The state journal., 1875-08-13
THE RAISED GRIP.
Irwin, the st. Joseph Real Estate
Dealer, Exculpates Maj.
Wilson,
And Is Himself Arrested on a
Charge of Forgery,


We see from our st. Louis exchanges that
Mayor Wilson Is exculpated from the charge Of
''raising" Missouri War Scrip, by the testimony
of G. w. Irwin. On his cross-examination,
Irwin testified:
lived in St. Joe vt the time gave the scrip
to Wilson to sell. lie has been selling bonds
for me since last December; purchased this
scrip last March Of Mr.. Stillman, OF st. Louis;
it is part Of $4,000 of scrip bought of Still
man; the transaction with Stillman took place
in the Laclede Hotel; paid for the scrip in
Utah railroads bonds; have met Stillman sever
al times on the street, but have had no business
with him; don't remember how many bills
got from Stillman; 1 can see now that the
claims have been raised, but did not notice 1t
at the time bought them; can see now that
one is raised from 500 to $4,000; another from
500 to $500 and another from SIS to S1,sO0;
have had good deal of experience in the scrip
business; have often seen Ex-Governor Wood
sons signature; it would not be easy to pass
raised scrip on me If suspected it was bad;
but didn't pay much attention to this scrip
when got it; it seems rather improbable that
private soldier would have claim for $4,000,
but didn't notice whether the soldier was q
private or an officer; gave the claim 10 Will
son to sell for the most he could get for it; have
had mary transactions with Wilson; didn't no.
tice the numbers of the claims when I bought
them, or when l let Wilson have them; never
keep registry of the numbers; don't know
whether Stillman has an office in st. Louis or
not; for the $12O, 900 gave him ten Utah rail-
road bonds of 81 900 each; was in st. Louis a
week or ten days after bought the claims;
keep no book of accounts; have no record Of
the transaction with Stillman; the $4,000 was
all had left of the $12o,OOO scrip; have already
disposed of the rest, but don't hnow now to
what parties; have kept no account of the
transactions; $4,000 of that scrip was return
ed to me by Donaldson and Fraley, bankers.
on the corner of Third and Olive streets; they
claimed that the scrip was raised, and I re.
deemed it; 1 know a man by the name of
Beedles; never sold him any claims myself; be-
lieve that Wilson did for me have been buying
and selling scrip since 1t was first issued; think
have handled claims to the amount Of over
half million dollars; the issue was about 49,
100000; haye only about two or three hundred
dollars in scrip now; have none that bought
from Stillman; may have handled the same
scrip two or three times; the largest amount
ever bought at one time was the $120,00 got
of Stillman; don't know Mr.. Stillman's first
name; he was introduced to me by Col. Branch
of Jefferson City, on the day he sold me the
claims; never saw him before; transaction took
place in the office of the Lacede Hotel; Still
man had the scrip in his pockets; yes, it was
big package of scrip; never saw Stilm1n in st.
Joe, and never had any correspondence with
him; it was on the twentieth day of last July
that the $4,000 were sent back to me; did
not look up Stillmah. because have been sick
most of the time since then; am in business
under my own uame.
Rc-eXamined: The alterations OH the claims
were no so plain that person would discover
them on casual examination; believe Colo
mel Branch was present when l bought the
claims Of Stilman; Branch lives in Jefferson
City; he is well known and has good standing
in society.
The defense announced that they had two
more witnesses. but that neither of them was
present in the courtroom. The case was accor-
dinghy laid oyer until next Wednesday.
AS soon as Mr.. Irwin left the witness stand
he sauntered leisurely out of the courtroom and
down stairs, but was soon oyertaken by Special
Officer Stewart, and taken Under arrest OH u
charge of forgery in the first degree.