The New York herald., 1876-11-29
A QUESTION OF IDENTITY.

The interesting and novel of the defence set up
by Mr. Oakley Hall in the OF prisoner placed
trial on Monday, before Judge Davis for forgery
the name OF Charles Raston, alias Walter A. Stuart,
alias Walter A. Sheridan, drew 10 the Court OF Oyer
and Terminer yesterday as many spectators could
yain admission District Attorney Phelps claims that
.hc prisoner a notorious orger and bank robber,
who leader in the gang OF Roberts and Gleason,
who negotiated forged railway bonds to such
IN 1873 as TO cause panic in Wall street. Mr. A Oakley
Hall. prisoners counsel, contends tho other hand
that his client is only ignorant sneak thief named
Walter Sheridan, who has been picked up by the Pink
ertons and alleged by them 10 be Raston in order
obtain reward offered Tor the OF the great bond
iorgcr by Wall street operators
Mr.. Hall put In his defence yesterday. He called
the stand four OF the men who had known Raston
Intimately, and three OF them emphatcay declared
that the prisoner is not Raston, while the fourth
thought there was resemblance.
Mr.. Thomas L. Eogart testified that In the spring of
1877 ho Office premises at No. JS Broadway and
.hat he then sub-iet desk room to Charles Raiston
who occupied such until time late lS7a
Mr.. Bogart had no doubt that the prisoner was not
Ealson, and upon examining the photographs
hibited during the trial stated that he coud perceive
resemblance between them and his wblom tenant
Mr.. Brakespcarc, who did business in the same Office
md thoroughly familiar with the appearance OF
Rason for some two years, said Ralson and the prs
were different men.
Airs. Hyde anitor OF tho building sworc positively
the prisoner was not Ralstop. while Mr.. Bond, from
whom the latter had hired Office room previously TO his
renting desk room IRON Mr.. Bogart, thought he was
Mr K B wilson OF No 100 Fulton street who had
seen Ralston several times in ls7.3 thought The nrts
did not look like Raston at ALL When he lett
the stand Mr. Wilson stated to acquaintance that he
had studied phrenoogy, and always particularly
ced the form OF the heads and features OF he
met and that tho prisoners face dd not correspond
Win vivid impression nc had Of Ralstons face.
With respect 10 the phoog aph said by the
ton to be picture OF Raiston taken previously to
1872. Witnesses could not have been more contradc-
tory. One thought u looked like Ralston's nose
other that 1t corrcspondcd with his forehead, while
a third thought did not resemble him at all ALL
however agreed that the lower part OF The prisoners
face did resemble Ralston's as indeed it would
scarcely have done nasmucb the latter previous 10
the time OF his big Wall street operations wore heavy
beard. When the Court adjourned last night the
tmony was all in and the case Will be summed up
this morning.
ALLEGED ILLEGAL CORPORATION.
Some three years ago a corporation announcing
Itself as tho National Water Works Company Of New
York. made a contract with the city OF Kansas Mo-,
for supplying water to that city. As such company, 10
Is alleged they issued $500 900 worth OF pretended
stock OF such corporate body and full paid
thereof to divers individuals in payment OF the alleged
services done and alleged moneys expended in secur-
ing such corporate body the aforesaid contract with
tho said city Kansas; also that acting as such
body corporate under tho aforesaid name in the
making, executing and issuing, or offering
TO issue. certain bonds by and under such
namo aforesaid for the payment of money
the amount OF 5000 00U thcrcabouts
and In the making executing ana placing or causing
placed record, The office OF the Registrar OF
the city aud county OF New YORK and elsewhere in
about the month Of August, 1874, mortgage by and
under such name Aforesaid 10 secure the paymcnt OF
such bonds IT'S also further alleged tnat on January
81, 1915, and January lo ss6 the corporation announc
1ng itself the National water works Company Of
New York, led It's annual report II Is claimed that
such body has been chartered under the
laws OF this State has been brought by At
torney General Farchild null anu void It's
contracts. 1t being set forth in The complaint that
tho action taken BY sucn alleged company
q
prejudice and Dst their dignity" From farther
pcrrsa OF the complaint which 10 placed on Ale in
The County Clerks ofhce. appears tha. the parties
comprising .hc corporation named are Robert W.
Donald, Giles Il. Tan,or William T. Cox, George W.
Holt and George II. voorhis; that or Tho past two
years thcy have acted such corporatlon and that
under the powers alleged to be imposed such
poraIion they have announced their readiness to
troduce wafer works into city the Union. Tho
complaint is that they have never been
that they vested with any OF the powers they
claim 10 possess, and that they should be debarred
from exercising any OF tho functions belonging to
properly organized corporation. Attorney General
Farchild, bringing his complaint asks that they be
prohibited from making any contracts under such
name, and that the contracts that they have already
made be declared null and void
MATRIMONIAL INFELICITIES.
Scarcely day passes that the courts arc not called
uron TO adjud,caic differences arising out Of matrmo
ral complications. Among the latest casos Of Iths
specially which the attention Of the courts has beea
James A. Lynch, from whom sho seeks n sevcrence OF
innuman treatment According TO her story they
married on the 25th Of July, 1865, IN New
Orleans They lived happily together until 1870 at
which time, having taken up their residence in this