Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-23
THE CENTRIFUGAL CASE.
The Winding Up of the Suit of
Osborne vesrus Hughes-The
Jury Excused Until Monday.

The Winding Up of the Suit of
Osborne Vesrus Hughes-The
Jury Excused Until Monday.
For the past two weeks public interest
has been centered in the above trial,
suit brought by Amos Osborne against
Thomas Hughes to recover. 5000,
which he claimed to have invested
in the Centripetal Power Company
through misrepresentation made by
Mr.. Hughes. We make no comment
whatever, but simply state the facts as
they have been summed up by the OPP
posing counsel.
The witnesses had all been examined
by Thursday, owing to forced night SEES
sions and ON that day Attorney-Gen-
eral White opened the case for the
plaintiff. He first impressed the Jury
with the sanctity and solemnity OF their
oath and the Importance OF 1T in the
decision they were about to make.
Then he began lengthy review OF the
case, commencing at the introduction
here OF the centripetal machines and
their exhI bition at the Reid building.
The people who crowded to see them
and the manner in which the press di-
lated upon their merits. He denounced
the press in the strongest terms as hav-
ing been subsidized, paid line for line
for their publication. He spoke OF
Osborne being taken by the appear
ance OF the machines and pre-
vailed upon by Hughes repre-
sentations, which he declared were
wide of truth, to invest his
on the efforts and means devised by
Hughes to accomplish his ends, the
number OF patents he declared were
embraced and the value of the concern.
Then came the explosion Of the COM
panv, and Smith and Rankin were made
the scape-goats, who bore all the bur
den of sin. He called attention to the
fact that none of the solid. men Of
Wheeling, who were interested, had
been called to testify for the defendant,
and declared that there was Il secret
and mysterious understanding about
the matter. Chas. NJ. Coen, the first
Secretary of the company, was taken up
and severely handled, and the Sub
scription book" suffered i'll its turn from
a most scathing review. The Colonel
then took up the machine itself, des-
cribed its working and worthlessness,
and denounced it with the numerous
patents in the roundest terms.
He then reviewed the testimony,
scoring the different witnesses for
the defense, in manner best known to
such cases, and finally concluded by
stigmatizing the whole affair as the bold
est effort at robbery ever heard in the
Court House walls.
George b. Caldwell, Esq, then opened
the case for the defense by briefly re-
viewing the argument of Colonel White.
He then commenced on Osborne, say
ing he was a shrewd man, perfectly
aware that he was embarking in spec
ulatiOn and doing So at his own risk,
and now he expects one OF the stock
holders to reimburse his loss. The whole
suit he declared L plot, conceived in
sin and brought forth in iniquity." He
dwelt for considerable time on the sub
iect of Osborne's house, which he COS
borne) had put into the company at
5000, and which competent judges de-
clared was worth only $500, and that
Osborne was aware OF this. He
denounced the scheme as casting oblo-
huv on such men as OFT, Hobbs, Dew
ey, &C., &C., who were interested in
the enterprise. He declared that none
of the projectors got 4 cent - money.
which all went into the hands OF Smith
and Rankin, or into the treasury OF the
Centripetal Power Company. He re-
al loo nf IN vnt i
b. Hughes into the same trap, and also
his Recommendations of the excellence
of the machines at the time he claimed
to have believed them worthless, and
that he had done to others the precise
thing for which he was now prosecuting
Hughes, which suit was a mere specula-
ton to recover what he had never lost.
The stub book" was again brought up,
Mr.. Caldwell pointing out inaccuracies
in Col. Whites statement. He sah
that Hughes had distinctly stated to OS-
borne that if he went into the company,
he did 80 purely on his own response
bilitv. He then referred to the various
inaccuracies OF Osborne's statements,
his valuation OF his house, &c. Then
came the watering OF the stock
bv which Osborne got three
times what he paid, $4,000
in stock, ior which he paid 5000. Then
hard times came and among other vic
tins fell the company, Osborne's stock
going with the rest. Mr.. Caldwell con
cluded by scoring the plaintiff to the
extent OF his vocabulary.
J. II. Good, ESD, followed, closing the
case for the defendant in an argument
OF some two and a half hours duration.
r. G.. Cracraft, Esq, wound up for the
plaintiff, ending his argument at nine
o'clock last night.
The efforts OF the last Two gentlemen
were mastery and impressive, following
the course Of their predecessors, and
covering any omissions made by them.
As might be expected, both plaintiff and
defendant, together with most OF the
witnesses, suffered severely at the hands
of the opposing counsel. Characters
were shattered and re-established, and
the usual lies nailed.
In the above brief synopsis We have
endeavored to give the merest outline
OF the case from the opposing arguments,
leaving the case 10 be decided by the
jurors, and the public 10 form Its own
opinions.
At the closing OF the argument,
Judge Melvin briefly remarked TO the
jury, that they hal already received
few instructions, and would now be
dismissed until Monday.
The crowd in attendance since the
commencement Of this case has daily
;,,.,,,oJ 18th ~, nup, harS md intaraet
Yesterday the room was filled TO its
utmost capacity and opinions were
ireelyexpressed, some favoring one side,
some another, but most uniting in agree
ing on one thing, viz: the jury would
hang.