The New York herald., 1878-11-28
THE DOMINION ROBBERY.
TRIAL OF JACOB D. OTIS FOR RECEIVING THE
STOLEN CANADIAN BANK BILIs-EvIDENcE FOR

TRIAL OF JACOB D. OTIS FOR RECEIVING THE
STOLEN CANADIAN BANK BILIs-EvIDENcE FOR
THE PROSECUTION
On the 4th of July last some person or persons
tered the Office of the Receiver General of Canada in
the city OF Toronto and. without being detected by
the officers present stole package Of bills of the
denominations of ones and twos. on the. Dominion
Bank. amounting to $l2.400. On the 23d of August
following Jacob d. Otis. broker, generally known on
Wall street, was arrested having in his possession
495 of the bills alleged to have been stolen The
detectives having traced his operations for short
time previous to this claimed to have discovered that
Otis had been buying other Canada bills of sim
liar denomination at premium Of from one-fourth
to threecghths per cent in currency and then after
mixing them with some of the bills alleged to have
been stolen, reseling the whole at par for United
States currency. These transactions it was claimed
showed guilty knowledge on the part of Otis Of the
character of the bills which he dealing in. and he
was indicted for having received the bills the
Dominion Bank knowing the same to have been
stolen. On this indictment he was brought to trial
in the Court of Oyer and Termner yesterday. before
Judge Noah Davis and jury. Otis was accompanied
in court by number Of Wall street men, and de-
Tended by Messrs William A. Beach and William +.
Howe. Assistant District Attorneys Lyons and Bell
appeared to prosecute.
SOME WALL STREET TRANSACTIONS
Mr. Diefendorf, Wall street broker, testified that
either the day of Otis arrest the previous day
Otis purchased some Canada money from him. the
smallest Of which in onedollar notes and the lar
est fties the amount 500, and the rate
threeeighths per cent for currency, but he not
but some other similar transactions were at a
quarter per cent; few days later there found
in his window four five dollars of the class of
bills which had been purchased by him inadvertently,
although he had circular describing the stolen bills
in his possession; it not uncommon for reputa-
BILE brokers to be found in possession of negotiable
bills and bonds which stolen, and when they
could not remember from whom they had received
them.
Saivadora Cantona another Wall street man, testi-
fed to the purchase of $3.50 in Canada bills in August
last from OTIS most Of which III bills of the de-
nomination of 81 and 50; the same bills witness sold
to Arthur Ketchum; he too, had got stuck in
the of business by innocenty purchasing bills
or bonds alleged to have been stolen.
PRIsoNERs SIDE.
Then the prosecution rested, and Mr. Beach pro-
ceeded to take exception to the indictment and the
insuficency of the evidence given in its support.
The charge therein contained that So 400 belong
ing to Alexander Frazer had been received feloniously
by the accused, he knowing the same to have been
stolen The evidence had been that the larceny was
committed i'll Canada, and there proof that
the money had been brought here feloniously. On
that state of facts the presumption that 1t had
been put in circulation IN its proper place. and that
1t came innocently into this Jurisdiction and was
innocently in the possession OF the accused. Mr..
Frazer, counsel claimed had such special interest
in this property would Justify the laying in in
dctment of the property in him authorize him to
maintain civil action for its recovery. Counsel
submitted that there not sufficient grounds shown
to put tho accused on his defence and it would be
unsafe to permit conviction such evidence.
Judge Davis said he would reserve his decision.
The Court was then adjourned until to morrow morn
ing. Otis was present in court in the custody OF a
United States marshal. having been unable to give
the large amount OF bonds required in the civil suit
brought against him by Her British Majesty.