Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-06-07
The CHAHooN CAsE.-The Richmond cor

The CHAHooN CAsE.-The Richmond cor
respondent of the Petersburg Index gives the
following ccount of the Chahoon Case.
The charge against Chahoon has been
talked about in Richmond for two or three
weeks and has been for four or five days the
subject of investigation by the Grand Jury
The facts about the case are briefly these:
In 1866 Solomon HavDstein, SWede, keep
ing bar room corner 18th and Marshal streets,
committed suicide by blowing out bis brains
with pistol Being foreigner and without
heirs, the court oSlercd that K D. Sanxay,
now deceased, be appointed committee to
taxi charge Of his effects. con,lstlng OF houses
money, e., 10 the value OF about $lO,OoV, with
| the view of having them escheated TO tha Com
| uunwcaith. La the spring OF 1868. GEORGE
| Chahooi., as counsel tor John W. johnson,
cutercd suit against Havnstelu estate ior
81, 900, alleged 10 have been due to salu
j ohDson by said Havnsteir, and evidenced Dy
nromissory note, under seal, dated April l,
| 1861. Bowden was then Attorney General
und it was his duty to have represented the
| Commonwealth and to have defended the
suit, but, as it is alleged, he transferred the
case to johnson II. Sands, and the three
| fixed it so as to get judgment upon the note
without even the usual formulas or law:
Judgment was obtained, a house was sold
under decree. and $4,000 realized, and. the
money paid to Chahoon and his receipt taken
therefor. Now, there is said to be no such
| man as John w. Johnson. Havnstein never
owed dollar and be could not write word
in our language. The case was worked ,uD
| by 4 shrewd detective here. 1t Is said that
| Chahoon, Bowdcn, Sands, and others forged
this note and got tho money upon 1t, beneVlog
that nobody was so particularly interested IN
the estate as to ever institute inquiries. They
can easily save them selves by producing y Ohm
W. Johnson-if he is in existence. About
twenty-five witnesses have been examined by
the Grand Jury. :.
Another person, not herein named, Radical
of prominence wasa lso in the conspiracy and
ha9 turned States evidence. Although the
amount obtained by the forged note vas SC
small, at least half dozen persons are I'M
pIicated- one of whom is a most respectable
citizen e., but at the time OF this
occurrence resident OF this city, where he
was born and raised and where he has ever
before BONE high character for honesty aud
probity but who, seeing an opportunity o.
recruiting his financial condition, listened tG
the voice Of the tempter and fell, and pulled
in with Eim Chahoon and the others tor ht
il yas who first conceived the idea ct making
ga soft thing from the dead mans estate.
There arc many facts of interest connected
with THIS matter, which | will write after the
Grand Jury has reported This is in nj
sense political move. The case was IN TIT
hands Of the Grand Jury sometime before the
election, and they could have gone into 1t theI
and ruined Chahoon's chance, but fearing tina
If might look like partizancy they postponed
, j, until this week. Candy ouce had the cas-
, Ia hanl-but Ter some reason, best knO"n It
himself, did not prosecute 1t. tie sent 10 tn'
Court and got ali oil the papers and Kept tncn
. at Headquarters until lie Was removed lroh
, command OF this District when he tuTne'
them over TO Governor Walker.
lit IS proper to add TO the above that n
Richmond State Journal assents that the Who'll
matter Was fully investigated s1metlma sine
by ,l... military commander "i the district Q
Nireitil, aud the charge dismissed as irvo'
g Ios and without foundation. And that MI
i Chahoun asks tor speedy trial, denying tn
' accusation aaains! him. Further MT Lem
Z ucl s HoWden asserts IN Il pu6lshed carr
. that the statements made about hun, that b.
9 is implicated in the atfair-that he has left
Richmond he Otferd to turn States eyl
drncA, &c., are entlry ialse.
A severe and protraced drought il prevail
ling in Maine, and the hot term continues una
, bateI. This has very seriously affected tn
lumber interest. Logs are much wanted, ant
, holders ask their own prices.
President Grant yesterday received at TIT
White House the visiting Indian Chiefs now il
Washington. All the members OF the Cabine
, and their families were present.
f Rev. DR.. Cyrus Dickson, Of Westminste
Presbyterian Church. Baltimore, has been cleo
, ted Secretary OF the Board OF Domestic Mis-
sons OF the Presbyterian Church.
WASHINGTON ADVERTISEMENTs.