Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-05-13
is He Guilty Z?

Is He Guilty ?
The strangest thing that has har
pened in the criminal jurisprudence G
this country in an age is the histor
> of that fifty.dollar BILL" which in
wolves the character and future stand
ing OF the cashier Of the metropoli
tan Hotel, of New York. young gen
tleman hitherto unimpeached, of goo,
repute, aud well connected, being th
favorite nephew OF Col. MERRITT, tn
collector OF the port. The story is
| the colored sailor WILLIAMS had beel
discharged from war vessel in New
York harbor and paid off. There wa
sos coming to him, and the paymas
ter gave him in part payment fifty
dollar bill, newly issued. After wan
dering about New Your for day
making preparations to go home tC
see his mother in Wilmington, North
Carolina, buying suit Of clothes
paying his wash-bill, and making O
few other purchases, he suddenly
found himself overtaken by night
with no change left in his pocket, and
no place to put up. The tiny-dolIar
bill he intended to preserve intact and
carry home to show his mother what
great things he had done, and gladden.
the old mammy's heart, and had sew
ed IL up In the waistband of his trous-
ers for better security. But it was nee
ssary to change the bill as his last
resort now, not having penny Of the
$4S in money left. He applied to the
clerk Of the Purcell House for the
exchange, showing him the bill. -
Now, mark how the story begins to
grow in interest. The Purcell clerk
kindly enough 1t apnears told him he
didn't have 40 much change OH hand.
(and as silver and small bills
are by no means so desirable as
large bills, lie would no doubt have
been but too glad to make the change)
but told him he could get it changed
across the way at the Metiopoliton
Hotel. Hither he repaired. and APP
preaching the cashier handed HIM the
6ill and asked him to chaDge II. 1t
was night, but the gas buried bright
ly. The cashier took the bill ana put
II in the casl,drawer. Then, after
few minutes, during which the negro
by waited patiently, he took out -four
silver quarters and handed them to
him, "What is this?" inquired VIII
LIAMs, "Your change" replied the
clerk; "you gave me dollar" "Oh
no, sir, It was n fifty-dollar bill gave
you, and If you will look In that draw
er you will find 1t, on the other side,
rs saw you put in" The clerk grew
indignant, refused to look in the draw
er. and persisted In saying It was a
dollar bill; and. going to the drawer,
took one Of that denomination out
aud handed 1t to the negro, taking
back the silver and said, "There's
your dollar, go; and don't come here
making row, or I'll have you taken
out" There WINS row, however, as
the negro refused to go, and persisted
in asking for hls fifty dollars, saying
If the clerk would look In tho drawer
and didn't find II there he would be
content and go, though he knew he
had glveE him the bill. The police
man Of the establishment was called.
and the negro was not only elected,
but taken to tho station, and next
morning brought before justice Or.
TERDoURd. And this brings us to the
second act. .'N'
The policeman told bis story az
usual, when poor devil IL the victim
and ore OF better breed the accuser.-
He had simply found the negro rais-
ing n disturbance at n hotel, aud took
him in But something the negro
said attracted the attention OF The
justice, who, II appears, Is one OF those
men who are an equal honor to our
common humanity and the law they
are chosen 10 administer, and he ques.
toned the negro and got the whole
stoy. He nt once seDt for the clerk
aud heard the other side. and then
proceeded TO summons the clerk ut
DELyIN's clothing store, who sold the
The negro the clothes, and also the
clerk at the Purcell House, to whom
WILLIAMS had first applied for
change. Suffice II to say the fifty-
dollar bill was traced lu the negro's
possession right up to the clerks desk
ut the Metropolitan and II was quite
satisfactorily shown he had no other
money, The clerk pleaded his ptand.
ing, brought n cloud Of witnesses up
TO sustain him, aud some to try to
prove that II was q dollar he received,
but mono Of them could testify to that
fact. Though present, they had not
seen the money. The case Looked
very bad for the clerk. There was no
doubt in the mind Of any that the ne.
gro boy had taken this nfty-dollar bill
a. A Al. A