New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-09
THE GREAT BOND FORGERIES.

AN ACCOMPLICE'S WIFE TEsTIFYING AGAINST ROBERTS
ANOTHER SEVERE CRoSsEXAMINATIoN.
The principal witness yesterday in the great
bond forgery trial. in which Andrew L. Roberts Is
charged with forging NewYork Central bonds. was Mrs
Petus wife of the who has been Familiarity called
spence Pettus" The interest felt in tho great trial
has yielded personal comfort. and the crowd which
on a cooler day would have filed the courtroom. was
found the park seats outside in less heated retreats
When Mrs Pettus came forward, the counsel for the
defense had toeraby acute witness TO deal with, aud
her sepossesson and cosness in defense Of her hus
band. whose has been mentioned with unpleasant
frequency during the trial. match for even the
persistent aud searching though polite nterrOgatons Of
e1 Recorder Smith On being asked when she first
knew the prisoner she looked carefully at her marriage
certificate, and answered that she was married
IN 1870. and became acquainted with the. pris-
ODer and ydlentine Gleeson soon after. The
prisoner. IN 1872 handed her some money
In letter Requested her to call with it at John A
Oimstead's place on Staten Island which she did, re-
eeiviug from Olmstead $500 bond aud something like
a half-poaud weight" which she didn't look at Ohm
stead told her to he careful Of IT. II was she said "a
Western UuOn Telegram bond" Before she went there
was talk between Gleason aud Roberts In her
presence about what she to get and whether Pettus
had paid Omstead for his work. When she brought the
bond and piece OF steel back TO Roberts she was told to
take 1t TO Gleason who opened the parcel In her pres
and looked at IL with magDifyiDg glass Roberts
asked her subsequently what Olmstead had said
whether he was willing TO give up the bond aud the
baud TO Mr. Robertss house. and had been directed by
Mrs Roberts 10 drinking saloon She went there and
threatened IL they her husband more drink she
would denOunce them Sue went back and Roberts
asked his wife To give him 500 bill. She at first
fused Roberts said he had given her $4,000 aud
she wouldn't give him 800 After while sue gave him
the money. When she went home she asked her hus-
band what meant and he told her 1t meant sending
two people TO State Prison. On one occasion she
stayed with Mrs. Roberts, when, she understood,
Roberts WAS in England. Mrs. Roberts in undressing
dropped package OF bonds and said Roberts would DO
angry IL he knew she had not put them away.
cross-eXamlned by Recorder Smith, and
gave OF her life from the time came to
this country at IA years of age, which was of
eyentfu character. She then gave q history OF the
three efforts convict her husband In Massachusetts,
aud the fourth trial which he convicted but
winch delayed for nearly IL months. Her
husband bad claimed that there perjury, and had
Roberts to State Prison II he would not give money
aid her husband. but she did tell him that IL he
DIDN'T give her back her own money she would
get Justice out Of him, and she meant It,
Pressed at great length in crcss-examinntion
20 why she went 10 Piukerton she said she
was deceived her marriage with Pettus that he had
many redeemDg qualities but was weak and when she
found out that she had been used q tool to carry
counterfeit stamps and that even II she got her hus
band OF prison he would simply fall into their
again made up her mind to break up this band OF
robbers, and went to Pinkerton. 1t her husband
who first told her That she had done in carrying the
package from Olmstead to Roberts and Gleason.
Osborn H. Rochester Treasurer Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company; TheOdorus Omstead. son OF John
relative and also testified for the
prosecution The testimony OF Rochester excluded
under technical objection, and the two others testified
% seeing john A. Omstead with Roberts.