The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-27


try in n,is book is made upon these orders.
Is there mistake In that book! II SO. mere
are che means to prove it and show 1t IN
these vouchers and orders. 1t stands here
20 confirm each, and In turn to be confirmed
1 by each. Are you to have man before you
who can prove the transactions Of govern
| ment from the very first day Of its founda-
| ton to prove guilt3 .---e---....-..
| Mr.. Wise then proceeded to define forgery
to the jury, and argued to show that the
prisoner had changed the figures with
guilty intent. Does not the alteration make
| the figures tell different tale from what they
did at first p? Did he not do it with intent to
| dcfraua? Has it not deceived somebody !?
1t deceived the whole Treasury for three
days! Has it not deceived Colonel Taylor,
man familiar with figures, and looking for
fraud; man with percentive faculties, and
| a man whose eyes are strained to detect the
error? You are asked is it not too bungling
an operation to suppose that Coleman made
the alteration With intent TO defraud! Ii
has bafllcd the most experienced officers ofthe
government. 1t was never discovered until
these vouchers were produced. We can see
very we'll after transaction is done how he
might bave done it better. If Coleman made
that change, and larceny has been COM
milied. YOU have the motive for the forgery
in the attempt to cover the defalcation ana
if defalcatiou does exist, does not the fact
of dcfalcation prove forgery, and II for
gerry, then defa!cation? These gentlemen
have all asserted that there has beer no for
gerry. and ii there has been no forgery then
20 larceny was committed. From this point
he proceeded to argue upon the motive
which actuated the prisoner when herubbed
out the a." and then didn't go and tell
Mr.. Morrison that it was mistake! Why
Gdu't he tell him that he might put in the
figure! Mr.. Wise then argued at some
length upon the suppo>ition that there had
been no larceny, and the motive which actua-
ted Coleman to make the alteration without
| n larceny, and there could not have been q
forgery without o motive OF larceny. lie
then spoke of the enlargement Of the "S' u
mark, and the motive which must have aclu-
ated him. If the Il" had been originally
there, there would have been no occasion Tor
| the enlargement of the IS" mark; but iar-
| ing taken out the 81 ;" he has enlarged the
"$" mark to ill up the space so that the alter
alton may not be known. That has been done.
Take the book to your room and look at II,
and there consider the motive which hemuSt
| have had when he took out the % ! " and en-
| larged the "$" mark to fill up the space.
You cannot conceive that this could have
been done without a motive. So successful
has been his operation that it has deceived
all the gentlemen in the Capitol.
| Mr.. Wise then went on to speak upon the
subject of the interview between General
Kemper and Coleman, and also aiterward TO
ask if there was any reason for him to have
reeed around like a drunken man, and to
have quaked in his boots like an infant? Mas
| there any reason for this if he was not gull
ty! Governor kemper never charged him
With larceny. He told him that he had been
seen in improper places with State securities.
Mr.. Royal said that it was the lrewn OF
Kemper-" kemper booed at little Coleman,
and little Coleman cut his throat THAT'S
the explanation. He struck terror into this
terrible adversary That's what the de-
fence say about this great warrior. Do you
believe, gentlemen OF the jury, that the very
stern aspect of Governor kemper was suftl-
cieut to make Coleman cut his throat! 1t Is
thinner than water. There was no occasion
then for Coleman TO fear, for nothing was
known then about any larceny or any 1or-
gerry; and upon their theory that no larceny
had been committed, there was nothing lor
Coleman to fear
| Mr.. Wise then again reviewed all the tes-
timony. Abiding to the investigation made
by the board, he inquired why Coleman al
lowed himself TO be congratulated by the
board, and actually to hug Old General Rogers,
ii there was not motive? He (Coeman) was
happy and glad that an incorrect conclusion
i had been arrived at. Could kemper's frown
have produced the result which we all know
now? Strike out larceny and forgery, and
the honor of every man in the capitol stood
unimpaired; but unless you take out these
burnt brandy can't save Coleman. If Cole
man didn't know it at the time he did these
things. will you tell me what motive be had ?
In order to get at these facts you are bound
to believe that William d. Coleman knew it.
Upon this theory you rob this man Of every
motive, and make him guilty of the horrid
crime Of trying to kill himself without mo-
i tiye-Without an earthly reason. But upon
nv theory YOU have a motive adequate to
the act.
/ Colonel Mayo (Mr. Wise said) is as deeply
interes ted as Mr.. Coleman, and he tells the
iury that that count is right. He could not
explain it, although it places him in this
awkward dilemma. He tells you that that
count Is correct that the Legislature has
called upon him to explain. He tells you
that there are $4,000 Of bonds less than
there ought to be belonging to the sinking
fund. He is not being tried, but Colonel
Mayo is as much interested as MIR. Coleman,
when the Legislature is calling upon him for
; a report. Has not Coleman placed him in this
: dilemma? Did Coleman stand side by side
!, with Rogers, and Taylor, and Kemper, and
epdeayor to search out this fraud? Did he not
sit by with his lips sealed when he knew that
larceny and forgery had been committed?
: Is not the motive here? The evidence
: shows that Joseph Mayo has not accounted,
; so far as the books show, for the funds, but
, he tells YOU that there is deficiency. He
who stands with the eyes OF his coun.
trymen upon him, and do they not
E look upon him with suspicion, and yet he
tells YOU that there is a deficiency. Does not
, this 90 to show Coleman's motive? I am not
/ irving Mayo-the occasion is not here for
it.and yet he tells you frankly there is a
: deficiency. He did not believe that the ac-
count has gone out and by Coleman, with
out motive therefor. Coleman kept no ac-
+ counts, but this book, he believed, has been
! kept correctly, and from il it is plain that
forgery and defalcation has been committed.
Mr.. Wise then alluded to the sale OF bonds
to Mr.. Hunsertord and the bypothecation OF
the S1,O0O-bond with Mr. Wolsham, and
drew from these facts the conclusion that
they contained all the badges and proof OF
rraud-the hawking Of Virginia bonds in the
faro banks. If Bradley johnson can trace
his thirty.fve bonds, why can't Coleman
trace his one little peeler bond!