The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-10
4 Search for aIt Owner of Coin that
Had Lain in II Merchants Safe -Four

hC1rS.
From the August, (Cia.l C"n,tiutionasl, April 2.
\ few weeks since Mr. c. j. Martin, the
hool-kcrprr of Mr, Antoine PoullaiD. one of
our most prominent cotton factors, called the
attention of his employer to q bag of gold
which had been in ill.,, iron safe in Mr.. Poul-
lain's office for nearly four years. The ba"
was not labelled or marked in any manner.
and neither of the gentlemen had any kllowl-
edge us TO who had placed il in their charge.
Mr.. Martin therefore suggested that ii he
opened in order To discover if there was any
thing inside which would lead to its idcnti1i-
cation. The suggestion meeting with Mr..
Poullain's approval, the bag was opened, and
in it was found Il memorandum of an ac-
count due from Il Mrs. Gibbs to Mr.. c. A.
Davis. of Greensboro, Ga. This threw no
light on the matter. as Mr.. Poullain was
positive that he had never received such
package of gold from Mr.. Davis. The
only parties with whom he recollected hav-
ing ever had gold transactions were Mr..
Greene Moore and Colonel J. n. Armor (hiS
sou-in-law). Of Greensboro, Ga. He there
fore wrote to Mr.. Moore, stated the fact
about the bag of gold, which contained SOC
in pieces of various denominations, having
been in the safe for several years, and asked
if he (Mr. Moorc) had ever deposited bag
containing such IN amount with the writer.
Mr.. Moore, in answer, said that he had. be-
tween three and four years ago, asked Mr..
Martin on il certain evening to place bag OF
cold belonging to him in the safe. but hat he
was positive ne had called for and received
il from Mr.. Martin the next morning. This
answer left McSSrs. Poulain and Martin
altoycthcr in the dark as TO the OWL
crship of the gold. Several days AFTER
ward, while Mr.. Martin was relating the
circumstance to a number of gentlemen at
the Georgia National Bank, one of them re-
marked that perhaps the mysterious bag
and contents had some connection with a
recent arbitration case ut Greensboro. This
arbitration. he stated, was between Mcssrs.
Charles A. Davis and John c. Merritt, of that
place, and arose from the following facts: 1t
appcars that on the 9th of May, 1868, Mr..
Merritt requested SIR. Davis, who was and is
one of the principal merchants of Green's
boro', 10 take charge of and deposit in his
safe bag containing $706 in gold. Mr..
Davis at first refused to place the gold in his
safe, as he did not care to be responsible for
its safe keeping. Upon Mr.. Merritt's repeat
inc his request however, he consented to re-
ceiyc it on condition TINT that gentleman
would take receipt in which it should be
stated that the money was placed there ut his
,the owner'y risk. Mr.. Merritt agreed to
tbis. and Mr.. Davis accordingly gave him the
following receipt and placed the gold i'll the
safe
$500. Received, Greensboro, Ga. May
-. 1865. of John c. Merritt, on deposit, 1of
his own accommodation and at his own FISK,
4 bag containing seven hundred ana SIN DOL
larS in gold. CHARLES y. DAVIS
Last faIl-ncarly four years afterward- -
Mr.. Merritt called upon Mr.. Dayls Tor the
cold. Search was made in the safe for Ii, Dtlt
il could not be found. MIR. Davis SAID that
he had no recollection of having ever taken
the bag out of the safe, and was utterly una
ble 70 account for its disappearance. l..
Merritt demanded that either the gold or IFS
equivalent should be paid to him. Mr.. Davis
thereupon read the statement in the receipt
in reference to the gold being placed III the
safe at the owners risk, but stated that lie
was willing to submit the matter TO arbitra-
tors chosen by Mr.. Merritt. Mr.. MERRITT ac-
cordingly selected five gentlemen as arbltra-
tors, who decided that Mr.. Davis should pay
the value of the gold to Mr.. Merritt, which
he did some time in last February.
After hearing this statement Mr.. Martin
wrote to Mr.. Davis in reference to the bag of
gold found in Mr. Potllhin's safe. Mr.. Davis
at once replied that he had no doubt but that
it was the same bag that had been placed in
his safe by Mr.. Merritt, although he had no
idea how it had got out of his possession
He accordingly executed al indemnity bond
to Mr.. Poullair, and the gold was delivered
to a firm in this city by his order.
The only supposition in regard to the mat
ter is that Mr.. Moore had deposited bag o.
gold with Mr.. Davis, and upon his calling
for it, that Mr.. Merritt's package was dc
liyered to him by mistake. After receiving
the bag, Nj. Moore came on to Augusta, ani