The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-04
SUICIDE AND FORGERY.
An Extraordinary Forgery Case in Richmond
How the Property Of Suicide Was Di-
vidcd Up by Certain OfRcials-Rs-
markable History Of the Case
RIcHMoNp, Sept. 50, lE0.

RICHMOND, Sept. 50, lN0
Just at the outbreak Of hostiitlcs IN the late war,
during the month OF April. 1861, wnen troops from
the South were docking 10 Virginia, q remarkable
case OF suicide occurred which al that time occa-
stoned little notice, but which now is destined to be-
come historic event in the annals OF this city. The
victim or self-murdcr was barkeeper named
Solomon Haunstein. native or Switzerland,
Iainiar1y known here .Swiss.- He was the
proprietor OF small groggery ON Seventeenth
street, near the foot OF the Old Market, ana had by
economy and industry amassed considerable
amount OF money, which, from time to time, he in
vested IN houses and lots renting these out, as OPP
poriunity offered. TO good and profitable tenants.
At the lime OF the suicide the estimated value OF this
property was about ten thousand dollars or up
wards and Hannstein, having no relatives, 1t was
taken possession or by an officer OF the State termed
curator, named Richard d. SanXay. or the
ANrEcsDENrs OF HAuNsrEIN
but little ~ known beyond the fact that he
came to this city at an early age aud worked AT
his trade, whscl was that OF cordwalner. After
spending some time here ne went TO California. but
returned again in fcw years, with the means that
enabled MIN to open the barroom Seventeenth
street. While suffering from an attack OF
delirum tremens he Is supposed 10 have
snot himself with a pistol as he was
the depot OF the then Central Railroad. No VIII was
claimant appeared for the property-if mulasto
woman win whom Haunseln cohaDlted is ex-
cepted-bnt having no legal title her demands were
summarily dismissed. During the war the property
remained III the hands of Mr.. H. d. Sanxay. the Gu
rator and in the confusion and chaos Incident the
stirring events that occurred between '6i and 65
disposition was MADE OF it, ana in fact the matter
was entirely forgotten, except, perhaps, by the
officer In whose charge it SO far as the public
were concerned The suicide, property and every
circumstance connected with the case were los.
sight or and time travelled on until 1866 when some
cur i0us individual discovered that the
HAuNsTEIE PROPERTY
had been disposed OF. and as q little investigation
showed the proceeds had neither been turned over
| 10 the State to any alleged relatives Pushing
the Investigations Still further 1t was found that
| bond purporting TO he drawn by the deceased In
| lavor OF "Wllliam Gieeson, assignee OF John w.
thompson Tor the sum OF 81 900 had been quietly
| brought into cOurf, sued upon and Judgment OBJ
tanned against Hannsteins estate. Under this Iudg-
entire property was sod TO satisfy the alleged claims
which. with the expenses OF the case, swallowed up
the story becomes peculiarly interesting as the facts
| that have since been uneartned deveop
| INDUSTRIOUS swINDLE,
TO which three OF ''best citZens,r one OF them
late Mayor oi tins city, are the alleged parties.
! The property mad been SO long withous u CLAIMANT
the war had swept il out OF the memory OF the few
| who ever knew anything about IL, and the pro-
ceeds OF II accrued TO the State by law 1t was
thought 6y me Trio above alaasi 60 that they might
the $4,000 between them without The slightest risk
OF the transaction ever beng looked INTO This was
not the case, however. Tor the matter coming
| TO the ears OF Detective William r. Knox. that
efficient and skilfql officer proceeded systematically
To WORK II mp, with the result OF indictng cX-Mayor
| George Chahoon, John II. Sands, a prominent law
YER and Richard >. SanXay, the son OF the CURATOR
point the testimony in the case It appears that these
parties met together and conspircd 10 defraud the
! commonwealth by feignng debt Of ZOO due VIII
liam Gleeson assignee OF John w. Thompson on the
9Th OF January 1867, with interest from the LIST OF
April. 1851 when the debt was alleged to have been
THE THEORY OF THE swINDLE,
as manifested by the evidence IN the case, that
while Mr.. George ChahOon, young lawyer, was act
ing United States Commissioner the bond in fay or
OF John W.. Thompson was forged, and then the
| name OF John w. Thompson was Forged on the bach
| OF the bond III favor OF William GlecsOn Thomp
som, alleged assignee. Mr.. johnson II. Sands tool
the part or counsel for the state employed by Mr..
Richard ID. SaDxay, the curator who held the pro
perry. 1t Is stated that several attempts were made
| to counterfeit the handwriting and name OF Haun,
at length accomplished the leat Chahoon remarked
'fhat VIII do. Haunsteln himself could not say 1t
was forgery II he saw IT, me bond read as fol
For value received promise and bind myself pay
Witness the following signature and Done Rich
tseal) SOLOMON HAUNsrEIN.
| ON the back OF this bond, which was written on q
| crnmpled and dirty piece OF paper, the name d
| John W. thompson was forged. With this docu
ment the parties went into court on the
| nth Mars, 1867. Mr.. Chahoon appeared as at
| torney Tor MIR. Geeson assignee or Thompson
| and Mr.. Johnson IL. Sands appeared counsel Tor
| the estate There were no witnesses. and the de.
| PENDANTS offering no objection Judgment was oD
tancd on the forged bond. On The lot il Of May the
| property was sold. what the actual
DIVISION OF THE SPOIIS
| was nobody knows but the interested parties but
| this Will be developed at the trial, which has been
repeatedly postponed ut tue instance OF counsel ol
the accused. The bond IS clearly forgery. The par
| ties, JOnn W. Thompson and William Giecson have
never been heard Of, though the ateS named is sup
posed to be that OF the Lieutenant Governor OF Flor
| Ida, former companion OF Chahoon. Ex-Ator
ncy General BOwdcn OF this State Is an important
| witness in the case. but he refuses TO testify, and
had to be arrested. brought here and recognized tC
! appear The case creates unusual interest because
Of the high social positions OF all the parties lmp
! Gated.