The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-10
THE BOND FORGERIES.
Testimony Of Bernard Fl. Smith,
Recently from Sing Sing.
his STORY OF THE FORGERY.
Confessions OF an Artist Thiei.-Practising
Fclonious Penmanship.

Confessions OF an Artist Thiei...Practising
Fclonious Penmanship.
The trial OF Andrew L. Roberts for forging bonds
OF the Central Railway Company was continued
yesterday morning before Judge Brady. There
was, as usual, dense crowd OF spectators. Dis
trict Attorney Phelps appeared for the people, and
ex-Recorder Smith, ex-Mayor Hall and Mr.. Purdy
for the defence.
August Redling who keeps saloon at the cor.
ner OF Fulton and West streets, testified that
Roberts frequently came there to inquire for om-
stead; he corroborated the testimony of the en-.
graver Olmstead, on this head.
The witness was cross-examined by ex.Recorder
Smith, and said that he could not remember the
name oil any person except Roberts who called at
his saloon for the purpose Of inqui,ing after Ohm.
stead; he denied that one OF Plnkerton's detec.
tives had called the circumstance first to his
mind; he declared that he was unable to tell how
Pinkerton came to hear OF these visits OF Roberts
at his saioon; in regard to the frequency OF the
interviews between Roberts and Olmstead. he
stated that he remembered seeing them together
FIVE OR SIX TINES ONLY.
Captain Jeremiah Petty, OF the Fifth precinct,
was questioned by the District Attorney concern
ing the search OF Roberts box at the Safe Deposit
Company, but ex-Mayor Hall insisted that the as
sumption that Roberts had such box at the once
OF the company was not legally justified. II the
prisoner was to be sacrificed, Mr.. Hall insisted BY
that conspiracy, 1t must be done in compliance
with legal forms. Judge Brady sustained the OBJ
lection raised by ex-Mayor Hail. and the questions
| were excluded.
| Mr.. William s. Bobriski, OF the Stuyvesant Safe
Deposit Company, swore that Valentine Gleason
hired n box FIRST, then came Andrew L. Roberts
then Roberts vile, Lilila ]. Roberts, and finally
Horace S. Corps. The police had removed Glee.
sons and Roberts, boxes in October 1872 and they
were examined separately few days before Rob.
erts was apprcnended.
The witness was then asked to read list OF the
various bonds which were found in the boxes be-
| longing
TO ROBERTS AND HIS WIFE.
This was objected to by the defence, but admit
! ed. The reading OF the list showed that the bonds
were United States and various railway bonds, but
some OF them Central Railway bonds. In Mrs.
| Roberts box there was $1,000 In United States
bonds Of 26-20h, thirteen bonds Of the denomi-
nation OF $1,000, one $780, four $1,000 and also SIX
$500 and two 5000 bonds OF the Western Union
Telegraph Company, and other bonds OF Buffalo
and Erie, Sioux City, the total OF which amounted
to about $4,000. The list Of the bonds found In
Geeson's and Corps boxes was elso read, the de-
fence obJectng to It on the ground that such testl
mony was altogether immaterial.
Bernard H. Smith, who was brought here as
convict from Long Island prison. whittier he was
sent for burglary, said he had known Andrew L.
Roberts for three years. He met him last August
and ROBERTS gave him coupon which Ire (fhe wit
liamsburg Roberts said to him when handing
hum tae coupon II may as well give you what
request practised writing the name OF .sStern-
berg" and when showing Roberts specimen OF
the writing the latter decared he would
where the witness practlsed writing the name.
bonds. asking him to write the name .Sternberg'
on the coupons, which he did. Rob
sHo% e N twH'P s. w saa
meant Mr.. Gleason. On the succeeding day theJ
erts produced $50 blank bonds, and the witness
''dleo up" the coupons which innocent LABOR oc.
ea up the rest Of the paper was done e.s
When asked what persons he saw at the house, the
M ap oa ssr s1
whose names he did not learn Finally one day.
had all been removed by him because he had not
initiated well Erastus Corning's signature. Rob.
erts, At the same time, informed him that he had
gwen the blanks to another person.
WHO WOULD FILL THEM UP.
Witness was also asked to forge waterford Bank
bonds, which, as Roberts informed him, were
stolen at the great robbery, and which were too
hot Tor him ''to use'' just then.
cross-examlned at length BY Mr.. Purdy, and said
ne received his pardon only yesterday. He was not
o. e ne was %
rested for burglary on the LIST OF September last,
pleaded on the 10TH and was sent to the State
Prison, Tor four years. He had known Spence
Pettus intimately. and was asked to identify sew
eral letters in Pettus' nan. writing but SAID he
hand writing resembled each other greatly A let
ter was shown to him, and ne said he could not
tell whether the handwriting was that OF Pettus or
Mr. Rurdy said the theory OF the defence would
Dc iIa' a Snis WAS % oy
stead Through the agency OF PnKerton they
were enabled to throw this web OF testimony
! around this prisoner. Pettus and his wi g were
enraged at the prisoner because he did not supply
them with money to get
OUT OF THEIR OWN DIFFICULTIES.
In order to show Pettus' animus he proposed to
read the letter last referred to.
OF the letter as irrelevant, and ais Honor ruled it
out. Tue defence excepted to this ruling.
Mr. Purdy then offered in evidence another letter
to show That witness was an accOmpliCe OF Pettus.
This letter was also ruled out.
The witness. in the course of his further cross.
examination, said that at Pettus' trial in Boston
he did all he could to "get him out;'' he had let
ter from Pettus refreshing his memory as 10 a GER
as he did ne succeeded in proving an allbL Mr..
Purdy wanted to question the witness in regard to
cludel this matter as being irrelevant. Upon re.
Gel ing the assurance OF ex-Mayor Hall, however,
tnas u was very important Tor the defence to show
witness was directed To answer the questions. tie
SAID ne furnished the burglars FROST, Farrell and
Reilly with the money which they required; he
never received any money TO induce him to steal
the papers in the case OF Pettus from the office OF
the District Attorney In Boston, but was delegated
to fine some person
WHO WOULD DO THE JOB.
He received $40 rom Mrs. Pettus to pay man to
60 to Boston and find out whether 1t was possible
to steal the papers; he (the witness) merely went
into the oIce and reported that ne tnoueat every
body was very careless there and 1t would be COM
paratlveiy easy TO steal the papers he was ar
rested three times AMI could not tell now many
m "A ffpnt, thnr mi tnl ~ nj
stlll uutr,eu; the first time he was arrested Tor
having received stolen human hairs he was ac-
quilted, as he gave the goods back the parties
VINO stole them asked him II ne would loan them
money anu sell the nair, which he agreed to do.
The candor OF the witness In boldly swearing that
he was guilty Of all the crimes imputed to him
caused general hilarity. He even confessed that