The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-22
A MAYOR III JEOPARDY.
Tie Mayor Of Belfast, Maine, Charged with
Conspiring to Purchase Stolen
United States Bends.
A History Of tho Cass-The Alleged Larceny Of
the Bonds in Question at the Astor House.
Ths Principal Actor on Trial-In-
tercsting Developments.

-.
stevens, alias Samuel Shepherd charged with steal
Ing $500 In greenbacks 81 800 worth or Belfast
| (Me) city bonds from George w. Duckmorc at the
Aston House on tho cath Of October 1862 was called
| up. Mr.. John Sedgwick and Judge Stuart repre-
sent the accused ana the prosecution Il conducted
by Assistant District Attorney Fellows. There are
number Of lawyers and influential friends OF tho
| complainant aud the defendant from Name In at
tendance AMI the result OF the trial Will be looked
forward to with interest by citizens In that State
| where the parties are well known. Mr. Follows
| opened the case to the jury on Tuesday evening.
ana upon the reassembing OF the court yesterday
| morning the complainant, Mr.. Buckmore, was ex-
amined and cross-cxarnlned ut great length, he
having occupied the witness stand for hours.
HISTORY Oh THE CASE.
Mr.. BucSmore sw0re sub stantlaly that nc arrived
! In New York on the 10Th OF October, from Boston,
and stopped at the Astor House with Stevens with
whom he was slightly acquainted, he having been
informed by Mr. Axell Wayiord. the Mayor Of Bel
fast that Stevens could render HIN (Buckmore) aid
In negotiating the bonds Of the Moorehcad Railroad
Company. Of which MIR. wayford was president. Mr.
Wayford entrusted Buckmore with the bonds to ne.
gotiate them In this city at eghtyseven cents on the
dollar for United States securities. The day after
their arrival BucEMore gave checks ana drafts to
Stevens amounting to sG,00o and requested him to
obtain cash for -tnem, which he did, and returned
the exact amount. Mr.. Buckmore. put that money,
and $4,000 besides, In his satchel which he kept
under the bed IN his room. They had conversations
about negotiating the bonds and on Friday AFTER
noon the defendant came into Buck,nore's room
the latter being confined to his apartment by IL
, ness-and said,
'Tnis EXCHANGE OF BONDS BUSINESS Is ALL SLIPPED
UP.
Icannos make the trade go. think have got
better thing; IL Is better project TO try" Defend
ant then wrote down his proposition, which was
| thathe could exchange two dollars FOR one-inca1.
ing stolen bonds. He t,ucknlorc) replied tnat hs
was AFRAID oil the whole arrangement, but said he
would consider it Till the morning. Tie next morn
| ing Saturday stevens reappeared and Buckmore
rercinptorily refused to entertain the pr0poslcn.
AT that time they were alone IN Inc room aud Buck
more. being compelled TO visit the water closet, ier
the room ana WAS gone ten or fifteen minutes.
Upon returning Stevens was there and remained
twenty minutes, ana when leaving said he woali
call again. Alter no lett complainant closed aud
bclted the door, and in little while looked at his
] satchel and discovered that
THE BONDS AND MONEY WERE GONE
| he saw the money at nine O'Clock thas morning,
and from that time TIL the period he missed it in the
he communicated his loss TO the detective OF tie
d! Aston House Mr. Measher who has since deceased;
they went 70 the Police Heidguariers and his state
The complainant was. subjected 60 scrrt,n,zing
cross.examiaatio1 by Mr. ssdgwlcS, the most i'm
ness gave to questions propounded III reference to
certain memorandums IN Stevens 20 session, which
mo- could give no explanation OF them, and Mr..
Sedawlck claimed that they were memorandums for
the purchase Of stolen bonds and counterfeit green
A soN-IN-LAw's TESTIMONY.
Eunroo Young. the son-in-law Of MIR. Buclmore,
testified that he resided in Ellsworth Me., ana ar
rested Stevens at Quincy. ILL.,, upon requls,tIon
S1yeg1Ss I0Pn s, anaaT as u q
was turned over to him by the Captain OF Police at
4uncy; Inckmore was then Il. In .Chcago As the
II would be better for him II he returned tho pre-
perry. his evidence was excluded The witness then
money the bonds. Tne Captain Of Police aud the
witness " me- e r@ r v ana
dollars each which Mr.. Buckrnora identified as
the
TIE BONDS THAT WERE STOLEN
out OF his vallse in the Astor House. Stevens was
taken TO Chicago, and afterwards broughtt to New
York and delivered up to tho autorities.
Upon his cross-oxamlnaton by Judge Stuart the
witness said that he endeavored to get the money
back, and held out the inducement to me brother
in-law Of the accused that he would not be prose-
mr.. Fellows rested the case for the prosecution,
rescrvng the right to produce rebultnS testimony.
THE CASE FOR TIE DEFENCE.
lawyer from Maine opened the case for the &C.
cnsed, and said that the defence would deny that
Stevens clandestinely caue into the possession OF
the money and bonds but that they were delivered
to him according 70 mutual contract Counsel
STORY OUT or WHOLE CLOTH,
OF the cheeks in question into New YORK bank. for
which he had to pay a percentage. Counsel affirmed
that BqGSWore ting Mayor 81 Bea last Mayr2rd
tors and vantcd stevens TO come to New York to
negotiate for tho purchase Of stolen United States
bonds, one OF which the Mayor Of Belfast saw and
said ut was good enough for him."
Detective TClly was the first witness called By Mr.
sedgwick and testified that the evening OF satur-
day, october, 1889. Buckmnre came TO headquarters
and said that on that morning he gave Samuel
q description OF the alleged thief Bncklnore told
tue officer that ne gave the bonds TO stevens on tno
fol at m
and said nothing about tue loss OF money.
Oficer sininston corroborated officer Tully's
Mr.. sTETsoN ON THE STAND.
Alexander Stetson and his clerk were examined to
show that Dir Buckmore never communicated his
w. THE DEFENDANTS STORY.
Samuel s. Stevens the defendant, then proceeded
no and Buckore arrived at the Asor House, IN this
city, coming as they did
10 PURCHASE STOLEN BONDS,
Bucknore gave HIM $500 In bank bills md checks,
which he negotiated a the National Trust Company,
1886 Broadway. The witness identlded two memo
randums which tine complainant gave HIM on the
ed OF October which SET form II ngafes that Nc
United States bonds atlty cents on the dollar. That
was the agreement between them.
Mr. Fellows then took the witness In hand and got
from him detailed account OF the various occupa-
tons in which ne was engaged. He was Ia business
in Name st. Louis and Wisconsin, and When ar
rested had an interest in saloon III chicago. He
denied ever gong out OF Bangor
NAILED UP MA DRY GOODS Box
and declined stating whether lie lett Belfast, Me-,
twenty-five years ago, escape the officers OF the
law, on the ground that 1t might crlmnate him. He
dd not put anything Ia tue capital stock to pur.
chase "stolen bonds" and never returned any OF
the $1,000 to Its owners, but was ready 70 90 So ~
fated to comply with the contract to furnish tho
bontls,u sail the defendant.
| Mt Fellows--I commend You for your morality.
| EIr Scdgwick-He does not pretend to morality.
| Mr. Fellows asked witness how much money he
! mad with him when lie left Maine. and no declined
to answer. The Recorder told him he must do so,
and Mr.. Stevens replied that he had between three
J and four thousand dollars.
| This closed the case Tor the defeucc.
| Mr. Fellows called Charles Peters, q commission
| merchant Of TINS city, for the purpose oi showing
! the character OF
Mr.. BUCKMoRE FOR PRoBrrS.
| Mr. Peters stated that lie knew BIZ. Bncknore for
! thirty years, and when Mr. Fellows asked what
his character for integrity Mr.. Sedgwck objected,
| and the Record ersustalaeJ the objection.