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

l. -
The interesting and novel of the defence up
by Mr.. A. Oakley Hall in the prisoner placed on
trial Monday before Judge Davis for forgery under
the OF Charles Raston, alias Walter A. Stuart
nlias Walter A. Sheridan drew the Court OF Oyer
and Termincr yesterday as many spectators could
gain admission. District Attorney Phelps claims that
!he prisoner is notorious forger and bank robber,
who leader in the gang of Roberts and Gleason
who negotiated forged railway bonds to such extent
In 1873 10 panic IN Wall street. Mr.. Oakley
Hall. prisoners counsel contends, the other hand,
that his client is only ignorant sneak thief named
Walter Sheridan. who has picked by the Pink
srtons and alleged by them TO be Raston in order to
obtain offered tor the OF the great bond
iorgcr by Wall street operators
Mr. Hall put in his defence yesterday. He called to
the stand four OF the who had known Ralston
Intimately, and three OF them emphatically declared
That the prisoner is not Ralston while the fourth
thought there was "A resemblance
Mr. Thomas /. Bognrt testified that In the spring Of
1877 ho rented Office premises at No 5s Broadway, and
that he then sub-et desk room TO Charles Ralstnn,
who occupied such room until some time late 1873
MIR. Bogart had no doubt that the prisoner not
Ealston and upcn examining the photographs ex-
hbted during the trial that he could perceive
resemblance between them and his wbiom tenant.
Mr. Brakespearc WIN, did business In the same o0ice
and thoroughly familiar with the appearance or
Raston for some two years, said Raston and the
were different men,
AIRS Hyde, janitor ot tho building, swore positively
the prisoner not Raston while a Mr. Bond from
whom the latter had hired Office previously hts
Mr. r. B. Wilson, OF No. leo Fulton street, who had
Ralston several times IN lSi23 thought the prs
dd not look like Raston Mt oil. When he lett
the stand Mr. Wilson stated TO an acquaintance that he
had studied phrenoogy and always particularly
ced the form OF the heads and features OF persons he
ana that tho prisoners face did not correspond
with vivid impression nc had OF Ralston's face
With respect the photogr raph said by the
ton to be picture OF Ralston taken previously to
1872. Witnesses could not have becn more contradic-
tory. One thought It looked like Rastons nose. an
other that ccrrcsponded with his forehead while
however, agreed that the lower part OF Tho prisoners
face did not resemble Rastons, as indeed 1t would
scarcely have DONE inasmuch the latter previous to
the of his big Wall opcrat ons heavy
beard When the Court adjourned iast night the tes.
tmony all in and the Will be summed up
this morning.
Some three years ago a corporation announcing
Itself as tho National Water Works Company of New
York, made contract with the city OF Kansas, No,
for supplying water to that city. As company, IL
Is alleged, they issued Ss00o00 worth OF pretended
stock OF such corporate body and full paid
thereofto divers individuals in payment Of the alleged
services done and alleged moneys expended in secur-
ing such corporate body the aforesaid with
tho said city oil Kansas; also that OF acting 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
10 the amount OF Sy00, 600 Whereabouts,
and tho making, executing and placing causing
90 ue placed record in the office OF The Registrar OF
the city and county of New York and elsewhere in
about the month OF August, 1874. mortgage by and
under such name aforesaid TO secure the payment OF
such bonds 1t also further alleged tnat January
81 1873 and January TO- 1876. the corporation
1ng itself as the National Water Works Company OF
New York. lcd Its annual report Ii Is claimed that
body has been chartered under the
laws OF this State, and action has been brought by At
borncy General Farchild to declare null and void It's
contracts. 1t being set forth In the complaint that
tho action taken by such alleged company
Df New York. ana 10 their great damage and
prejudice and against their dignity From farther
pcrcsal OF tho compaint which is placed on 1le in
Inc County Clerks Office. II appears that the parties
comprising .hc corporation named Robert w.
Donald Giles Il. Tantor, William K. Cox, George W.
Holt and George II. yoorhls; that .or tho past two
years thcy have acted such corporation, and that
under the powers alleged to be imposed such
poration they have announced their readiness 10 In
iroduce water works into any city IN The Union The
complaint is that they have never been Incorporated
that they are vested with any OF tho powers
claim TO possess, and that they should be debarrcd
from exercising any of tho functions belonging to
properly organized corporation Attorney General
Fasrchild in bringing his complaint that they DO
prohibited from making any contracts under such
name and that the contracts that they have already
made bo declared null and void
MATRIMONIAL INFELICITIES.
Scarcely day passes thai the courts arc not called
anon to adjudcac differences arising ou. Of matrimo
NAL complications Among the latest cases of ithis
specially 10 which the attention Of the courts has beca
calles, is complaint made BY Anna Lynch against
James a. Lynch, from whom sho seeks sevcrence OF
the marital bond on tho ground OF alleged cruel and
nhuman treatment According 10 her story they
wer lied on n