St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-29
Caledonia court.--June Term, 1877.

A. E. Rankin, Clerk.
| W. II. Preston, Sheriff.
Henry G.. Ide, States Attorney.
Elisha May, Court Auditor.
State Us E. d. Hopkins. Forgery. On
the 18th day of July last, Charles H.
Green, furniture dealer, Barton Land
ing, suffered loss by fire. He was in
sured by Bowman & Hopkins, Iusur
ance agents of st. JOhnsbury, in the
Phoenix and the Fire Association of
Philadelphia. Taintor, special agent to
fix the loss of the Phoenix was employ
ed by Bowman & Hopkins to fix the
loss of the Fire Association also. 1t was
the privilege of the company to have
60 days to pay the loss, but they agreed
to pay down for a discount of J per
cent for mos. On the 29th day of
July they received a letter from the
Fire Association authorizing them to
settle with Green on that basis, and to
draw draft on them in favor of Green.
Hopkins Immediately telegraphed to
Green to know what the amount allow
ed was, as he had forgotten. Green
replied, according to the fact, that it
was ssh 40. Copies of the kilograms
are produced, but Hopkins denies that
he has any recollection of them. Green
soon after wrote or sent word to Hop
kins to meet him at the St. Johnsbury
depot, and that he would be on the
3 o'clock P. NJ. express, Aug. LIST. The
same day it appears that Emerson, gen
eral agent of the Home Insurance Co.,
was at Bowman and Hopkins office and
made demand of the immediate pay
ment of $4lI.00 due that company.
Hopkins was at the train at the time
appointed, and as he says, he asked
Green the amount due, that Green told
him it was 54I.l0, but they were both
uncertain whether that was the amount
before or after the discount was de-
Quoted. But Green was very anxious
for the money, and Hopkins said, 81
can fix it so you will get it soon, will
uId" bulS bhCy ihO ",
and for the amount you say, and you
endorse it and | will forward it to the
company and as soon as | get a reply l
will forward you the amount by check"
and they stepped into the baggage room
and did as proposed. But Green swears
that he never signed the draft, but that
HnrNly inC did ouly hin, ha oil
ed, and took a paper from his pocket
book and asked him to put the
amount down and put down his
name in full so that he would know
what it was when he got to his Office,
aud that he wrote as directed with
pencil on the corner board of the de-
pot. Charles B. Drew of Barton Land
nag, who was just taking the train to
return home testifies that he saw him
writing as described. Green also states
that Hopkins told him the company
would send a check in three or four
DAYS, which he would Immediately for
ward TO him.
The train left at 81 minutes past 3
O'Clock, and according to the testimony
of Hazen, cashier of Merchants Bank,
Hopkins went into that bank, few
minutes before four o'clock, with this
draft, Hopkins got the money on the
draft at that Bank on Railroad street,
then went on the Plain to the LIST Ma
tional Bank, deposited the money
there, drew check for the amount due
the Home, and gave it to Emerson.
While in Canada, Hopkins wrote to
Shaw an account of what he did and
his motives for so doing that LIST day OF
August. He says: ave stepped into
the baggage room and Pat (meaning
Patrick Roach, the baggage mastery,
gave me pen and ink. | filled out the
draft and Mr.. G.. did then put his name
himself on the back of it. carried it
into the Merchants Bank, and showed
them the letter from the Company, and
Mr.. Hazen kept the letter and cashed
the draft, and took dollar for doing
it. When | came to the office | found
Emerson (of the Home), and he wanted
the amount due the Company that day.
| thought what to do, and as | hadn't
(nor had b. g. H. money enough, l
took 1920, and deposited in the First
National Bank, and got draft for
S4I1 and handed it to Bowman for
Emerson, thinking of course to collect
or get it some way by the time the
company wrote back if it was all right,
to pay to Green. l never saw any re-
ply from the Company"
This statement differs from the I'M
questioned fact that appeared on trial
in that he saw Emerson and knew his
business before he went to the depot,
nor has Roach any recollection of Civ
ing Hopkins the pen and ink.
The theory of the prosecution is that
Hopkins, urged by his anxiety as to the
Home insurance matter, resOrted to
this desperate measure, hoping before
the forgery could be discovered to re-
place the money. While the defense
produced evidence to show that he had
with him that day other paper for an
amount sufficient to relieve his imme-
date embarrassments, but that he cash
ed this draft as mere matter of con-
venience and from the proceeds paid
the Home Company. Green not re-
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