynes, should not have thought OF
the circumstance. During the winter
Sterling Payne told me OF the arrest
he asked me if recollected their be-
ing present on the goth day Of Octo-
Der. At first / said ! did not. He
asked me whether did not recollect
the conversation had on the morning
OF the 10th of October. As soon us he
mentioned it, / recollected it. l don't
remember it from anything that Hez-
ekiah Payne said or did on that day
but | recolloct that they were all there
that day; can't swear whether they
came in again that day; there Were
six or seven persons or more present
when this jocular conversation tool
place. Until the gold report was
brought in, there were persons usually
present IN the Office, and conversation
was general, and persons We're usually
smoking and talking up to the time o
the receipt Of the gold report which
was usually received at ID minutes t
IL o'clock. Mr. Starnes, cashier OF tho
Ontario Bank, was present. Mr.. Por-
terfeld had desk there then, or there
, is q desk there which he used. To the
: best of my recollection, Porteriielc
was there; nm not SO positive of that
| as that the three Paynes were there
, | cannot tell what hour on that day