Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-04
GOODRICH's GUILT.
How a Fast Life was Supporred
I'm Wheeling.

vonnv mar, Of rather pleasant appear
ance and answering the name OF =: L.
Goodrich. came to this city from Chica-
eo He represented himself as familiar
with the insurance business and was
soon taken into the employ OF Major d.
v. L. Rodgers, Q genera insurance
agent. Mr.. Goodrich developed . num-
Der OF pleasant qualities and made sew
eral yery warm friends. BE has now
ootten into serious trouble and while
sbe circumstances undeniably point TO
guilt. il might be as well to, suspend
oninion until his side OF the story
ne saws he has one) comes out. he
Ia now underlying the charge OF
embezzlement and larceny preferred
against him by Major Rodgers, his Tor
mer EMPLOYER. Some four weeks ago
he left the city, and on his return was
nlaced in jail on the above charges. A
hearing has been several times set, nut
nostponed, and it finally came oil ut y
o'clock Yesterday morning: r
AT that hour the reception room OF
the county Jail contained Squire fhlllps'
accuser and accused, attorneys, witness
es, constabes and reporters, .,
Prosecuting Attorney Jordan appeared
for the State and ii. b. Ferguson LOT
the prisoner. ,.;.
fed as follows:
NV business is. that OF general IN
surance agent; know the defendant; ne
was in my employ from January ~,
1879, to January IL, iSSOL as
solicitor and clerk. Mr.. GOOD,
rich was in my employ from the time l
commenced my present business, !
never found anything wrong untii aDou.
the LIST of November, 1879. Al that
time several little amounts were out
standing and Mr.. Goodrich was sent 10
collect them, returning with various
stories as to their non-payment. on
the 18th of January, 1880, MIR. Good
rich's wear was up and told him that !
would not need him longer. At that
time Mr.. Charles Conner was RESPONSE
BILE for premium due on a house occu-
med by Mrs. Ann Lewis. MIR. Good
rich said that transfer had to be made
before Conner could pay the premium;
| saw Conner passing the Office ana
asked him for the premium; he said he
had paid the same, and had tue receipt
On the same day Miss l.. Rody had i
premium due. went TO her To collect
| The same, and she said she had paid II
10 Mr.. Rodgers; she also said 1t was q
gentleman with side whiskers. The
amount in this case was 500. Inc
| latter part of January q premium OF
S22 80 was due from the Chambers, OF
| Elm Grove. Isent Goodrich out TO Elm
| Grove several times TO collect the
amount, paying his fare each time. l
| finally wrote them letter, which Good
rich took to the box. Chambers paid
no attention, and after the close OF GOOD
rich's year | went to see Chambers,
| and found out that the premium
| had been paid to Goodrich; ana
that no letter had been received.
At that time had decided to discharge
| Goodrich on account OF his bad habits
and hard drinking. He plead hard to
! be allowed to work on commission and
| finally told him ii lie would state what
amounts he had taken and made no re-
turn for, would try him again. lie
then confessed to the followingamounts:
James Thornburg, $500; George Peel,
50 rs; Mrs. Ann Lewis, $1,000; W. L..
Bender, 500; Miss l.. Rody, 500;
Chambers & Co., So 80, and II. A. Nc
Nance, 500. He promised to quit
drinking and showed me a Murphy
pledge that he had signed; also said he
would receive money IN lew days rom
friends and would then settle all ac-
counts; also said that he wanted to
change his boarding place and asked
an advance OF $500 to pay a
weeks board, which | gave him.
| A few DAYS after tins he left town and
was zone for week: during that time
he telegraphed twice for money.
wrote him that no money would be
sent, and that | did not care 10 have
! him return. had found out that he
was ona drunk. On the 18th day OF
February he returned to the office IN
| state OF intoXcation. put him iorci-
| bly, out oil the office and told him never
to return. Two days after he returned
while | vas out; took two policies writ
ten on Mr.. q. Bayha's property; preml-
ums on which were 5000 and slO.iO,
which bad afterwards found he had
| collected. tie also opened some OF my
letters and put them in his pocket.
About the LIST OF October he told me
Mr.. Ratcliff wanted policy issued; this
| | did the premium amounting to 81. o.
| afterwards found out that the policy
was never asked for. /, in the mean
| time, had made q return to the
company and was that much out.
| Shortly after he had gone TO work on
commission for me sent him to Gut
mans to solicit some short insurance on
a stock they were getting in. tie return
ed and said they would take 5000,
premium $40, Tor sixty days. wrote
the same; he delivered 1t and when he
returned | asked him for the premium,
and he said they would take moro in
surance in a lew days and then pay the
whole. After his arrest was informed
by Mr.. Gutman that the premium was
paid when the policy was delivered.
Another case was that OF Mr.. Graham,
Of Marshall county, who had paid Good
rich s. on account, which was never &C.
counted for.
Messrs Chas. Common, Gottleib Bayha
| and NJ. Gutman were each sworn, and
Testified the same in substance as Major
Rodgers had, in relation to their cases.
The counsel for the accused made no
defense, and the Justice held Goodrich
for embezzlemeRt aud larceny in the
sum OF 81 900 on the first and $1,000 on
the second, to answer at the May term
OF court.
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