Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-06-14
The Chahoon Case.

The Richmond correspondent of the Peters;
burg Lnder gives the following account of the
Chahoon Case.
tsThe charge against Chahoon has been
talked about in Richmond for two OF 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
Iu 1866 Solomon Haunstein. Swede, keep
ing bar room corner 18th and Marshal
streets, committed suicide by blowing out his
brains with pistol Being foreigner and
without heirs, the court ordered that r. ID.
Sanxay, now deceased, be appointed COM
mittee to take charge of his effects, consisting
of houses, money, &C., to the value OF about
$4,000, with the view of having them
escheated to the Commonwealth. In the
spring of 1868, George Chahoon, as counsel
for John W. johnson, entered suit against
Haunstein's estate for 81 600, alleged to have
been due to said johnson by said Haunstein,
and evidenced by promissory note, under
SEAL dated April l, 1861. Bowden was then
Attorney General and 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 John II. Sands, and
the three fixed it SO as to get Judgment upon
the note without even the usual formulas of
law Judgment was obtained, house was
sold under decree, and Sd, 800 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. Haunstein
never owed dollar and he could not write
word in our language. The case was worked
ND by shrewd detective here. 1t is said
that Chahoon, Bowden, Sands, and others
forged this note and got the money upon it,
believing that nobody was so particularly in>
terested in the estate as to ever institute in
qui1ies. . They can easily save themselves by
producing John W. Johnson-if he is in
existence. About twenty-five witnesses have
been examined by the Grand Jury.
Another person, not herein named, a Rad
ical of prominence, was also in the conspiracy
and has turned States evidence. Although
the amount obtained by the forged note was
SO small, at least half dozen persons are inn
plicated-one of whom is most respectable
citizen o., but at the time of this
occurrence resident of this city, where he
was born and raised and where he has ever
before borne q high character for honesty and
probity but who, seeing an opportunity of
recruiting his financial condition, listened to
the voice of the tempter and fell, and pulled
in with him Chahoon and the others for he
it was who first conceived the idea of making
ga soft thing" from the dead mans estate
There are many facts of interest connected
with this matter, which 1 will write after the
Grand Jury has reported: This is in no sense
political move. The case was in the hands
of the Grand Jury sometime before the cleo
ton, and they could have gone into it then
and ruined Chahoon's chance, but fearing
that it might look like partizancy they post
poned it until this week. Candy once had
the case in hand-but for some reason, best
known to himself, did not prosecute it. He
sent to the Court and got all of the papers and
kept them at Headquarters until he was re-
moved from command of this District when
he turned them over to Governor Walker"
lit is proper to add to the above that the
Richmond State Journal assents that the
whole matter was fully investigated sometime
since by the military commander of the dis
trict of Virginia. and the charge dismissed
as frivolous and without foundation" And
that Mr.. Chahoon asks for speedy trial. de-
nying the accusation against him. Further
Nr. Lemuel S. Bowden asserts in published
card that the statements made about him, that
he is implicated in the aHair-thut he has
left Richmond-that he offered to turn
States evidence, &C., entirely false.