The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-22
THE HAUNsTEIN FORGERY CASE
Mr.. Bowden Before the Police Court
~ WITNESSES EXAMINED.
BowDEN RE-ARREsTED oN.A CAP1As.

police Justice, in his private office on satur-
day. There were present Messrs. j. q.
Blackwell and z. T. Daniel, Jr., represent
ing the Commonwealth's attorney, who is
not in the city, and Il. A. Wise, ESQ.,, on
behalf of the accused.
Before the examination commenced Depu-
ty Sergeant August made his appearance
in the office, and arrested the prisoner on q
cdDids, to answer at the next term of the
Hastings Court an Indictment for misde-
meanor.
Discussion ensued as to the status of the
accused. Governor Wise urged that the
cdpias had been issued by the clerk of tue
Hastings Court in vacation, without the
direction Of the Judge, or exhausting other
means OF getting the prisoner into court.
The Justice finally announced his opinion
that Mr.. Bowden was not before him by
virtue of the capias, but under arrest by
his officers, predicated upon an Indictment
Of the grand jury.
Governor Wise called the attention of the
Court to the fact that his view Of the nature
of the charge against the accused was sus-
tained by the clerk Of the court, the offence
being STYLED misdemcanor in the cdpidS.
The Justice said that the cdpiaS was not
to be considered. He would now proceed
to the examination Of the witnesses, and
the propriety of admitting the prisoner to
bail would be settled by the character of
the evidence adduced.
Messrs. Samuel NJ. Page, Temple Elicit.
William Fowlkes, William F. Knox, and
DIR. E. Fl. Smith, witnesses, were then called
and sworn. SubpGnas were issued to secure
the attendance of G. w. Buttz and john
son Fl. Sands.
Samuel Nj. Page was first examined. In
curing whether he must relate only what
he knew affecting Mr.. Bowden, or what in,
yolved all the parties indicted, he was told
by the Justice that Mr.. Bowden only was
on trial, and the evidence must be only such
as affected him.
He then testified as follows:
Soon after | was appointed escheatOr
for the city of Richmond / learned of the
death of Mr.. Haunstein, who, it was stated,
had left considerable estate in that portion
of the county of Henrico which has since
been added to the city of Richmond. L
learned that Mr.. Haunstein had died intes-
tate and without heirs. went to the state
library to inquire whether there had been
an escheator for the county oil Henrico since
Haunstein'S death. I asked, think, Mr.
Howard if he could tell me when the last
escheator for that county asappointed. Mr.
| Thomas r. Bowden, who was at that time
stranger to me, told me that he thought
he could answer my question, and give me
the information I was seeking. We walked
off to another portion of the Iibrary-room. l
previously remarked that / was escheator
for the city of Richmond, and wished there
had been an escheator for the county OF Hen
rico dating back far enough to cover the
| case in point. Bowden said tome, 81 sup
pose YOU are hunting up the facts about
HaunStein's death and the disposition OF his
property" This was about what he said,
although I don't remember the precise
words. am sure, however, he added - ana
perhaps can give you more information III
| regard to it than anybody else" lie then
| stated that soon after he came to the city
MIR. johnson III. Sands gave him that note
! for s. 900 against Mr.. Haunstein for cOllec-
ton. He (Bowden) presented it to Mr.
Sanxay (the old gentlenan), who was cura-
tor of the estate, and the latter declared it
was fraud, and that the estate didn't owe
dollar. think he said that when he met
SanXay he Bowden) was walking with
| Sands's sister, and they met near Sankey's
own gate. lie said Mr.. S. seemed to be
angry or excited, so much SO rs to satisfy
him (B.) that there was something wrong
about it, and that he determined to have
no more to do with the note; that he then
carried it back to Mr.. Sands; and the next
| he heard of the note Mr.. Chahoon had it
| for collection. think l said to him then,
| "Mr. Bowden, are you not Attorney
| General of the State?" He replied he was
l then asked him, "When you became
| convinced that there was something wrong
| in this matter, why did you not have an in
vcstigation of the atiairT' He answered,
| "I did make examination and inqui-
ries," and / think he mentioned two
parties inside the capitol building of whom
| he inquired rs to his duties. l do not re-
| collect who he named, but my impression
| is that the Auditor was one. My recollec-
| ton is indistinct in regard to The names, if
any were mentioned. lie said. however,
| that he satisfied himself that it was not his
business as Acknowledgement to have this
business investigated. Soon after this i'll
terview I went to DR.. Smiths office on bu-
siness. 1t was few days after MIR. Cha
hoon had been appointed mayor OF Rich
mond. l found MIR. Bowden and some
others there. l think he said to me, 81
see MIR. Chahoon has been appointed mayor
of the city," and commenced talking about
the Haunstein case, making, think, SUBJ
stantially the statement that he made to me
at the Library.
Witness having concluded, called his
Honor's attention to the fact that ne had
made this statement with full knowledge
of the fact that Mr.. Bowden had said he
would deny it. :,
MIR. Knox was then called, and stated
| that he knew nothing whatever about the
case so far as Mr.. BOWden was concerned.
Mr.. Page then added to his testimony
that a few days after the first conversation
with Mr.. Bowden in the library he pro-
ceeded as escheator for the city Of Rich
mond to escheat the estate of Haunstein,
having before posting the notice obtained
| information from other parties. Had been
appointed escheator Il short time before,
having been appointed by Governor Pier
1o;I ill f1,1eo So &C. 1>nr
Mr.. Sturdivant, then Commonwealth s
attorney for the circuit court, ,.nnd Mr.. K.
T. Daniel, Sr., attorney for the city of
Richmond, and employed Mr. Daniel as
counsel for the State to prosecute the
escheat. There had been no inquisition of
escbeat up to the time held it yself. The
Jury found that Mr.. Haunstein died intes--
tate and without heirs, possessed OF real
estate-six or seven houses and lots-and
that the said property had been sold to
satisfy judgment of the county court or
Henrico, under decree of the circuit
court. This will appear by the record of
the inuuisition of escheat in the clerk s
Office OF the circuit court of the city OF Rich
mond.
TO the Court Haunstein committed
suicide in 1861, before l was appointed
escheator. When Mr.. BoWden first told
me about this matter the judgment and
decree had been obtained, and the property
sold by Mr.. L. d. Sanxay as commissioner
of the court. All the proceedings of the
court had been had, and the commissioner
had made his report before l heard any
thing about it. My first information was
derived from Mr.. Christian.
To Governor Wise: Will not pretend to
say whether Bowden or l first mentioned
Haunstein or his estate during our in-
teryiew at the library, but know That
Bowden's remarks to me were entirely
nolnntarr don't know whether he had