The Portland daily press., 1881-05-18
ALBERT H. HUMES
On Trial for Forgery in the Superior
Court.

The prisoner, who appeared iarnty and care.
less, sat just outside the Bar next to his coun-
sci, H. D. Hadock, Esq. County Attorney
Coombs appeared for the state.
The crime with which Mr.. Humes was
charged by indictment, was forging the name
OF his wife, Fanny c. Humes, upon the back
OF promissory note for $25. signed by himself
In second cou MT he is charged with having
such forged paper in his possession knowing it
to be forged, and uttering it.
The first witness called was e. S. kidlon,
the payee of the note, who testified that he, as
attorney at law, had done some business for
Humes, and Humes wanted him to appear for
him in the insolvert COURT that witness asked
for security or funds to the amount of $25.
Humes told him he would give him his note
endorsed by his wife; that witness wrote the
note, Humes signed it, took it away to get his
wifes name and brought it back the next day
with what purported to bs her signature; that
witness accepted 1t for his ser vices.
Fannie G. Humes, called by the state, testi-
fed:
am the wife of the respondent was mar
ried to him the Sd day of November [ think
The name "Fannie G. Humes" on the back of
which this indictment is foundetD is not nv
signature.
At this point Mr.. Hadlock said he was
aware OF the late statute allowing a wife to tos-
tify against her husband, and also of the de-
cision of tie court to that effect, vet he wished
to make an objection to this witness being al
lowed to testify. The objection was overruled
and the witness continued.
T
Humes, and my name on the note is in his
handwriting. The "C' is exactly the same as
he always makes his capital C's never gave
him or anyone liberty to sign my name to this
note or any other note. He never transacted
any of my business affairs I ceased to live
with him on the 14th day of January. / sup
pose he left Portland on that day. The next
time saw him on his return last mouth
During that time | received quite number of
letters from him. The paper marked Govern
ment is in his handwriting, signature and
all. L found it in the upper drawer of his
dressing case the next morning after its date.
When he left on the 14th, he said something
about having left paper for me. The paper
was read and is as follows:
PORTLAND, Jan Il 1881
This is to certify that my wife, Fannie O. Humes
never signed the Il ties which are out the present
tllne ALBERT II. HUMES,
The letters marked Government 3 and Gov
eminent were identified by the witness as in
land in due course of mail. They were read
by the County Attorney. The material PARTS
of them are as follows:
MONTREAL, Jan. 81, 1881.
As have not heard from you since left Portland
will try to Den you a few lines. had an oper-
alton performed on me when 1 arrived hear and
last friday took Gather and went through another
they had to cut me six inches in length in nv side
and the Doctors don't give much incourage-
ment SO will make statement near as 1 can
Uyn nfya1 wan hanp 20
come and give myself UP to the law but my health is
SO miserable want to have chance to die outside
of a Prison sell. After losing my family | have
nothing more to live for. will send you a copy of
the notes which gave out with your name on and
there is no bills against you that be collected as
was responsible for your debts and run the Ho-
lei in my name and made all the contracts in my
own name and m ade notes and signed your name
c. Cobb.
Fannie when 1 comenst to give these notes 1
thought could easily pay them and SO | old at first
but soon myself short. My Dear Wife l wish
you could fix up this matter and let me come back
to my dear family for my heart is broken when
think how much trouble have put you to and the
dlsgrace to my Daughter; tits killing me by inches
II get Well can pay every dollar owe in short
time by the sweat of my brow. Perhaps Mr. Cobb
would take up the notes for me and give me
chance to pay him / would work for song eny-
thing until every dollar was paid. 1 sorry this
has happened and it greaves me as much as it does
you for suppose you know all by this time. Par
ties holding these notes John c. Cobb | don't
know how much but he has got two notes one rs
a @aa one LOO which he ought to give me as they
has been due about three months but he has waited
for me as have paid him before. The note that
ID. W. Fessenden put the keeper in your house l
gave to him when worked over to his place for
lumber % 90 and paid him 1900 by giving note
to S. D. Rumery for 1900 which put your name
on and pawned my watch to him for security.
nj. p. Frank has got note which gave NJ. r.
Walker for rent $40 and they had sued it before
came away. George and Edward Thomas has got
5000. That is all think of. Now Fannie work
ed hard and tried 10 make something but had to
r many enemies in the same BUSINESS gave Nh.
think after selling the Hotel stuff 500 would have
settled me up. Now wish Fannie you could
help me out of this and would be your slave for
life never done this to harm you or wrong you,
if you will help me let me know at once.
ALBERT H. HUMEs
When Fred Hartford the sheriff, came in and
gaya you them sumnonses he gave you the en-
velope and took it away from you and told you
that White was sueing and would go and pay it
as you had nothing to do with that the time
John G. Cobb sued you half dozen dozen notes
and thought would get somebody to help me- out
some way. This is all | am able to write so good
bye my dear family. ALBERT II. HUMEs.
In the next letter he asks his wife to go to
Mr. Ray and ask him if he (Hunes) is safe in
Canada and asks her to send him his daughter
as he wants something to comfort him, and
wants his wife to take him back if she can.
Then in subsequent letter follows con-
fession as he calls it in which he says the
signatures are forgeries but. that the blame at
taches to others, that he was led away, etc.
Says he is going to another country and shall
be dead to the world. In other letters he ad-
dresses his wife and child in endearing terms,
tells her if she will settle the matters up and
take him back he will be good man, be her
slave for life and make her happy, but in no
one of them does he claim that tho endorse
ments are genuine.
The witnessscontinued: When Mr. Humes
went away on the 14th of January 1 carried
him to. Woodford's Corner. left him and re-
turned to Portland At that time had no
knowledge Of any forgeries by him.
Cross examination by Mr.. Hadlock
l was asked one time after the 14th if I was
sure Mr.. HumeS had gone and L said didn't |
know whether he had gone or not. had
been told that he was seen on the street late
Friday night after had carried him to Wood |
ford's. The next week after he left had a
dispatch from him and wrote him one letter |
at Montreal and that is all l wrote him. I |
kept copy of that letter The only two notes
ever signed for Mr.. Humes was one for $50 |
to Edwin Dow and one for $25 in part renewal
of that; those notes he paid, gave to me and [ |
burned them III his presence. | never signed |
a note for him to Mr.. Hooper. Hooper never /
made demand for payment on me. I signed |
a constable's bond for him and a bond for 500 |
l.
signed the constable's bond 1 thought there
was something queer about it and went and |
had my name taken off. Never told Humes
if he didn't produce the bond ( would swear
my name was forgery, nor nothing like it,
At one time man came to my door and
handed me an envelope. Mr.. Humes, who
was below shovelling snow, came up irnmedi-
ately and I says, "What does this mean?"
There was paper about note running to Mr.
Cobb, and said something about my name con-
nected with his jointly. He says, "John Cobb
has dones that because he knows you have
got property and l have got nothing. 1
will take it and go directly over in the MORN
ing and show you there is nothing wrong l
never heard nothing of it afterwards I did
not talk on business matters with him very
often. Whenever [ asked him anything about
his affairs he said it was none of my business
that transacted my own business and had no
right to know about his. often objected to
his being in the parlor of the hotel, and had
to, for he acted SO. l never guaranteed any
bills for him to marketmen.
Mr.. Humes came to my room one morning
and said Sheriff Hartford was there; that
White & Pickett had sued him on a grocery
bill. l said, 81 don't care if they have, it is
nothing that concerns me-" He said, "they
have sued you because they think you have