The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-26
RICHMOND, VA,
THIE SINKING FUND DERAGCATTON
AND ALLEGED FORGERY.
THIRD DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
Conclusion Of the Evidence.
JUDGE Gu1eoN 1NsTRUcTs THE JURY.
The Argument Commenced.

w uCu khS AleotiuSo SOuAV iSsd'hSU itS
session yesterday morning there was very
small Attendance, but during the day the
crowd increased.
of w. d. Coleman continued. The first wit.
| ness examined was
Err. THOMAS Il. DE- WITT,
the present secretary of the Board Of Public
Works. He testified that the total amount
Of interest which was due upon the cou-
| pons and oil investments now held by the
sinking fund lat four per cent. per anpum)
was $4,000; the amount which was paid into
the Treasury was 81, ,735, which is 81 1925 less
than the amount which ought to have been
paid in. The coupons which represented this
interest are gone and cannot be found. Mir.
Coleman paid the interest--the seven thou
sand and odd dollars-into the Treasury.
Did. not examine the bonds to see what cou-
peas wereRgone. The record-book shows
1866, ,7l1.21 of bonds belonging to the fund !:
add $4,000, which came from the Board Of
Public Works, and this is the amount which
ought to have been in the fund. Take from
this amount the S15,9s0, in bonds which are
missing, and the residue ought to be in the
fund now.
This last statement was made by Mr.. Tay-
lor, who was called up to testify as to the
number Of bonds now in the fund-Mr. De
Witt not knowing the fact.
MR. WILLIAMS, AGAIN.
Mr.. Wise: Were you or not in the habit
of having transactions at the Capitol with
the officers there?
Mr.. Williams Yes, sir; many. Mr.. Cole
| mans desk is inside the rail in the office, and
when nv business requires it 20 to the
desk, and Nlr. Coleman would prepare the
order. l don't suppose I ever saw this pa.
per referring to the receipt handed to him
by MIR. Wisel. I never suspected anything
| wrong. 60 there now, but don't think
ever had the receipt. I know that the state
ment made to the jury yesterday is correct,
and of course il they require it can bring
| my books. The actual difference Is $500 in
peeler bonds. This vas the difference real
| with this account in the sinking fund book.
COLONEL CUNNINGHAM,
of Messrs. Thomas Branch & Co., commits
sion merchants and brokers, was called and
sworn.
Mr.. Flournoy at this point interrupted the
court when the evidence was about to be
commenced, and said that he could not see
what connection this examination in regard
to larceny had with the charge OF forgery,
and he insisted that if there WAS no more
evidence of forgery the examination should
cease here.
The Court thought the statement Of this
witness proper and admissible, and Colonel
Cunningham proceeded to say that he called
on Colonel Coleman once in reference to q
transaction in bonds, but couldn't remember
whether the transaction was carried out or
F,,rt c,;l hot
two other members of the firm who were
probably cognizant of the transaction, but
he was not Colonel Cunningham was di-
rected to stand aside. . -sf.s ~ 5.
MR.. JOHN A. woRsHAA 80
was next sworn. @-.- .
The Court: I have sent for you four or
| five times. Why have you not been here?
Mr.. WorSham: intended to 60 to Wash
| ingtop, and was prevented by sickness.
The Court then excused the witness for
having failed previously to attend when
summoned, and his testimony was com.
| menced.
Mr.. Wise: Did you ever have any trans
action with Mr.. Coleman in bonds?
Mr. Worsham: Yes, sir; one. 1t was,
| think, since the 1st of last January. loaned
MIR. Coleman 500 on a $1,000-peeler bond.
|
way one night to bed and met him in the
bali, loaned him the money, aud never saw
him until four or five days afterwards, when
he came and redeemed it. After handing
him the money, 1 left him and went to bed.
Mr.. Wise: Did the transaction occur at
your place Of business?
Mr. Worsham: Yes, sir.
Mir. Barksdale You say Mr.. Coleman re.
| deemed it! ..... .... IT,.
Mr.. Worsham: Yes, sir; he came back four
or five days later and paid me the $10O, and
I gave him the bond.
Mr.. Wise stated that he proposed to show
by Mr.. Branch, who had been summoned,
that on the 18th of December Mr.. Coleman
| had transaction with Mr. Branch in an ex-
| change of consols for peelers, the diff
ference being $3.50. This amount was
paid to Mi. Coleman in q check on
| the Merchants Bank. On January "a, 1874,
Mr.. Coleman had another transaction Of the
same kind, in which Mr.. Coleman got q
check for SS7 and the residue in cash at the
counter. 1t was in exchange for bonds, and
the total amount was about $3.50. This, MIR.
| Wise said, he could show from the books OF
| Branch & Co., and the check which he had
traced and found had been paid ut the bank.
Evidence for the Defence, -
at this point, the defence having agreed
70 admit the statement of Mr.. Wise as proven
if MIR. Branch was present in the court, the
evidence for the defence was commenced.
| GENERAL BRADLEY T. JOHNSON
was the first witness examined by Mr.
Royal: ,.,,, ,oo,,
given in evidence here that certain bonds have
been issued from the Treasury in'p place OF
those surrendered by you. Can you explain
to the Jury how you hold those bonds In
terrupted by Mr. Wise.]
| MIR. Wise General johnson, were you in
town ut the time those bonds were eX-
cbanged3
| General johnson: believe was; but,
however, propose to give only legal testl-
mony IN this case. will previously state to
the court that was first retained Us counsei
for the defence, but thought it best to retire,
thinking that my testimony as witness
might be required. was informed that
there were bonds standing in my name which
had been purchased by Parker Campbell q
Co. some of which belonged originally to the
sinking fund. / examined the books in
the Auditors Office and found that on the
9th day of June, 1873, Parker Camphell q
Co. bad registered in my name thlrty-toar
bonds, for which he had surrendered TWO
0O-bonds and one 81, ,000-bond. The Nos. OF
| the bonds received in exchange for those
surrendered were 4,981, 11.71S, 1857,
12.SlS, 1883, 1884. Il, ,S25, 1885, 1881,
12,s2s, 1883, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1866,
1927. 1855, 1854, 1865, 1865, 1852.
1865. 1854, 1865, 1886, Ia, ,649, 1860,
i , - ece, 9 ce7 10 6eS IA eco 1880. Id. OIL