The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-12-23

a party bought logs around mere anu Iooiee
farmers; he said that when parties came to GU
the logs should haul them to the railroad,
and l would be paid what it was worth; ne
then took out two papers, and hlled up one
that he had bought two walnut trees from me
for $40: below that was printed State
County-P. o. mr.; he filled out Maryland,
Carroll county, Melrose; the rest was printed
except the number of trees, names and the
amount of money; he rested it on his knee
and on a fence rail; he used ink and pen taken
from his own pocket; he asked me to sign; !
hesitated and did not want to do 1T; he sald
he would insure that it was all right; that II
was about nothing but walnut logs, and called
nv SON up to see; Johnny Greider said :
"Uncle Peter, sign it, it's all right; l Will
stand good for all damages, this made some
impression on me, for | had known Grelder
from boy; j then signed and Grelder W.T.
messed it; the next | heard of him Phanuel
Wantz told me that Denison held notes against
him, Yost, Schaeffer and me, and L think
ferdinand Peterman; we came to WestmlnT
ster to see Judge Smith next day; after Judge
Smith and Phanuel Wantz came back from
Denisen's, Yost, Schaeffer, Peterman and |
went to see him; said to him. Il heard you
had some fraudulent paper against me; want
to see the paper you hold against me-; ne
hunted around the Office and said they were
not there, but were up at Cootes' Hotel IN his
room; he took us there and took the papers
from pair of pantaloons hanging on the wall,
and laid them on the bed; each of us except
Peterman picked up his note and looked att;
we all told him that they were forgeries and
we would net pay them; / asked him why In
the common sense he bought those notes, for
such amounts against farmers in the same
neighborhood, with whom he was acquainted,
without asking about it; he said that Mr.. Cor
nelius Wantz brought Miller to him, and he
thought it was all right; did not look at the
other notes; mine was for $4,000; l asked II
he had Peterman's note, and he said that
he did not; on the way down the street Mr..
Schaeffer said to Mr.. Denison: st takes a
good deal of money to buy notes to that
amount" Denison answered that he could
put his hands any day on 500, 900 in Lancas-
ter or Lancaster county; he said that we Were
in so much of hurry that he had not done
anything toward his defence; that we had en-
ployed counsel without giving him a chance;
/ said his chance was slim; he said: "1i
Johnny Greider goes back on me am a ruin
ed man." we met him the same evening be-
tween Manchester and Melrose, and he said
the same thing; Denison put the notes away;
l don't know what he did with them; Miller
gave me paper at the time signed his pa
per; | have searched for it and cannot find it;
he signed his name about the middle of it; it
was partly printed and partly written, and
showed the amount of money | got for the
trees; in paper signed State County
P. o. was printed; Miller wrote two
walnut logs of Peter Gettier for S12; below he
wrote the same with Maryland, Carroll coun-
ty, Melrose, saying that he wanted the top to
show his employers"
Tho 1,,fpacc idapt,6od nartain nanara Sbowp
him, and said that he received them through
the mail, but their contents were not offered
in evidence.
Cross examined, witness said: 'sThe paper
was printed with blanks to fill up; it had
printed State, County, P. o., the
rest to be filed up; that he bought two trees of
Peter Gettier for So, paid cash, Melrose,
Carroll county, Maryland; he did not take off
the top before / signed.
John C. Crumrine testified: 81 keep res
taurant or saloon at Melrose; in the latter part
of May last, in my place, Phanuel Wantz and
Philip j. Yost signed agreements to Samuel
d. Miller; Philip J, Yost came in and signed
his name P. ]. Yost, and Miller took that
paper and laid it aside on pile of blanks
which he had, and handed Yost another paper
and told him to sign his full name; the first
paper he signed was in relation to walnut
logs; | read the heading; it had on it the
county, postoffice and date, and that he bought
logs for which he was to pay; then words to
say that if the logs were not cut in two weeks
the party was to pay back the money, and be-
low that was a blank, then he signed his
name; the second paper was like the first;
both were printed and the blanks were not
filled with writing; he signed the second as
Philip j. Yost; heard them talking of the
sale of walnut logs for Sc; Miller said he was
too drunk to do business; Phanuel Wantz
signed paper like that of Yost's, only Miller
filled in Sc; set out my ink on the bar, but
Miller said: "Never mind, | have my own
pen and ink" he took it from his pocket and
used it; had q talk with Denison in Man
chester in August, shortly after these notes
matured; Denison asked me what these men
say about walnut logs; that he thought he
could have settled with the parties if it had
not been for Reuben Schaeffer; he said that
he bought lot of notes in Lancaster county
pretty much the same, and that he had made
his money on them the last Monday, and that
he had not taken any action on these notes
and would not; that he was in no hurry, for
they were good for twelve years; this was at
Greider's tavern, in Manchester. The wit
ness then testified that on the occasion of lost
and Wantz signing papers at his place Miller
Wantz; that he read the paper Miller wanted
Wantz to sign, and advised him not to sign it,;
that Wantz said he would not sign it as it was,
and then Miller put in the amount and Wentz
signed it; that no note or single bill was sign
ed by Yost or Wantz at his place.
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
John c. Crumrine resumed his testimony and
said :-"Miller was about feet 6 inches tall;
had dark hair and moustache, the moustaehe
darker than the hair weighed about 40
pounds; broad over the shoulders for his height;
we'll set; wore SLOUGH hat and black clothing,
a sack coat; dark complexion. 1 did not see
Denison the day Yost and Miller signed the
papers. | saw him two weeks or ten days
before. Miller and Edward Sullivan came to
my house and after they had been gone an
hour and a-half or two hours Denison came.
When Yost signed the paper he asked Miller
if it was all right, and John Greider said SITS
all right I've signed my name to it now and if
there's anything wrong, I'll be into it as much
as anybody"
Cross-examined witness said 1.-THE day
Denision came to my place, Ed. Thurman,
the sheriff's son, was with him. | don't
know the day of the month l had converse
ton with Denison in Manchester. 1t was
sometime in August. Imet him at the Wash
ington House, (Greider'sl don't know
what time of day it was. Itwas day time.
don't know whether it was before or after din
ner., Don't know why went to Manchester
that day. The weather was warm and l think
it was clear. The conversation took place on
the pavement in front of the hotel. There
were some other gentlemen on the pavement
but I don't know who they were. Denison
asked me what these men say about the wal
nut-tree business and said that he paid the
money. Then / said: "It's very hard to
lose all that money! and Denison said SIT is
hard.' .-....
Philip J. Yost testified :-"I have been in
the habit of speaking German, only lately
have spoken English better than formerly.
In the latter part of last May Edward Starner
and I were hauling bark. We stopped at
Crumrine's to water the horses, when Miller
and Greider came out and Crumrine said
"Here's life insurance agent if you want
your life insured or apolicy transferred" Mil
Ter said: .tNo, no, I am in the walnut-log bust
ness" and told me that he had been at my
house the other day and / was not at home.
He said he was coming around to buy walnut
LOGS that he had seen some trees and asked If