The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-22
The Haunstein Forgery Case.
TRIAL OF GEORGE CHAnooN.
TESTIMONY FOR THE COMMON
WEALTH CONCLUDED.
Evidences OF Il. r.. Bcwaen, Samuel N.
Page and Others, for the Prose.
cusion. and General White
and IN. 9. MERRILL for
the Defence.

The Court met at 10 o'clock. The ex.
in chief OF Thos. E. Bowden was
resumed by Judge Crump, of counsel for
defence. He said: Prior to my examina-
ton of it at the county courthouse, had
never seen note with the endorsement of
John w. Thompson. first heard the name
OF Thompson in connection with the mat
ter from Detective Knox did not hear
that name used prior to the selling of the
The conversation between Page,
Chahoon, and myself, took place under q
Masonic pledge. Page may have had a con-
/ don't know why the Masonic pledge was
necessary on this occasion. You will have
to find that out some other way; I don't
know. Page said he wanted to talk with
Chahoon Masonically, and / understand it
was accepted by Mr. Chahoon. I think
Page came to the Office and found Chahoon
and myself together. had had previously
with Page in regard to the
affair. dom remember that I
had told Chahoon ofwhat transpired at these
conversations with Page. The memoran-
dunn given me by Mr.. Chahoon in regard to
the claim against Haunstein's estate. and
which had in my pocket when spoke to
Sanxay, was for six or seven thousand dol
lars. / don't remember the form in which
the claim was stated !; don't remember how
long /! had the memorandum In my pocket,
a week or month; don't know whether
had it three days. think it was in 1895
that Chahoon went to Florida; do not
know how long he remained in Florida, /
think he came to Richmond in 1865. I don't
think have seen any one in Richmond
named William Gleason. I know man
named William II. Gleason, who was on the
Virginia peninsula, in Elizabeth City, and
/ heard he went to Florida. never knew
Gleason in Elizabeth City in any other
than as candidate for the State
Senate. [ went to Elizabeth to electicneer
for my brother, who was a candidate for the
Legislature, and met Gleason there. Have
never seen him in Richmond. saw him
in Washington city about two or three
months ago, at the Ebbitt House. He asked
me how his friend Chahoon was getting on
Judge Crump objected that this con.
versation was not evidence.
Mr.. Wise admitted the validity Of the OBJ.
lection. He only wished to know the inde.
pendent fact, whether d conversation had
taken place.
Question by Mr.. Wise: Mr.. Bowden, j
have asked you a variety Of questions, and
you have given me a variety of answers.
now ask you on your oath whether you
have told me all you know concerning the
Haunstein affair?
Witness think have. Idon't remem.
tions will answer them. Something might
be brought to my memory that don't re.
collect Just now.
Mr.. Wise / now ask you upon your oath
to say whether you have ever seen the ac
cused, or any one in his presence, write
anything on that paper.
Witness was here shown the alleged
forged note with the endorsement. After
examining it closely he answered Ono,
have not +; and I never said Mr. Chahoor
wrote anything there. i heard you (Mr
Wise) said I did few days ago."
Mr.. Wise never said you told me 80
Witness: I heard you did, sir. I never
saw that paper until saw it ut the county
courthouse, in the hands of Mr. Fowlkes
MIR. Wise: You arc familiar with hir
Chahoon's handwriting, and have seen hin
writer
Witness: Yes, sir.
Mr.. Wise Well, now, look at that paper
carefully and see if you recognize his
writing anywhere upon it.
Witness (after examining the note): ]
do not.
SAMUEL u. PAGES TESTIMONY,
Mr.. Samuel NJ. Page sworn: am an at
torney at law of the city of Richmond.
was appointed escheator of the city of Rich
mond in 1867. Some two or three month:
after my appointment this case was callet
to my attention. ] proceeded to make some
inquiries about it, examining the papers il
the County and Circuit Courts, and obtain
ing some receipts signed by Haunstein.
compared the signatures to these receipts
with that on the note, and afterwards / wen
to the Capitol to inquire whether there wa
an escheator for the county of Henrico
From information received there, I pro
.ceeded to escheat Haunstein's property, ani
spoke to MIR. Daniel and Dir. Sturdivan
(the Commonwealth's attorneys) about it
One day I met Chahoon on the Square, an(
he told me to come to his Office he had .
case for me. ] went there accordingly, an(
he then told me that he was after The ap
pointment of Mayor of Richmond, an(
would like to secure my influence in his be
half, knowing that was good deal abou
Headquarters and the Freedmen's Bureau
/ agreed to help him, and he pail me some
money-SI50 or 5000, ] think-as retainer
After this. and before he was appointed
Mayor, saw him again at Mr.. Bowden'
office, Mr. Bowden being present. On tina
occasion Chahoon asked me if was Ma
sonY Ireplied, eyes," and Bowden spok,
up, eyes, he IS; I'll vouch for him.
sfWell," said Chahoon, CT want to tall
with you Masonically." just then Johl
Amber Smith came in, and Chahool
stopped. We then C. and y went into th'
back room, when he told me that I mus
stop the proceedings ofescheat in this Haun
stein case, as if the affair came to Gen. Scho
fields ears he would not get the appoint
ment as Mayor. l have read MIR. BoWden'
testimony in the papers, and he is mistaken
about Chahoon's having been Mayor whel
this conversation occurred. Il was some
time between the 30th of March ant
Slth of April, 1858. In reply to his reques
that ] should stop the proceedings.
told him L could not. One reason
gave for not stopping them was that
had spoken to Mr.. Il. T. Daniel abOu
the case, and he was required to be pre-
sent at the escheat as the representatiy
of the Commonwealth. He said that
that was the only difficulty he would hay
MIR. Daniel removed from Office. / woul,
not agree to any such proceeding. He thel
proposed that l should continue the cas-
from time to time, and let it pass off in tha
way. told him that wouldn't do either
that twelve months must elapse before tn
property could be sold, aud if put it Of
too long Virginia would be admitted int
the Union, and would lose the place q
escheator and lose my commissions toe
He then asked me to continue it one time
i said 1 would see about it, and the inter
view ended. Iwish to state here that / di,
not accept what passed between us on tina
occasion under the Masonic pledge OF Sc
crecy. I consulted DR.. John Dove, MI
Jas. Evans, and other persons standing higl
as mon and Masons, before made thes
revelations TO the grand jury, and theySaV
it as their opinion that was not bound +
keep what passed between Us secret qnde
the circumstances. Shortly after this inter
view Chahoon asked me to come to hl
office again. I did SO. He then remarked