Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-07-10

charged with the forgery Of the name OF II.
Steele to a certain order upon George Z. Baker,
1lth DAY Of February, 1874. Gen. Sessie as
peared for defendant ami Mr.. W. NJ. Evans for
the government.
TESTIMONY FOR THE PROSECUTION.
Controller Baker was the first witness, and
testified (after looking at the certincateJ that
he had seen 1t before; 1t had been presented at
his Office for payment by Mr. warrick; the
stamp upon the certificate was his Official
stamp; Albert II. Underwood was messenger in
his office and had charge Of the stamp
At the time; witness could not tell
at what time the certificate was passed to him,
his books would tell; IL was his impression that
1t was in March or April last; the blank was
filled up in the hand of his messenger, A. II.
Underwood, and signed with mark; the
sellers; the stamp 10 permitted to be used by the
messenger; the stamp signifies nothing at all;
IL was the habit Of fremsn and others TO I'LL up
these orders and sell them on the pay due them;
witness took the certificate and issued a tax
certificate upon il; the endorsement upon the
back of Thos Il. Warrick's name did not appear
to be in Warricks hand writing, nor in Under
woods; MIR. Steele had since appeared at the
Office and denied the warrant and all knowl-
edge of it; the District were not paying money
and these employees were in the habit of drawing
these orders-the stamp on the order simply
slgnifed that the amount was due the drawer OF
the order; the effect of the stamp he thought
would be TO give them the appearance of being
good on the street and among brokers; it had
formerly been the custom TO leave the name in
the face OF the order blank, and to ill 1t up
afterwards.
Henry Steele, fireman, testified that he never
signed the order, or gave any authority TO sign
II. There was one month of his pay drawn by
means of the order in question; this was sixty
dollars; he was in the habit OF selling orders for
his pay, not having been paid of for thirteen
months; Others had done 50, too; il was his GUS
tom to I'LL up his order and omit the name from
the face until the order was sold.
Mr.. Evans rested the prosecution at this
point.
TESTIMONY FOR DEFENCE.
A. III. Underwood, for defence, testified that he
was employed as messenger at Mr. Bakers
Office; was there at the time of the issuing of
the order; witness filled up the order at the re-
Der; he came there and gave the name of Steele
saying there was SEQ due him; witness looked
over the pay roll, and found the statement TO be
correct, and drew the order; this was a cos
mon practice.
Cross.examined:-He was authorized by Mr.
Baker to I'LL out orders for any one who applied
when pay was due; all he rememo ered was that
the man had on q nreman's uniform; he did
the same thing with policemen; had filled up
many TO parties ne did not know in this way;
he did not know who endorsed the order.
Col. W. ". BraplhdH was sworn, and, on look
ing at the order, testified that he was familI ar
with that sort Of order; mad purchased many OF
them; ii was the custom to have them properly
filled up before stamping them; had known
temporary clerk in the Collectors office, and
afterwards made permanent clerk; his reputa-
which would reflect on his good character; wit
ness knew that Warrick had been engaged in
the business of dealing in these orders.
Cross-examined:-The only means he had of
telling the genuineness of the order was the
stamp of the Controller; did not know until the
discovery of these forgeries that the orders were
stamped in black in the Controllers ofice.
Several witnesses, mostly cOlOred friends Of
the defendant, were introduced to prove good
character.
The case was here rested, Mr. Evans merely
ktx.r NhaN -
forgery, and that defendant had presented 1t
for payment, and IL was for him to show when
he got 1t and from whom.
Mr.. Henkle commended that twas q matter of
lmpossibility for any one engaged in dealing in
this kind of paper to trace their origin; they
are hawked about the streets and in the hands
OF every dealer in paper. He commended that
it would be most unreasonable to brand his
client with suspicion by holding him for merely
presenting q paper of this kind for payment.
Judgment was reserved until the other cases
had been heard.
UNDERWOOD ARRAIsNRD.
A. III. Underwood was here arrsigned on the
same charge of forging the name of j. ID. Angel
Mr.. Bond appeared for Underwood, and on
Mr.. Angel being called to testify, Mr.. Bond
raised the point that parties interested in a
forged paper could not be called upon to tes-
tify, The point was overruled, and Mr.. Angel,
after looking at the order, testified that his
name upon il was a forgery, and that he never
had sod Ss on s Gns 70 orsqs for
months-eight in all. He had been in the habit
of going TO the controllers OH Ice and obtaining
blank orders, and the clerk would fill them uD
for him. Col. w. U. Drew generally went with
him 10 identify him; sometimes Chief Engineer
Cronin. His custom was to sign the roll when
he received his certificate. Witness here exhib-
tied list of the months for which he had pro-
cured orders, but had not sold his pay for No
vember, the month for which the forged order
was drawn.
Cross-exsmned:-Had never authorized Mr..
Underwood to ill up an order for him, and
could recollect every one who had done 1t for
him.
department, testified that he was familiar with
Angels handwriting, and the name on the
order was not his writing, to the best OF his
judgment and belief
Toss-e1smined:-Had seen Mr.. Angel write
his name; would not swear that the signature
" as not his, but did not believe 1t was.
The pay-rolls were here produced, and Mr..
Angel was recalled and pointed out when he
had signed his name upon them. He had got
other hremen to sign his name to pay-rolls in
the office; this was before he learned to write
himself.
Controller Baker was called and testified that
MIR. Warrick presented Angeles order tor No.
yember in March last. and that he received a
where Mr.. Underwood had access to
them; Mr.. Underwood was permitted to fill out
orders for the tremen when they desired them
than one thousand dollars, and were mostly
issued In December-during the most busy sea-
son; as soon discovered witness took meas
ures to have the blanks and pay-rolls properly
and Identification OF persons TO whom
payments were made, and explanations made
as to possession, &c. In this order IN question
the order appears to be filled out by Under
wood with the exception of the signature, and
in that there IL certainly a great similarity in
certain letters to his writing, yet he was not
able TO say that Underwood wrote IL; 1t was not
Mr.. Angels writing. Witness pointed out the
letters alluded to; the pay-rolls containing the
true signature of Angel were before them, and
be had the advantage OF comparing, IL so in
clined.
Cross-eSamiRed by Mr.. Bond Gases had
occurred, one at least. that of Robert johnson,
who had had himself drawn pay twice for one
month.
M Petty, clerk in the controllers office. tes-
tihed that he rarely saw Mr.. Underwood's
b andwrttlng, and was not familiar with IL.
Witness knows very little about the routine
business IN the front Office. his duties being con-
fined TO the back office. Had heard Underwood
say that there would be trouble about the set
tlement OF accounts, as, by the system of giving
orders, the door was open TO many impositions.
Mr.. WA. IT, Earl, an engrsver, testified as an
expert TO the handwriting in the order in ques- |
ton. He examined the order, and gave IL as |
bis opinion that the entire order was filed up |
with the exception of the name It. Il. War |
rick" on the face and on the back by one and |
the same party.
Mr.. NicAOisoH, superintendent Of the garbage |
service. testified that ha t0OL 1