New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-08
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
ConNrERFE.rERs COMMITTED.


ExAMINATIoN OF THE CoUNIERFEITERs OF BRA
LILLIAN CURRgNCY-sANABBIA AND BEBEL6GUA
HE'D FOR TRIAL.
There was a large attendance at the Essex Market
Police Court Yesterday afternoon TO learn what dis
position would be made of the case of the hye men
arrested on last Tuesday morning implicated III
counterfeitng' Brazilian currency notes. BEFORE
the hour appointed for the hearing three Oh the prs
oners Lopez Donyan and Moriarity were dls-
charged by consent Of the prosecution. Inc rea-
sons given for this action were that they had ouy
been the hired servants Of the chlei counterleter'
Sanabria aud Bebelagua, aud u would be dIincui'
to bring home 10 them any guilty knowledge oil Tue
work in which they had been engaged. IheS nau
also expressed their readiness to make tuh state
ments of their connection with tho printing OIL Ihe
forged notes. so as to assist The prosecution III prov
ing its case After the necessary delay TO prepare
and verify these statements, the two remaining
prisoners were arraigned before just &c Smith, who
required the reading of the afidaylts containing the
history of the case, although the counsel Tor the
prisoners admitted all the facts. - :,
The first affidavit that OF Albert u. Ooouall,
president of the American Bank Note COMPANY,
which recited The facts already puDIlshei III mi
TRIBUNE, and stated that the noles couh 'J
were negotiable and were dealt in bv exchange anu
money brokers in tins country. The detais OF u'le
arrest were verified by Captain keaIy ana DeVec-
Inc chIef Interest centred in the sworn state
ment of Paul Y. j. DOnvan, disclosing me manner
oil his engagement by Sanan1a ana DepeIasla
After stating his residence ana present occup''lou
"a a stotInner aud printer at No. % EXchange-st,
ne said that about nine weeks ago Sanaorla and
Bebelagna had been introduced to INN by
Jopez at No. % Brold-st.. then his place
of BUSINESS. Ihey showed MN "a , plll
aud asked aim to print some bills Ike
it, but he refused. Some four weeks later they came
To No. 53 EXchangc-sL 60 which place ne had
moved, and repeated their request, always tax
ing 10 him through Lopez as interpreter H9
asked if was proper and right, ana they as urea
him It was. lie then said that he had not the
means o do the work, and they gave him $500 win
which 30 buy Autograph press, ANA stated tuat ne
should have WORK enough from Brazil TO Ouy Two OF
three presses them" continued DJhNau, lounu
Moriarty and asked hun 70 attend TO the WORK;
He asked il C all o X, aud told hlm believed
il was. We afterward met the two Spdnlards al q
house in Nassau-st Brooklyn, and thev gave Us
some of the engraved plates. with the $500 gwen
me 1 bought tine necessary materials, and suOse-
Quently a lot of seven engraved stones was sent 10
No. 81 NaSsau-St IN this city, where the notes were
pruted BY MOrIarIty They also gave me 5000. as
SauabrIa said, Tor further orders when BcDtiagua
was to send from Brazil. Wher arrested was
taking the three sheets Of counterfeit notes TO ue-
liver them 10 Bebcagua on board the steamer. !
was TO have taken them TO SanaUra at his hotel the
ight before. but they could not be got ready III
time"
Moriaritys affidavit confirmed the statements in
DOnvan's so far rs they related 20 him, and he al
united that he had transferred the engraYlngs 10
ltnOgidpUlC
printed. Lopez made no statement and the mo-
melt he was discharged left the court for his home
III Brooklyn.
he counsel for the prisoners on this presentation
OF facts cOutended that II could not be held that
they were cOuspiTing to cheat and defraud any one
NV means OF forged cOunteTfeltrd instruments, 1Of
tine notes produced were no more than blank pieces
of PAPER Without a signature which purpOrted 10
be that of the Brazilian authority competent TO
sign them they were not forgeTies. There was no
such signature.
Michael w. Divine, of Martin 81 Smith, the pri-
Vate counsel for the Brazilian yice-consul, ON the
contrary, argued that these men had been en-
gagged In making instrument intended TO de-
fraud the Brazilian Government, and that under
the thiTty-thlrd section Of the chapter on forgery
Revised Statutes, they were guilty of forgery.
Deb WilmOt general counsel for the Brazilian Gov
eminent, cited authority showing that the attempt
TO commit an offence prohibited by law was pun
ishable If these men had completed their work by
afixng the signature they would nave Leon guilty.
The interruption of their work before It's compile
ton did not alter the nature of their crime.
After the counsel had concluded Justice Smith
thought the prisoners had been guilty of an attempt
TO peTpetrate "a fraud on the Brazilian Government,
and he would hold them for trial.
Bail was fixed at $1,000 in each case, and Sana-
bria ana BeDeagua default of bail were taken to
the adjoining prison. The prisoners gave the fol-
lowing descriptions of themselves TO the Justice:
Sanabria, age thiTty-one. born. in Cuba, lives in
New York, occupation planter, married. Not guilty
Bebelagua, age twenty-Seyen, born IN Brazil live IN
NeW-lOrk occupation merchant married, has one
child. Not guilty.